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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-41 3.3 WILDLIFE AND SPECIAL STATUS WILDLIFE SPECIES As was done in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS), this section describes the existing conditions (affected environment) and considers issues related to wildlife and special status wildlife species along all Action Alternatives presented in the DEIS and SDEIS, including those raised during scoping. This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) section consolidates and builds on the information presented in the January 2013 DEIS as well as the January 2015 SDEIS and includes references to those documents throughout the text where appropriate. This FEIS identifies the New Northern Route (NNR) Alternative – Overhead Design Option as the Environmentally Preferred Alternative and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has selected the NNR Alternative – Overhead Design Option as the Agency Preferred Alternative. The proposed Project would cross known habitat for fish, wildlife, and special status animal species. Special status wildlife species include the following: those species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as endangered, threatened, proposed, or candidate species; BLM sensitive species; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) species of concern; and Washington State listed threatened, endangered, or priority species. This section describes the wildlife species and associated wildlife habitat present in the Project area. For the purposes of the analysis for general wildlife and special status animal species and habitat, the Project study area was defined as a two-mile-wide corridor (i.e., a one-mile buffer of route segment centerlines of each Action Alternative). However, where appropriate, the Project study area was expanded to address potential impacts to species based on known ranges and potential to occur within the Project area. The Project study area was expanded to address impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; Sage-Grouse) based on input from Joint Base Lewis-McChord Yakima Training Center (JBLM YTC) and USFWS. For Sage-Grouse, the Project study area is defined as an eight-mile wide corridor surrounding each Action Alternative (i.e., a four-mile buffer of the route segment centerline. Please note that the buffer around each route segment overlaps with the adjacent route segments. This was done to allow for a discrete discussion of the affected environment and comparison of each route segment. As a result, the sum of the route segment analysis areas is greater than the overall route analysis area for each Action Alternative. Special status wildlife species that are either documented or have a reasonable likelihood to occur within the Project study area are discussed below. Locations of Priority Habitats and Species (PHS) documented near the Project study area by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW; WDFW 2014) are shown on the Sensitive Wildlife Resources Map in Appendix A and descriptions of those occurrences are provided in the following sections. 3.3.1 Data Sources The assessment of wildlife and special status wildlife species and habitat was conducted using species occurrence data obtained from WDFW, JBLM YTC, and the BLM; Project-specific field studies; planning documents; previously conducted studies; and resource management plans. Sources reviewed included: • U.S. Department of the Army (Army), FEIS for Fort Lewis Army Growth and Force Structure Realignment, July 2010. • Hanford Reach National Monument Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, August 2008 (USFWS 2008).