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Exhibit “B”
General Plan Amendment – Conservation Element
PLN2025-00209
In 2024, the Room to Roam Act (Assembly Bill 1889) was passed requiring jurisdictions to identify, analyze, and consider wildlife and habitat connectivity in the General Plan Conservation Element. Assembly Bill (AB) 1889 (Friedman, 2024) amended Government Code §65302(d)(4), requiring the conservation element to:
1. Identify and analyze connectivity areas, permeability, and natural landscape areas.
2. Identify and analyze existing or planned wildlife passage features.
3. Consider the impacts of development and the barriers caused by development to wildlife and habitat connectivity.
4. Avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts and barriers to wildlife movement to the extent feasible.
5. Analyze and consider opportunities to remediate existing barriers to wildlife connectivity and restore degraded habitat and open space.
Fremont’s Conservation Element (2011) includes goals and policies to preserve natural habitat, protect endangered species, and mitigate development impacts. In addition, multiple adopted citywide plans further evaluate and implement measures to protect wildlife and habitat connectivity.
Connectivity Areas
The Parks & Recreation Master Plan (2022) is a comprehensive plan for Fremont’s current and planned parks system. The parks system is currently made up of over 60 parks of varying sizes.
The larger the size of the park, the more biodiversity can be found within the green space. The master plan identifies homogeneous green spaces as “patches”, with riparian corridors and trails or greenways serving as ecological corridors and connections for wildlife. These green streets, greenways or trails, and riparian corridors are vital connectivity routes between the bay and the hills for wildlife to travel without having to interact with traffic. The plan includes a strategic action plan to maintain and expand park facilities, convert or add native and drought-tolerant plants and landscapes, and acquire land for neighborhood parks in underserved areas. See the Parks & Recreation Master Plan (2022) for more detail on Fremont’s existing and planned parks system.
Fremont’s regional parks are managed by the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). The regional parks and trails in Fremont, managed by EBRPD, include Coyote Hills Regional Park, Dumbarton Quarry Campground on the Bay, Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area, Ardenwood Farm, Vargas Plateau Regional Park, Mission Peak Regional Preserve, and the Alameda Creek Regional Trail. The EBRPD Master Plan (2013) includes policies to (1) maintain, manage, conserve, enhance, and restore park wildland resources, (2) conserve, enhance and restore biological resources to promote naturally functioning ecosystems, and (3) conserve PLN2025-00209_General Plan Amendment_Exhibit “B” Page 2 of 4
and protect native animal species and enhance their habitats to maintain viable wildlife populations within balanced ecosystems. EBRPD is currently working on an updated District Plan, with an anticipated 2026 completion, that will build upon the existing 2013 Master Plan and incorporate changes in the climate, economy, and demographics of the region.
Wildlife Passage Features
Section 158.1 of the Streets and Highways Code requires Caltrans to develop and publish a list of funded transportation projects with wildlife features that addresses wildlife connectivity needs affected by roadways within their jurisdictional control. The Caltrans Wildlife Connectivity Program Report (2024) lists funded active wildlife connectivity projects, planned projects with funding, and priority projects that require funding.
The report identifies one priority project that requires funding in Alameda County, referred to as Sunol Grade. The Sunol Grade project is within the Alameda Creek watershed, and a minor portion of the identified project area is within Fremont city limits. Caltrans describes the project as an open space area that has the importance of improving passage for threatened species. The report does not identify any funded active wildlife connectivity projects or planned projects with funding in Fremont’s jurisdiction.
In accordance with Conservation Element Policy 7-1.5: Promotion of Interagency Coordination, the City has committed to coordinating with Caltrans if the Sunol Grade project becomes funded in the future.
Impacts and Barriers to Wildlife
Fremont is divided into three physical areas, the Baylands, Bay Plain (flatlands), and hill area, as described in the Conservation Element section Physical Areas and Habitat Zones. The Baylands and hill area are natural landscape areas that provide core habitat for wildlife and support natural biodiversity.
The Bay Plain (flatlands) is the urban area of Fremont that is developed with residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Existing riparian corridors, local and regional parks, and trails provide limited wildlife and habitat connectivity within the flatlands.
Conservation Element Policy 7-1.7 requires the City to mitigate the impacts of development on the natural environment to the extent possible through solid planning, design, and management of development projects. Current General Plan implementation actions, Fremont Zoning Ordinance development standards, and citywide policies regulate and mitigate impacts to wildlife movement and corridors, including, but not limited to:
• Conservation Element Implementation 7-1.1.B – Development within 100 feet of the top of bank of riparian areas and water bodies, or within 200 feet above the toe of the hill (TOH), shall be evaluated to preserve and protect wildlife and plant species.
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• Single-Family Development Standards – The Fremont Zoning Ordinance regulates residential development on parcels zoned for single-family use by setting a maximum 40% lot coverage to provide a useable open space for property owners and to reduce barriers to wildlife connectivity.
• Hillside Combining District Development Standards – Development in the Hillside Combining District is limited to one dwelling unit per 20 acres in the Fremont Zoning Ordinance to maintain unobstructed access for the movement of wildlife. • Commercial Development Standards – Commercial development is limited by development standards including a maximum floor area ratio (FAR), setbacks, and landscape requirements.
• Resource Protection – The Fremont Zoning Ordinance includes standard development requirements to address resource protection, including measures to protect threatened and endangered animal species, reduce criteria air pollutants, and protect cultural resources. • Landscape Development Requirements & Policies (LDRP) – The LDRP includes tree planting and landscape requirements which mitigate impacts to wildlife movement. • Tree Preservation Ordinance – Chapter 18.215 of the Fremont Zoning Ordinance outlines requirements for the protection of existing trees, with an emphasis on preserving mature native trees that provide habitat for native species.
• Stormwater Management – As part of the Clean Water Program, development is required to include measures to reduce runoff, minimize disturbed areas and impervious cover to preserve natural landscape features and reduce impacts to creek channels.
The City will continue to evaluate development using these policies and limit the development of open space (Conservation Element Implementation 7-1.4.A) to mitigate impacts on wildlife movement and habitat connectivity while providing for growth through infill development as required by applicable law.
Remediating and Restoring Habitat
The Urban Forest Management Plan (2023) identifies trees as an integral part of the community.
The management plan is a guide to maintain, protect, and enhance Fremont’s tree canopy, which provides opportunities to restore habitat. In addition, Climate Ready Fremont (2023) includes policies to expand urban tree and vegetation planting which would assist with remediating barriers to wildlife connectivity in areas where there is a low tree canopy. See the Urban Forest Management Plan (2023) and Climate Ready Fremont (2023) for more detail.
The Alameda County Flood Control District (ACFC) provides flood protection for Alameda County residents and businesses through flood control systems such as natural creeks, channels, levees, pumpstations, dams, and reservoirs. ACFC undertakes environmental restoration projects that protect and improve creeks and wetlands, including the Sabercat Creek Trail Restoration project and Alameda Creek trail project. ACFC also provides guidance to property owners on PLN2025-00209_General Plan Amendment_Exhibit “B” Page 4 of 4
how to maintain their creekside property to minimize soil erosion and provide habitat for wildlife.
Conservation Element Goal 7-1: Biological Resources and Conservation Element Goal 7-2:
Water Resources sets policies and implementation actions to preserve and protect the natural habitat, protect species, and preserve the hill area. See the Land Use and Open Space Element for rewilding opportunities.