Altamont Landfill Expansion, Alameda County, California
Project Name: Altamont Landfill Expansion, Alameda County, California Services: Permitting and Conservation Management Plan Client: Waste Management of Alameda County
Padre managed the regulatory permit process for the Fill Area 2 Expansion Project at the Altamont Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility in Alameda County, California. Permits issued included: a Section 404 wetland permit and federal and state endangered species permits. Padre has prepared a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) at the facility to set-aside in conservation easements approximately 990 acres of upland habitat and two acres of constructed wetlands to compensate for the loss of over 300 acres of special-status species habitat. Resident species include California tiger salamander, California red-legged frog, and San Joaquin kit fox. The CMP identifies project impacts on special-status species, biological goals and objectives of the plan, measures for minimizing and mitigating impacts, long-term monitoring procedures, and an adaptive management plan. The CMP includes a Grazing Management Plan, Pest Management Plan, and Wetlands Mitigation Plan. The permit applications were submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB), and County of Alameda.
As part of the CMP, Padre assisted in the development of a Conservation Easement to be held by the CDFG. Padre prepared cost estimates for the management, monitoring, and maintenance of the Conservation Easement in perpetuity; prepared a Habitat Management Acquisition Package for CDFG; and assisted in the development of an endowment for the long-term funding of the Conservation Easement. The USFWS has issued a Biological Opinion for the project; CDFG has issued a Consistency Determination for the Biological Opinion, issued a Section 1600 Streambed Alteration Agreement, and has approved the Conservation Easement; CVRWQCB has issued a Section 401 Water Quality Certification; and, the County of Alameda issued a conditional use permit. All permits were issued by the agencies, and Padre assisted in the preparation of the Conservation Easement and financial endowment plan with the California Wildlife Conservation Board and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Conservation Easement has been approved and recorded by the County of Alameda.