Yolo Land and Water Defense v. County of Yolo CA3

BACKGROUND

Teichert sought permission to mine sand and gravel at a 319.3-acre site in Yolo County within the boundaries of the Cache Creek Area Plan. The proposed project is known as the Teichert Shifler Mining and Reclamation project (Teichert Shifler or the project). The Cache Creek Area Plan contains an aggregate resources management plan for a portion of Lower Cache Creek that establishes a regulatory framework for off- channel mining. The project must comply with the Cache Creek Area Plan requirements. The project provides that following mining activities, approximately 113 acres of the mining area will be reclaimed to agricultural use. Another portion of the mining area will be reclaimed to a lake, grasslands, and riparian woodland. In addition, there will be a transfer of permitted production from a Teichert Esparto mining operation (Teichert Esparto) and a Teichert Schwarzgruber mining operation (Teichert Schwarzgruber) to the Teichert Shifler operation. Yolo County is the lead agency responsible for preparing the EIR for the project. (Pub. Resources Code, § 21080.1, subd. (a).)1 A notice of preparation was released on August 16, 2019. Yolo County then prepared a draft…