HomeMy WebLinkAbout(1994, 01/24) - K-5 - Amended - changed to K-4C K-4
PALEONTOLOGICAL GUIDELINES
I. GENERAL POLICY.
The policies set forth below shall be used to guide the development or
redevelopment of lands within the City:
A. The City shall, through its planning policies and permit conditions,
ensure the preservation of paleontological resources and require that
the impact caused by any development be mitigated in accordance
with the California Environmental Quality Act.
B. The City shall prepare and maintain sources of information
regarding paleontological sites and the names and addresses of
responsible organizations and qualified individuals who can
analyze, classify, record, and preserve paleontological findings.
C. If determined to be necessary by the Environmental Coordinator, it
shall be the responsibility of a landowner or developer prior to the
commencement of land development to cause the proposed site to be
examined to determine the existence and extent of paleontological
resources. The examination shall be by qualified observers,
approved by the City. The observers shall prepare and submit to the
City a written report describing findings and making
recommendations for further action. The report shall discuss both
positive and negative aspects of the effects of the proposed
development on paleontological resources. The report shall be
considered as part of the CEQA review process and, if appropriate,
the recommendations shall be included as mitigation measures and
conditions of approval for the project.
D. Based on the report and recommendations of the observers, the City
shall take such steps as are necessary to assure that any findings or
sites are recorded, preserved and protected. These steps may
include requiring the landowner or developers to incur reasonable
expenditures of time or money, encouraging the involvement of
appropriate volunteer or non -profit organizations or acquisition of
the sites by public or private agencies. Provision shall be made for
the deposit of scientifically valuable paleontological materials which
are removed from the site with responsible public or private
40 institutions. In all cases, the City shall seek responsible scientific
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advice and make the necessary decisions consistent with the public
interest.
PROCEDURES.
The following procedures shall be used in examining and reporting on
possible paleontological sites.
A. The site examination shall consist of:
1. A walk -over site survey.
2. A review of publications and reports on the geology or
paleontology of the area.
3. Analysis of all available soils information.
4. Examination of the relationship of the proposed development
site to known or potential fossil producing areas identified in
available records. •
B. Prior to the commencement of any land alterations, the
Environmental Coordinator shall determine whether a pre - grading
conference is required. This determination shall be based on an
analysis of the potential of a paleontological discovery occurring as
follows:
1. If the Environmental Coordinator determines that it is
unlikely that any paleontological discovery would occur, a
pre - grading conference may be waived. _ ..
2. Otherwise, the pre - grading conference shall be required.
C. During the pre - grading conference, the Environmental Coordinator
shall ensure the following:
1. That a responsible organization, e.g., the Natural History
Foundation of Orange County, is notified and that a qualified
representative is authorized to participate in the conference.
2. That the grading schedule provides for identification and •
avoidance of resource discoveries to allow their immediate
recovery.
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3. That a qualified observer or collector is available to monitor
the site during grading operations. Any observer included on
the County of Orange list of certified paleontologists will be
considered to be qualified.
4. That a copy of the grading schedule is available to the
appropriate parties, including the on -site observer.
5. That the observer has adequate authority to institute
temporary delays or alterations in the grading schedule to
allow collection of paleontological material.
6. That the grading contractor clearly understands the observer's
role and authority.
7. That the responsible parties are notified and ready on a 24-
hour notice to respond if a resource discovery is uncovered.
8. That adequate insurance has been provided for protection of
the observer, the property owner, and the developer.
9. That, in the event any paleontological materials having
scientific value are discovered, reasonable provisions are
made for extraction and preservation
Adopted - August 26,1974
Amended - January 24,1994
Formerly K -5
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