B26_SQA_24Q0913-A2_Q_A_(FINAL)_0002.pdf
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- Solicitation number
- 140D0424Q0913
About this file
This document is a Question and Answer (Q&A) document related to Solicitation 140D0424Q0913 for an AVSO Land Appraisal for the Merced Grasslands Wildlife Tract. The property appears to be designated as critical habitat by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which may impact the property owner's ability to convert the land to a preferred orchard use. The Q&A clarifies that critical habitat designations only affect federal agency actions or federally funded/permitted activities, and that mitigation requirements would depend on local/state regulations, unless federal involvement is required. The 18.35-acre "exclusion area" on the Appraisal Site Map approximates the area used in conjunction with the historical farmstead, but detailed calculations for lands within/outside critical habitat zones are not currently available. Overall, this Q&A document provides context and clarification on the critical habitat designation and its potential impacts on the property.
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RFQ Attachment #1 Questions and Answers
Solicitation – 140D0424Q0913
Question No. Question Government Response
Context (For questions 2a and 2b below) It appears the HBU of the surrounding lands is orchard development; however, this property remains dry grazing land. It appears the property has been identified as critical habitat by the USFWS; and that this may be frustrating the conversion of the land to a market preferred orchard use.
1 As it relates to the larger parcel consideration, does the property owner have any grazing leases or rights in place for adjacent lands and/or lands within the Merced NWR?
The property owner does not have any grazing leases in place.
2a Is there any recorded document or published policies regarding USFW uses allowed in critical habitat zones?
or is it just the understanding that any disturbance of critical habitat will require mitigation?
Per fws.gov (Critical Habitat | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov)) and confirmed by the Realty Specialist, critical habitat designations do not affect activities by private landowners unless federal funding or permits are required to carry out the activity. Designations affect only federal agency actions or federally funded or permitted activities. Mitigation requirements would be dependent on local, County, and State land use regulations, unless federal funding or permits were required for the intended use.
2b Do we have area calculations for lands that are not in a critical habitat zone that appears to be improved to the historical farmstead?
The 18.35-acre “exclusion area” on the Appraisal Site Map approximates the area used in conjunction with the historical farmstead, but calculations for the lands within/outside critical habitat zones are not currently available.
https://www.fws.gov/project/critical-habitat
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .