This Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment is intended to address the initial study
requirements under CEQA by: (1) summarizing the current environmental setting, (2) describing
the pu..rpose and need for restoration action, (3) identifying alternative actions, (4) assessing the
preferred actions' environmental consequences, and (5) summarizing opportunities for public
participation in the decision process. Additional project-specific NEPA and CEQA documents
will be needed for some of the proposed restoration proj ects. The Trustees anticipate that an
Environmental Assessment (EA)/EIR will be developed by various governmental agencies and
other groups for the watershed-wide invasive plant species control effort in the Santa Clara
River. Other projects may fall within an existing EA, Environmental Impact Statement (ElS) or
ElK.
CEQA encourages the use of an EIS or finding of no significant impact (FONSI) or combined
state/federal documents in place of a separate EIR or negative declaration (Pub. Res. Code
21083.5, 21083.7, 14 Cal. Code Regs. 15221-15222. The state lead agency intends to adopt the
FONSI by the USFWS in place of a separate negative declaration.