Conservation Action – Documents – Alameda Point Environmental Report

“To preserve a natural diversity and abundance of fauna and flora on refuge lands. To provide an understanding and appreciation of fish and wildlife ecology and the human’s role in the environment; and to provide refuge visitors with high-quality, safe, wholesome, and enjoyable recreational experiences oriented toward wildlife, to the extent these activities are compatible with the purposes for which the refuge was established.” 1999 DRAFT COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN for ALAMEDA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

” ‘[T]rails and greenway corridors are traditionally recognized for their environmental protection, recreation values and aesthetic appearance. These corridors also have the potential to create jobs, enhance property values, expand local businesses, attract new or relocating businesses, increase local tax revenues, decrease local government expenditures and promote a local community.’ “ FLIGHT PARK AT ALAMEDA POINT CONCEPT – CENTER ON URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

“[T]he Navy agreed to move forward and convey not only the proposed LBNL Second Campus site, but the whole of the EDC [Economic Development Conveyance] Property, pursuant to the 2000 no-cost EDC MOA [Memorandum of Agreement], subject to the ARRA [City] agreeing to certain conditions. These conditions include ARRA’s confirmation of its commitment to the Reuse Plan, to existing aspects of the EDC MOA, and to coordination on ongoing environmental clean-up issues.” 2011 MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF ALAMEDA AND US NAVY, approved on 1/4/12

“The proposed VA Project requires significant changes to the project description and effects analysis of the 1999 BO; thus, the VA Project and City’s redevelopment of NAS Alameda are interdependent actions.” 2012 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BIOLOGICAL OPINION

“There are extensive wetlands along the proposed access road and near other of the proposed VA project facilities. While these wetlands may not provide habitat to California least terns, they serve as habitat for many other waterfowl and migratory birds.” LETTER TO FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FROM CENTER ON URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 9/10/12

“At present, the current baseline condition of the Northwest Territories at Alameda Point is undeveloped open space, and the terms of the 2011 City of Alameda-Navy MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) provide for the Navy’s conveyance of the Northwest Territories to the City of Alameda so that the area would remain undeveloped open space. [¶] [T]he proposed Amendment to the City of Alameda–Navy MOA is an element/component of the larger proposal for the VA’s development on the Northwest Territory. To avoid the piecemealing/segmentation prohibited under CEQA (see authorities discussed above), a CEQA [California Environmental Quality Act] environmental impact assessment performed by the City of Alameda in connection with the proposed Amendment to the MOA would need to cover the VA development project as well.” LETTER TO CITY OF ALAMEDA FROM CENTER ON URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, 10/6/12

“While we continue to hope for success of the compromise agreement, we still have concerns about the impacts of the project on the endangered California Least Terns and other wildlife that depend on the property identified as the “VA Undeveloped Property”, which we refer to as the Alameda Wildlife Refuge (“the Refuge”). [¶] The BO [Biological Opinion] focuses primarily on activities on the Refuge during the tern breeding season and does not substantially discuss activities during the non-breeding season that may affect the local environment and result in negative consequences to the terns when they return. Moreover, the BO concentrates only on the terns while not addressing impacts to other ecological values of the Refuge.” LETTER TO U.S. NAVY AND U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FROM GOLDEN GATE AUDUBON SOCIETY AND SIERRA CLUB, 10/11/12