Vantage to Pomona FEIS Index 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-10 • Washington State Threatened and Endangered species; and • JBLM YTC; the WNHP (2010); BLM; Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Program ([ISSSSP] 2008, 2012, and 2015); Boyter (2011 and 2013); and USFWS Threatened, Endangered, Candidate, and Species of Concern. The list was further refined by evaluating known WNHP occurrences, habitat requirements, elevation, and suitable habitat within the Project study area. Seventy-one special status plant species were identified as occurring or having the potential to occur within the Project study area. The comprehensive list of special status plant species for the Project study area is included in Appendix B-3 (Special Status Plants Reports). Qualified botanists conducted a complete, floristic pedestrian Project-specific survey for the targeted special status plants on accessible federal and WSDOT lands within the proposed 150-foot wide ROW (survey corridor). Federal and WSDOT lands comprise approximately 42 percent of the total survey corridor. The remaining 58 percent is comprised of non-federal (private, county, other state) land and was not surveyed. Of the 1,347.3 acres of federal and WSDOT lands within the 150-foot wide survey corridor, 645.6 acres (48 percent) were accessible and surveyed. Portions of route segments and the majority of Route Segment MR-1 were not surveyed because of route adjustments that were made following completion of the surveys and after the seasonal survey window. The remaining 701.7 acres of federal and WSDOT lands that were identified for survey were not surveyed due to inaccessibility. Table 3.2-3 presents a summary of the total amount of land present within the 150-foot survey corridor compared with the amount of land surveyed for special status plants. For the route segments presented in the DEIS (Alternatives A-H), a series of three special status plant surveys were conducted (May, June, and August 2011) within accessible federal lands; there were no WSDOT lands. Three special status plant surveys were conducted to address the different phenology (timing of flowering and/or fruiting) of the target special status plant species. The May and June 2011 surveys took place in all habitats within accessible federal lands and the August 2011 survey took place only at wetland and riparian areas along accessible federal lands to target later blooming sensitive wetland and riparian species including Ute ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis). The May and June 2011 surveys assisted in the identification of wetland and riparian habitats to be targeted for the final survey in August. For the route segments presented in the SDEIS (NNR Alternative and NNR Alternative with MR Subroute), two special status plant Project-specific surveys were conducted (May and July 2013) within accessible federal and WSDOT lands. The May 2013 survey occurred within accessible federal and WSDOT lands and the July 2013 survey took place only at wetland and riparian areas along accessible federal lands; there were no wetland and riparian areas on WSDOT lands. Appendix B-3 (Special Status Plants Reports) lists each species’ phenology and the targeted survey month. An assessment of weather conditions (temperature and precipitation) and plant phenology during the mid-May 2013 survey indicated that the timing of flowering and fruiting was approximately one month ahead of anticipated conditions (compared with the previous June 2011 surveys). The survey time periods were adjusted to account for the plant phenology found during the May 2013 survey. It was determined that the mid-May 2013 survey should serve as the late June survey and a follow-up survey in late July 2013 would be conducted in wetland habitats (including surveying for Ute ladies’-tresses) and where potential noxious weed or special status plant species were located and needed to be documented and mapped.