11.74 “Tiering” means the coverage of general matters in broader EIRs (such as on general plans or policy statements) with subsequent narrower EIRs or ultimately site-specific EIRs incorporating by reference the general discussions and concentrating solely on the issues specific to the EIR subsequently prepared. Tiering is appropriate when the sequence of EIRs is:
(a) From a general plan, policy, or Program EIR to a program, plan, or policy EIR of lesser scope or to a site-specific EIR; or (b) From an EIR on a specific action at an early stage to a subsequent EIR or a supplement to an EIR at a later stage. Tiering in such cases is appropriate when it helps the Lead Agency to focus on the issues which are ripe for decision and exclude from consideration issues already decided or not yet ripe.
(Public Resources Code sections 21003, 21061 and 21100.) Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) DEFINITIONS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 11-14 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP
11.75 “Transit Priority Area” means an area within one-half mile of a major transit stop that is existing or planned, if the planned stop is scheduled to be completed within the planning horizon included in a Transportation Improvement Program adopted pursuant to Section 450.216 or 450.322 of Title 23 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
11.76 “Transit Priority Project” means a mixed use project that is consistent with the general use designation, density, building intensity, and applicable policies specified for the project area in either a sustainable communities strategy or an alternative planning strategy for which the California Air Resources Board has accepted a Metropolitan Planning Organization’s determination that the sustainable communities strategy or the alternative planning strategy would, if implemented, achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Such a project may be exempt from CEQA if a detailed laundry list of requirements is met. To qualify for the exemption, the Transit Priority Project must:
(1) contain at least 50 percent residential use based on total building square footage; (2) if the project contains between 26 percent and 50 percent non-residential uses, the floor-to-area ratio (FAR) must be at least 0.75;
(3) have a minimum net density of 20 dwelling units per acre; (4) be located within a half mile of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor included in a regional transportation plan; and (5) meet all the requirements of Public Resources Code section 21155.1.
11.77 “Transportation Facilities” includes major local arterials and public transit within five (5) miles of the project site, and freeways, highways, and rail transit service within ten (10) miles of the project site.
11.78 “Tribal Cultural Resources” are either of the following:
(1) Sites, features, places, cultural landscapes, sacred places, and objects with cultural value to a California Native American tribe that are either of the following:
(a) Included or determined to be eligible for inclusion in the California Register of Historical Resources.
(b) Included in a local register of historic resources as defined in subdivision (k) of Public Resources Code section 5020.1. (2) A resource determined by the Lead Agency, in its discretion and supported by substantial evidence, to be significant pursuant to criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of Public Resources Code section 5024.1. In applying the criteria set forth in subdivision (c) of Section 5024.1 for the purposes of this definition, the Lead Agency shall consider the significance of the resource to a California Native American tribe.
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) DEFINITIONS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 11-15 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP A cultural landscape that meets the criteria set forth above is a tribal cultural resource to the extent that the landscape is geographically defined in terms of the size and scope of the landscape.
A historic resource described in Public Resources Code section 21084.1, a unique archaeological resource as defined in subdivision (g) of Public Resources Code section 21083.2, or a “nonunique archaeological resource” as defined in subdivision (h) of Public Resources Code section 21083.2 may also be a tribal cultural resource if it conforms with the criteria of Tribal cultural resources.
11.79 “Trustee Agency” means a State agency having jurisdiction by law over natural resources affected by a project which are held in trust for the people of the State of California. Trustee Agencies may include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (“DFW”) with regard to the fish and wildlife of the state, designated rare or endangered native plants, and game refuges, ecological reserves, and other areas administered by DFW;
(b) The State Lands Commission with regard to state owned “sovereign” lands such as the beds of navigable waters and state school lands; (c) The State Department of Parks and Recreation with regard to units of the State Park System;
(d) The University of California with regard to sites within the Natural Land and Water Reserve System; and/or
(e) The State Water Resources Control Board with respect to surface waters.
11.80 “Urban Growth Boundary” means a provision of a locally adopted general plan that allows urban uses on one side of the boundary and prohibits urban uses on the other side of the boundary.
11.81 “Urbanized Area” means either of the following:
(1) An incorporated city that either by itself or in combination with two contiguous incorporated cities has a population of at least one hundred thousand (100,000) persons;
(2) An unincorporated area that meets both of the following requirements:
(a) The unincorporated area is either:
(i) completely surrounded by one or more incorporated cities, has a population of at least 100,000 persons either by itself or in combination with the surrounding incorporated city or cities, and has a population density that at least equals the population density of the surrounding city or cities; or
(ii) located within an urban growth boundary and has an existing residential population of at least five thousand (5,000) persons per square mile. An “urban growth boundary” means a
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) DEFINITIONS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 11-16 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP provision of a locally adopted general plan that allows urban uses on one side of the boundary and prohibits urban uses on the other side.
(b) The board of supervisors with jurisdiction over the unincorporated area has taken all three of the following steps:
1. Prepared a draft document by which the board would find that the general plan, zoning ordinance, and related policies and programs applicable to the unincorporated area are consistent with principles that encourage compact development in a manner that promotes efficient transportation systems,
economic growth, affordable housing, energy efficiency, and an appropriate balance of jobs and housing, and protects the environment, open space and agricultural areas;
2. Submitted the draft document to the Office of Planning and ResearchOffice of Land Use and Climate Innovation and
allowed OPRLCI thirty (30) days to submit comments on the draft finding to the board; and
3. At least thirty (30) days after submitting the draft document to OPRLCI, the board has adopted a final finding in substantial conformity with the draft finding described in the draft document.
(Public Resources Code sections 21083, 21159.20-21159.24; State CEQA Guidelines section 15191(m).)
11.82 “Water Acquisition Plans” means any plans for acquiring additional water supplies prepared by the public water system or a city or county Lead Agency pursuant to subdivision (a) of section 10911 of the Water Code.
11.83 “Water Assessment” or “Water Supply Assessment” means the water supply assessment that must be prepared by the governing body of a public water system, or a city or county, pursuant to and in compliance with sections 10910 to 10915 of the Water Code, and that includes, without limitation, the elements of the assessment required to comply with subdivisions (d), (e), (f), and (g) of section 10910 of the Water Code.
11.84 “Water Demand Project” means any one of the following:
(A) A residential development of more than 500 dwelling units; (B) A shopping center or business establishment employing more than 1,000 persons or having more than 500,000 square feet of floor space; (C) A commercial office building employing more than 1,000 persons or having more than 250,000 square feet of floor space;
(D) A hotel or motel, or both, having more than 500 rooms; Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) DEFINITIONS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 11-17 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP (E) An industrial, manufacturing, or processing plant, or industrial park planned to house more than 1,000 persons, occupying more than 40 acres of land, or having more than 650,000 square feet of floor area;
Except, a proposed photovoltaic or wind energy generation facility approved on or after October 8, 2011, is not a Water Demand Project if the facility would demand no more than 75 acre-feet of water annually.
(F) A mixed-use project that includes one or more of the projects specified in subdivisions (A); (B), (C), (D), (E), or (G) of this section; (G) A project that would demand an amount of water equivalent to, or greater than, the amount of water required by a 500 dwelling unit project; or (H) For public water systems with fewer than 5,000 service connections, a project that meets the following criteria:
(1) A proposed residential, business, commercial, hotel or motel, or industrial development that would account for an increase of 10 percent or more in the number of a public water system’s existing service connections; or
(2) A mixed-use project that would demand an amount of water equivalent to, or greater than, the amount of water required by residential development that would represent an increase of 10 percent or more in the number of the public water system’s existing service connections. (State CEQA Guidelines section 15155.)
11.85 “Waterway” means a bay, estuary, lake, pond, river, slough, or a perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral stream, lake, or estuarine-marine shoreline.
11.86 “Wetlands” has the same meaning as that term is construed in the regulations issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers pursuant to the Clean Water Act. Thus, “wetlands” means areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas. (Public Resources Code section 21159.21(d), incorporating Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 328.3.)
11.87 “Wildlife Habitat” means the ecological communities upon which wild animals, birds, plants, fish, amphibians, and invertebrates depend for their conservation and protection. (Public Resources Code section 21159.21.)
11.88 “Zoning Approval” means any enactment, amendment, or appeal of a zoning ordinance; granting of a conditional use permit or variance; or any other form of land Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) DEFINITIONS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 11-18 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP use, subdivision, tract, or development approval required from the city or county having jurisdiction to permit the particular use of the property.
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) FORMS
2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 12-1 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP
12. FORMS
See Forms A – S which accompany these Guidelines.
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) Common ACRONYMS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 13-1 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP
13. COMMON ACRONYMS
A. **************************************************
ADEIR – Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report AQMD – Air Quality Management District
AQMP – Air Quality Management Plan
AR – Administrative Record
ARB – Air Resources Board
B. **************************************************
BMP – Best Management Practices
BO – Biological Opinion
C. **************************************************
Cal EPA – California Environmental Protection Agency
CAP – Climate Action Plan
CCAA – California Clean Air Act
CCR – California Code of Regulations (Title 14 Sections 15000 et seq. are also known as the State CEQA Guidelines.)
CE – Categorical Exclusion (NEPA)
CESA – California Endangered Species Act
CEQA – California Environmental Quality Act
CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
CMP – Congestion Management Plan
CRWQCB – California Regional Water Quality Control Board D. **************************************************
DEIR – Draft Environmental Impact Report
DFW – Department of Fish and Wildlife
E. **************************************************
EA – Environmental Assessment (NEPA term)
EIR – Environmental Impact Report
EIS – Environmental Impact Statement (NEPA term)
EPA – Environmental Protection Agency
ESA – Endangered Species Act; Environmental Site Assessment F. **************************************************
FCAA – Federal Clean Air Act
FEIR – Final Environmental Impact Report
FOIA – Freedom of Information Act (Federal)
FONSI – Finding of No Significant Impact (NEPA term)
FWS – Fish and Wildlife Service
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) Common ACRONYMS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 13-2 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP G. **************************************************
GHG – Greenhouse Gas
GW – Ground Water
H. **************************************************
HH&E – Human Health and Environment
HRA – Health Risk Assessment
HS – Hazardous Substance
I. **************************************************
IS – Initial Study
J. **************************************************
K. **************************************************
L. **************************************************
LADD – Lifetime Average Daily Dose; Lowest Acceptable Daily Dose LCI – Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (formerly Office of Planning and research or OPR)
LEA – Local Enforcement Agency
LESA – Land Evaluation and Site Assessment
LUFT – Leaking Underground Fuel Tank
LUST – Leaking Underground Storage Tanks. Reference Part 213 of Public Act 451 of 1994.
M. **************************************************
MEIR – Master Environmental Impact Report
MMRP – Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan
MPO – Metropolitan Planning Organization
MND – Mitigated Negative Declaration
N. **************************************************
ND – Negative Declaration
NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act
NOA – Notice of Availability
NOC – Notice of Completion
NOD – Notice of Determination
NOE – Notice of Exemption
NOI – Notice of Intent
NOP – Notice of Preparation
NOV – Notice of Violation
O. **************************************************
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) Common ACRONYMS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 13-3 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP OPR– Office of Planning and Research
P. **************************************************
PEIR – Program Environmental Impact Report. Sometimes also used to describe a Project Environmental Impact Report
PM – Particulate Matter
PRA – Public Records Act
PSA – Permit Streamlining Act
Q. **************************************************
R. **************************************************
RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976) Governs definition, handling, and disposal of hazardous waste.
S. **************************************************
SCH – State Clearinghouse
SEIR – Supplemental or Subsequent Environmental Impact Report SMARA – Surface Mining and Reclamation Act
SWMP – Stormwater Monitoring Program
SWPPP – Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program
T. **************************************************
TCM – Transportation Control Measure
TCP – Transportation Control Plan
TDS – Total Dissolved Solids
TMP – Transportation Management Plan
Title V – refers to Title V of the Clean Air Act related to ambient air quality provisions TLV – Threshold Limit Value
U. **************************************************
UBC – Uniform Building Code
UFC – Uniform Fire Code
UGST – Underground Storage Tank
USDW – Underground Source of Drinking Water
UWMP – Urban Water Management Plan
V. **************************************************
VOC – Volatile Organic Compounds (Health & Safety Code, Section 25123.6.) VOS – Vehicle Operating Survey
W. **************************************************
WQS – Water Quality Standard
WSA – Water Supply Assessment
Local Guidelines for Implementing the
California Environmental Quality Act (2025) Common ACRONYMS 2025 City of Corona Local Guidelines 13-4 ©Best Best & Krieger LLP WTP – Water Treatment Plant. A facility designed to provide treatment to water.
WWTP – Wastewater Treatment Plan
X. **************************************************
Y. **************************************************
Z. **************************************************