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Home My WebLink AboutH - Paleontological AssessmentPALEONTOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE SLOVER AND CYPRESS AVENUE PROJECT CITY OF FONTANA SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA APNs 251-163-01 to -10 and -13 and 251-164-03, -04, -10, -11, -12, -14, -15, -16, -20, -23, and -25 Prepared for: T&B Planning, Inc. 3200 El Camino Real, Suite 100 Irvine, California 92602 Submitted to: City of Fontana Community Development Department 8353 Sierra Avenue Fontana, California 92335 Prepared by: Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 January 27, 2022 Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Paleontological Database Information Author: Todd A. Wirths, M.S., Senior Paleontologist, California Professional Geologist No. 7588 Consulting Firm: Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 (858) 679-8218 Report Date: January 27, 2022 Report Title: Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California (APNs 251-163-01 to -10 and -13 and 251-164-03, -04, -10, -11, -12, -14, -15, -16, -20, -23, and -25) Prepared for: T&B Planning, Inc. 3200 El Camino Real, Suite 100 Irvine, California 92602 Submitted to: City of Fontana Community Development Department 8353 Sierra Avenue Fontana, California 92335 Prepared by: Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 14010 Poway Road, Suite A Poway, California 92064 USGS Quadrangle: Fontana, California (7.5 minute) Study Area: 29.82 acres Key Words: Paleontological assessment; Quaternary old alluvial fan deposits; High sensitivity; County of San Bernardino; City of Fontana. Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Section Page I. INTRODUCTION AND LOCATION .......................................................................1 II. REGULATORY SETTING .......................................................................................1 State of California .....................................................................................................1 City of Fontana ..........................................................................................................4 III. GEOLOGY .................................................................................................................5 IV. PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES......................................................................7 Definition ....................................................................................................................7 Fossil Locality Search ................................................................................................7 V. PALEONTOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY ....................................................................7 Overview .....................................................................................................................7 Professional Standards ..............................................................................................8 City Assessment of Paleontological Sensitivity at the Project ..................................8 VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................9 Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) .......................................9 VII. CERTIFICATION ....................................................................................................12 VIII. REFERENCES........................................................................................................12 Appendices Appendix A – Qualifications of Key Personnel Appendix B – Paleontological Records Search Results List of Figures Figure Page Figure 1 General Location Map .................................................................................2 Figure 2 Project Location Map ...................................................................................3 Figure 3 Geologic Map ...............................................................................................6 Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 I. INTRODUCTION AND LOCATION A paleontological resource assessment has been completed for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project (Assessor’s Parcel Numbers [APNs] 251-163-01 to -10 and -13 and 251-164-03, -04, -10, -11, -12, -14, -15, -16, -20, -23, and -25) located at the northwest corner of Slover Avenue and Cypress Avenue in the city of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California (Figures 1 and 2). On the U.S. Geological Survey, 7.5-minute, 1:24,000-scale Fontana, California topographic quadrangle map, the project is located in the southwest corner of Section 19, Township 1 South, Range 5 West, San Bernardino Base and Meridian (see Figure 2). The 29.82-acre project proposes the construction of an industrial warehouse building with associated parking and infrastructure. As the lead agency, the City of Fontana has required the preparation of a paleontological assessment to evaluate the project’s potential to yield paleontological resources. The paleontological assessment of the project included a review of paleontological literature and fossil locality records for a previous project in the area; a review of the underlying geology; and recommendations to mitigate impacts to potential paleontological resources. A paleontological field survey was not conducted since the project is currently either developed or graded flat. II. REGULATORY SETTING The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which is patterned after the National Environmental Policy Act, is the overriding environmental regulation that sets the requirement for protecting California’s paleontological resources. CEQA mandates that governing permitting agencies (lead agencies) set their own guidelines for the protection of nonrenewable paleontological resources under their jurisdiction. State of California Under “Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act,” as amended in December 2018 (California Code of Regulations [CCR] Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, Sections 15000 et seq.), procedures define the types of activities, persons, and public agencies required to comply with CEQA. Section 15063 of the CCR provides a process by which a lead agency may review a project’s potential impact to the environment, whether the impacts are significant, and provide recommendations, if necessary. Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4 In CEQA’s Environmental Checklist Form, one of the questions to answer is, “Would the project directly or indirectly destroy a unique paleontological resource or site or unique geologic feature?” (Appendix G, Section VII, Part f). This is to ensure compliance with California Public Resources Code Section 5097.5, the law that protects nonrenewable resources including fossils, which is paraphrased below: a) A person shall not knowingly and willfully excavate upon, or remove, destroy, injure or deface any historic or prehistoric ruins, burial grounds, archaeological or vertebrate paleontological site, including fossilized footprints, inscriptions made by human agency, rock art, or any other archaeological, paleontological or historical feature, situated on public lands, except with the express permission of the public agency having jurisdiction over such lands. b) As used in this section, “public lands” means lands owned by, or under the jurisdiction of, the state, or any city, county, district, authority, or public corporation, or any agency thereof. c) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor. City of Fontana In the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) of the City of Fontana General Plan Update 2015–2035, two paleontological resource mitigation measures are specified: MM-CUL-4 and MM-CUL-5. MM-CUL-4 must be implemented before construction starts, while MM-CUL- 5 must be implemented before, during, and after construction (City of Fontana 2018a). The measures are as follows: MM-CUL-4 A qualified paleontologist shall conduct a pre-construction field survey of any project site within the Specific Plan Update area that is underlain by older alluvium. The paleontologist shall submit a report of findings that provide specific recommendations regarding further mitigation measures (i.e., paleontological monitoring) that may be appropriate. MM-CUL-5 Should mitigation monitoring of paleontological resources be recommended for a specific project within the project site, the program shall include, but not be limited to, the following measures: • Assign a paleontological monitor, trained and equipped to allow the rapid removal of fossils with minimal construction delay, to the site full-time during the interval of earth-disturbing activities. • Should fossils be found within an area being cleared or graded, earth- disturbing activities shall be diverted elsewhere until the monitor has Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 completed salvage. If construction personnel make the discovery, the grading contractor shall immediately divert construction and notify the monitor of the find. • All recovered fossils shall be prepared, identified, and curated for documentation in the summary report and transferred to an appropriate depository (i.e., San Bernardino County Museum). A summary report shall be submitted to City of Fontana. Collected specimens shall be transferred with copy of report to San Bernardino County Museum (City of Fontana 2018a). III. GEOLOGY The project is located near the western margin and distal southern end of the broad Lytle Creek alluvial fan that emanates from the San Gabriel Mountains approximately nine to 10 miles to the north as a result of uplift and dissection of the eastern San Gabriel Mountains. The main source of these sediments is from the Lytle Creek drainage, near where the northwest-southeast- trending San Andreas fault zone cuts across and separates the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges (Morton and Miller 2006). Geomorphically, the project occupies the Fontana Plain (Dutcher and Garrett 1963), and is relatively flat-lying, with a gentle slope to the south (see Figures 2 and 3). Geologically, the project property is mapped as young alluvial fan deposits of Lytle Creek (large area colored yellow and labeled “Qyfl” on Figure 3; after Morton 2003) that are Holocene and late Pleistocene in age, a period of time spanning up to approximately 120,000 years ago (Cohen and Gibbard 2011). Morton (2003) describes these deposits as unconsolidated, cobbly and bouldery alluvium composing the Lytle Creek alluvial fan. Dutcher and Garrett (1963) indicate that the young alluvial fan deposits may exceed one hundred feet thick in some areas of the Fontana-San Bernardino-Redlands region but show that these deposits are approximately 15 feet thick (Pl. 7, cross-section G-G') for a broad area in the Fontana Plain about one to two miles northeast of the project. The young alluvial fan deposits are underlain by late to middle Pleistocene-aged old alluvial fan deposits (Morton 2003; Dutcher and Garrett 1963), deposited roughly between 11,700 to 780,000 years ago (Cohen and Gibbard 2011). Outcrops of these older deposits are shown on Figure 3 as brown areas labeled “Qof2” flanking the northern slopes of the Jurupa Mountains south of the subject property, and are described as unconsolidated but indurated, cobbly and bouldery alluvium of the Lytle Creek fan (Morton 2003). The proximity of old alluvial fan outcrops to the young alluvial deposits mapped at the surface of the project supports Dutcher and Garrett’s (1963) assessment, and general geologic structural relationships as well, that the young surficial alluvial deposits underlying the project are relatively thin. Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7 IV. PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES Definition Paleontological resources are the remains of prehistoric life that have been preserved in geologic strata. These remains are called fossils and include bones, shells, teeth, and plant remains (including their impressions, casts, and molds) in the sedimentary matrix, as well as trace fossils such as footprints and burrows. Fossils are considered older than 5,000 years of age (Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2010) but may include younger remains (subfossils) when viewed in the context of local extinction of the organism or habitat, for example. Fossils are considered a nonrenewable resource under state and local guidelines (see Section II of this report). Fossil Locality Search A prior paleontological collections and locality records search was conducted for a nearby project (the 14801 Slover Avenue Project) by a vertebrate paleontologist in the Division of Geological Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) in Redlands (Cortez 2021; Appendix B). The 14801 Slover Avenue Project is located approximately two miles west of the current project. The resulting report identified eight localities (SBCM localities [locs.] 5.1.11, 5.1.14 to 5.1.17, and 5.1.19 to 5.1.21) that were situated about one and a half miles southwest of the 14801 Slover Avenue Project, and therefore about three miles southwest of the current project. The bones of large and small Pleistocene-age mammals as well as terrestrial snails and freshwater clams were recovered from these localities, mostly from clayey, silty sands from depths ranging from five to 21 feet below the surface, when recorded. Mammals from these localities include three species of rodent, cottontail rabbit, bison, western camel, horse, Pacific mastodon, saber- toothed cat, and other unidentified large mammal remains. Cortez (2021) indicates that the young alluvial fan deposits mapped at the surface by Morton (2003) at the project have a low potential to yield significant paleontological resources. Conversely, the underlying late Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits are considered to have a high paleontological sensitivity, based on numerous fossil localities in the region. Fossils include the bones from extinct species such as mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, dire wolves, saber- tooth cats, large and small horses, large and small camels, and bison (Cortez 2021). V. PALEONTOLOGICAL SENSITIVITY Overview The degree of paleontological sensitivity of any particular area is based on a number of factors, including the documented presence of fossiliferous resources on a site or in nearby areas, the presence of documented fossils within a particular geologic formation or lithostratigraphic unit, and whether or not the original depositional environment of the sediments is one that might have been conducive to the accumulation of organic remains that might have become fossilized over Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8 time. Holocene alluvium, mapped at the surface of the subject property, is generally considered to be geologically too young to contain significant nonrenewable paleontological resources (i.e., fossils) and is thus typically assigned a low paleontological sensitivity. However, Pleistocene (over 11,700 years old) alluvial and alluvial fan deposits in the Inland Empire, such as those that underlie the Holocene alluvium at the project (“Qof2” on Figure 3), often yield important terrestrial vertebrate fossils, such as extinct mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, extinct species of horse, bison, camel, saber-toothed cats, and others (Cortez 2021; Appendix B). These Pleistocene sediments are thus accorded a high paleontological resource sensitivity. Professional Standards The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology has drafted guidelines that include four categories of paleontological sensitivity for geologic units (formations) that might be impacted by a proposed project, as listed below: • High Potential: Rock units from which vertebrate or significant invertebrate, plant, or trace fossils have been recovered. • Undetermined Potential: Rock units for which little information is available concerning their paleontological content, geologic age, and depositional environment, and that further study is needed to determine the potential of the rock unit. • Low Potential: Rock units that are poorly represented by fossil specimens in institutional collections or based on a general scientific consensus that only preserve fossils in rare circumstances. • No Potential: Rock units that have no potential to contain significant paleontological resources, such as high-grade metamorphic rocks and plutonic igneous rocks. Using these criteria, based on the presence of nearby significant fossil localities (SBCM locs. 5.1.11, 5.1.14 to 5.1.17, and 5.1.19 to 5.1.21) and the strong likelihood that the nearby fossil localities originated from the same geologic formation as that which underlies the project at depth, the Pleistocene old alluvial fan deposits can be considered to have a high potential to yield significant paleontological resources. City Assessment of Paleontological Sensitivity at the Project Section 5.4.1.5 of the City of Fontana EIR for the General Plan (City of Fontana 2018b) describes the paleontological sensitivity of the strata underlying the city. Based on Pleistocene vertebrate fossils recovered from the city’s southwestern area (SBCM locs. 5.1.11, 5.1.14 to 5.1.17, and 5.1.19 to 5.1.21), subsurface “older fan” Pleistocene deposits are considered by the City to have a high potential for yielding fossils (City of Fontana 2018b). The overlying “younger fan” deposits at the surface are considered by the City as having no potential to yield significant paleontological resources (City of Fontana 2018b). This geologic scenario, and therefore the Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 9 paleontological context, extends eastward to include the project. VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Research has confirmed the existence of potentially fossiliferous late to middle Pleistocene old alluvial fan deposits (“Qof2” on Figure 3) that likely underlie the Holocene and late Pleistocene young alluvial fan sediments mapped at the surface (“Qyfl” on Figure 3) of the project. The occurrence of terrestrial vertebrate fossils at shallow depths from Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments across the Inland Empire of western Riverside County is well documented. The “High” paleontological sensitivity rating typically assigned to Pleistocene alluvial fan sediments for yielding paleontological resources supports the recommendation that paleontological monitoring be implemented during mass grading and excavation activities in undisturbed Pleistocene old alluvial fan sediments to mitigate any adverse impacts (loss or destruction) to potential nonrenewable paleontological resources. Full-time monitoring of undisturbed alluvial fan deposits at the project is warranted starting at a depth of 10 feet below the surface. For grading and other earth disturbance activities at depths between five and 10 feet below the surface, periodic spot checks for potential paleontological resources is warranted, to determine the stratigraphic relationships of the sediments underlying the site, and for the presence of fossils. Periodic monitoring will consist of approximately one to two scheduled site visits per week by a paleontological monitor during construction ground disturbance, or at the discretion of the project paleontologist. If a fossil(s) is found at shallower depths, earth disturbance activities should be halted within a radius of 50 feet from the location of the fossil, and a qualified, project-level paleontologist shall be consulted to determine the significance of the fossilized remains. If the fossil is deemed significant by the paleontologist, full-time monitoring should be initiated at the project. Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) The following MMRP guidelines are based on the findings stated above, and are consistent with the provisions of CEQA, Cortez (2021, attached), the City of Fontana (2018a, 2018b) and the guidelines of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (2010). Paleontological monitoring may be reduced on the observations and recommendations of the professional-level project paleontologist. The following MMRP, when implemented, would reduce potential impacts of paleontological resources to a level below significant: 1. Monitoring of mass grading and excavation activities in areas identified as likely to contain paleontological resources shall be performed by a qualified paleontologist or paleontological monitor. Monitoring will be conducted full-time in areas of grading or excavation in undisturbed exposures of middle to late Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 10 (“Qof2” on Figure 3) at a depth of 10 feet and below. Periodic spot checks (one to two visits per week, or at the discretion of the project-level paleontologist) will be performed in areas with earth disturbance ranging from five to 10 feet deep. 2. If a fossil(s) is found at a shallower depth, earth disturbance activities should be halted within a radius of 50 feet from the location of the fossil, and a project-level paleontologist shall be consulted to determine the significance of the fossilized remains. If the fossil is deemed significant by the project-level paleontologist, full- time monitoring should be initiated at the project. 3. Paleontological monitors will be equipped to salvage fossils as they are unearthed to avoid construction delays. The monitor must be empowered to temporarily halt or divert equipment to allow removal of abundant or large specimens in a timely manner. Monitoring may be reduced if the potentially fossiliferous units are not present in the subsurface, or, if present, are determined on exposure and examination by qualified paleontological personnel to have low potential to contain fossil resources. The monitor shall notify the project paleontologist, who will then notify the concerned parties of the discovery. 4. Paleontological salvage during trenching and boring activities is typically from the generated spoils and does not delay the trenching or drilling activities. Fossils will be collected and placed in cardboard flats or plastic buckets and identified by field number, collector, and date collected. Notes will be taken on the map location and stratigraphy of the site, which is photographed before it is vacated and the fossils are removed to a safe place. On mass grading projects, discovered fossil sites will be protected by flagging to prevent them from being overrun by earthmovers (scrapers) before salvage begins. Fossils will be collected in a similar manner, with notes and photographs being taken before removing the fossils. Precise location of the site will be determined with the use of handheld GPS units. If the site involves remains from a large terrestrial vertebrate, such as large bone(s) or a mammoth tusk, that is/are too large to be easily removed by a single monitor, a fossil recovery crew shall excavate around the find, encase the find within a plaster and burlap jacket, and remove it after the plaster is set. For large fossils, use of the contractor’s construction equipment may be solicited to help remove the jacket to a safe location. 5. Isolated fossils will be collected by hand, wrapped in paper, and placed in temporary collecting flats or five-gallon buckets. Notes will be taken on the map location and stratigraphy of the site, which is photographed before it is vacated and the fossils are removed to a safe place. 6. Particularly small invertebrate fossils typically represent multiple specimens of a limited number of organisms, and a scientifically suitable sample can be obtained from one to several five-gallon buckets of fossiliferous sediment. If it is possible to dry screen the sediment in the field, a concentrated sample may consist of one or two Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11 buckets of material. For vertebrate fossils, the test is usually the observed presence of small pieces of bones within the sediments. If present, as many as 20 to 40 five-gallon buckets of sediment can be collected and returned to a separate facility to wet-screen the sediment. 7. In accordance with the “Microfossil Salvage” section of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology guidelines (2010:7), bulk sampling and screening of fine-grained sedimentary deposits (including carbonate-rich paleosols) must be performed if the deposits are identified to possess indications of producing fossil “microvertebrates” to test the feasibility of the deposit to yield fossil bones and teeth. 8. In the laboratory, individual fossils will be cleaned of extraneous matrix, any breaks will be repaired, and the specimen, if needed, will be stabilized by soaking in an archivally approved acrylic hardener (e.g., a solution of acetone and Paraloid B-72). 9. Recovered specimens will be prepared to a point of identification and permanent preservation (not display), including screen-washing sediments to recover small invertebrates and vertebrates. Preparation of individual vertebrate fossils is often more time-consuming than for accumulations of invertebrate fossils. 10. Identification and curation of specimens into a professional, accredited public museum repository with a commitment to archival conservation and permanent retrievable storage (e.g., the SBCM) shall be conducted. The paleontological program should include a written repository agreement prior to the initiation of mitigation activities. Prior to curation, the lead agency (e.g., the City of Fontana) will be consulted on the repository/museum to receive the fossil material. 11. A final report of findings and significance will be prepared, including lists of all fossils recovered and necessary maps and graphics to accurately record their original location(s). The report, when submitted to, and accepted by, the appropriate lead agency, will signify satisfactory completion of the project program to mitigate impacts to any potential nonrenewable paleontological resources (i.e., fossils) that might have been lost or otherwise adversely affected without such a program in place. Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12 VII. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the statements furnished above and in the attached exhibits present the data and information required for this paleontological report, and that the facts, statements, and information presented are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, and have been compiled in accordance with CEQA criteria. January 27, 2022 Todd A. Wirths Date Senior Paleontologist California Professional Geologist No. 7588 VIII. REFERENCES City of Fontana. 2018a. Final Environmental Impact Report. Cultural Resources, Fontana Forward General Plan Update 2015-2035. State Clearinghouse #2016021099. https://www.fontana.org/DocumentCenter/View/29525/Final-Environmental-Impact- Report-for-the-General-Plan-Update. City of Fontana. 2018b. Draft Environmental Impact Report, Chapter 5.4. Cultural Resources, Fontana Forward General Plan Update 2015-2035. https://www.fontana.org/ DocumentCenter/View/29524/Draft-Environmental-Impact-Report-for-the-General-Plan- Update. Cohen, K.M., and Gibbard, P.L. 2011. Global chronostratigraphical correlation table for the last 2.7 million years. Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy (International Commission on Stratigraphy), Cambridge, England. http://quaternary.stratigraphy.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/04/POSTERstratchart-v2011.jpg.pdf. Cortez, C. 2021. Paleontology records review for proposed 14801 Slover Avenue Project in San Bernardino County, California. Unpublished letter report prepared for Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California, by the Division of Earth Sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, California. DeLorme World Basemap. 2020. A seamless global data set with horizontal accuracy of +/- 50 meters. https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Specialty/DeLorme_World _Base_Map/MapServer Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 Dutcher, L.C., and Garrett, A.A. 1963. Geologic and hydrologic features of the San Bernardino area, California - with special reference to underflow across the San Jacinto fault. USGS Water-Supply Paper 1419. Morton, D.M. 2003. Preliminary geologic map of the Fontana 7.5' Quadrangle, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California, Version 1.0: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-418, scale 1:24,000. Morton, D.M. and Miller, F.K. 2006. Geologic map of the San Bernardino and Santa Ana 30' x 60' quadrangles, California: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 06-1217, scale 1:100,000. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. 2010. Standard procedures for the assessment and mitigation of adverse impacts to paleontological resources; by the SVP Impact Mitigation Guidelines Revision Committee: http://vertpaleo.org/Membership/Member-Ethics/SVP_Impact_ Mitigation_Guidelines.aspx. United States Geological Survey. 1980. Fontana, California (USGS 7.5' quadrangle series). Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ APPENDIX A Qualifications of Key Personnel To dd A. W ir ths , MS, PG No. 7588 Senior Paleontologist Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 14010 Poway Road Suite A Phone: (858) 679-8218 Fax: (858) 679-9896 E-Mail: twirths@bfsa-ca.com Education Master of Science, Geological Sciences, San Diego State University, California 1995 Bachelor of Arts, Earth Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz 1992 Professional Certifications California Professional Geologist #7588, 2003 Riverside County Approved Paleontologist San Diego County Qualified Paleontologist Orange County Certified Paleontologist OSHA HAZWOPER 40-hour trained; current 8-hour annual refresher Professional Memberships Board member, San Diego Geological Society San Diego Association of Geologists; past President (2012) and Vice President (2011) South Coast Geological Society Southern California Paleontological Society Experience Mr. Wirths has more than a dozen years of professional experience as a senior-level paleontologist throughout southern California. He is also a certified California Professional Geologist. At BFSA, Mr. Wirths conducts on-site paleontological monitoring, trains and supervises junior staff, and performs all research and reporting duties for locations throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, San Diego, and Imperial Counties. Mr. Wirths was formerly a senior project manager conducting environmental investigations and remediation projects for petroleum hydrocarbon- impacted sites across southern California. Selected Recent Reports 2019 Paleontological Assessment for the 10575 Foothill Boulevard Project, City of Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino County, California. Prepared for T&B Planning, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2019 Paleontological Assessment for the MorningStar Marguerite Project, Mission Viejo, Orange County, California. Prepared for T&B Planning. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. 2 2019 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Nimitz Crossing Project, City of San Diego. Prepared for Voltaire 24, LP. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2019 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program (PRIMP) for the Jack Rabbit Trail Logistics Center Project, City of Beaumont, Riverside County, California. Prepared for JRT BP 1, LLC. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Oceanside Beachfront Resort Project, Oceanside, San California. Prepared for S.D. Malkin Properties. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program for the Nakase Project, Lake Forest, Orange County, San California. Prepared for Glenn Lukos Associates, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program for the Sunset Crossroads Project, Banning, Riverside County. Prepared for NP Banning Industrial, LLC. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Assessment for the Ortega Plaza Project, Lake Elsinore, Riverside County. Prepared for Empire Design Group. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Resource Record Search Update for the Green River Ranch III Project, Green River Ranch Specific Plan SP00-001, City of Corona, California. Prepared for Western Realco. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Assessment for the Cypress/Slover Industrial Center Project, City of Fontana, San Bernardino County, California. Prepared for T&B Planning, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2020 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Imperial Landfill Expansion Project (Phase VI, Segment C-2), Imperial County, California. Prepared for Republic Services, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Assessment for the Manitou Court Logistics Center Project, City of Jurupa Valley, Riverside County, California. Prepared for Link Industrial. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Resource Impact Mitigation Program for the Del Oro (Tract 36852) Project, Menifee, Riverside County. Prepared for D.R. Horton. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Assessment for the Alessandro Corporate Center Project (Planning Case PR-2020- 000519), City of Riverside, Riverside County, California. Prepared for OZI Alessandro, LLC. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. 2021 Paleontological Monitoring Report for the Boardwalk Project, La Jolla, City of San Diego. Prepared for Project Management Advisors, Inc. Report on file at Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc., Poway, California. Paleontological Assessment for the Slover and Cypress Avenue Project _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ APPENDIX B Paleontological Records Search Results 29 June, 2021 Brian F. Smith and Associates, Inc. Attn: Todd Wirths 14010 Poway Rd., Poway CA 92064 PALEONTOLOGY RECORDS REVIEW for proposed 14801 Slover Avenue Project in San Bernardino County, California Dear Mr. Wirths, The Division of Earth Sciences of the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) has completed a records search for the above-named project in San Bernardino County, California. The proposed Slover Avenue project is located near in the City of Fontana, California as shown on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) 7.5 minute Fontana, California quadrangles. Previous geologic mapping (Morton, 2003) indicates that the study area is located entirely upon alluvial fan deposits of late Holocene age (= Qyf). These recent sediments have low potential to contain significant nonrenewable paleontologic resources. However, these Holocene sediments form a thin veneer overlying subsurface Pleistocene alluvial fan deposits (= Qof3). These older fan sediments have high potential to contain fossil resources. Pleistocene alluvium elsewhere in San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire has been repeatedly demonstrated to have high paleontologic sensitivity (Jefferson, 1991; Reynolds and Reynolds, 1991; Woodburne, 1991; Springer and Scott, 1994; Scott, 1997; Springer and others, 1998, 1999; Anderson and others, 2002). Fossils recovered from these Pleistocene sediments represent extinct taxa including mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, dire wolves, sabretoothed cats, large and small horses, large and small camels, and bison (Jefferson, 1991; Reynolds and Reynolds, 1991; Woodburne, 1991; Springer and Scott, 1994; Scott, 1997; Springer and others, 1998, 1999). San Bernardino County Museum Division of Earth Sciences Crystal Cortez Curator of Earth Sciences email: Crystal.cortez@sbcm.sbcounty.org 2024 Orange Tree Lane, Redlands, CA 92374 | Phone: 909.798.8616 Fax 909.307.0539 For this review, I conducted a search of the Regional Paleontological Locality Inventory (RPLI) at the SBCM. The results of this search indicate that no paleontological resources have been discovered within the proposed project site however, there are several sites within a 2 mile buffer. Located approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the proposed site are eight (8) SBCM localities from Pleistocene aged deposits; SBCM 5.1.11, 5.1.14, 5.1.15, 5.1.16, 5.1.17, 5.1.19, 5.1.20, and 5.1.21. Locality SBCM 5.1.11 uncovered a partial Smilodon skull at around a five (5) foot depth as estimated by trenching machine installing a pipeline. At SBCM 5.1.14 remains belonging to Gyraulus sp, Stagnicola sp, Gastropoda, Bivalvia, Sylvilagus sp, Thomomys sp, Neotoma sp, Microtus californicus, Mammut pacificus were discovered in very fine silty clayey sand with occasional pebbles. A single Bison sp. tooth was recovered from cemented clayey silty moderately sorted sand with small caliche rootlets at SBCM 5.1.15. Clayey silty fine sand with occasional larger subangular grains at locality SBCM 5.1.16 yielded bone fragments of Camelops hesternus. In the same type of sediment SBCM 5.1.17 and SBCM 5.1.19 unearthed remains of a large mammal along with fragmentary material of Mammut pacificus. SBCM 5.1.20 had a dry light olive gray subangular san that yielded fragments from Camelops hesternus, Artiodactyla, and a large mammal. SBCM locality 5.1.21 found fragmentary material from Equus sp. at an approximate 21 foot depth. This records search covers only the paleontological records of the San Bernardino County Museum. It is not intended to be a thorough paleontological survey of the proposed project area covering other institutional records, a literature survey, or any potential on-site survey. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions that you may have. Sincerely, Crystal Cortez, Curator of Earth Sciences Division of Earth Sciences San Bernardino County Museum