Draft Habitat Conservation Plan and Draft Categorical Exclusion; California Department of Water Resources Sutter and Sacramento Maintenance Yards Habitat Conservation Plan for Eight Elderberry Management Zones
Published Date: 11/25/2025
Notice
Summary
The California Department of Water Resources wants permission to keep up vegetation near levees in seven counties without harming the rare valley elderberry longhorn beetle. They’ve created a plan to protect the beetle’s habitat while doing maintenance work. The public can share their thoughts by December 26, 2025, as this plan could save time and money by avoiding bigger environmental reviews.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
5‑Year Permit to Maintain Levee Vegetation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received an application from the California Department of Water Resources for a 5-year incidental take permit (ITP) to cover routine trimming, removal, and transplanting of elderberry shrubs that host the valley elderberry longhorn beetle. The plan would cover vegetation management on about 3,162 acres in eight areas along State-maintained levees in seven California counties: Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, and Yolo, to support levee structural integrity, visibility, inspections, and flood-fighting operations.
Preliminary Low‑Effect NEPA Determination
The Service preliminarily determined the proposed section 10(a)(1)(B) permit would be a low‑effect incidental take permit and may qualify for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Department of the Interior NEPA regulations (43 CFR part 46), and the DOI Departmental Manual (516 DM 8.5(C)(2)). The Service prepared a joint draft environmental action statement and a low‑effect screening form to support that preliminary determination.
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