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 3-88 2008); non-breeding birds frequent large lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Clark’s grebe and the western grebe are both known to occur within the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and likely occur within the Project study area on the Columbia River. Clark’s grebe is also known to occur in the Saddle Mountain Wildlife Refuge. Both refuges are outside the Project study area. In eastern Washington, eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis) breed in large freshwater lakes and reservoirs with open water and emergent vegetation (BirdWeb 2008) and likely occur within the Project study area on the Columbia River and in backwater areas along the Yakima River. Migrant common loons (Gavia immer) winter along Washington's coast, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and on lakes in northeastern Washington (Larsen et al. 2004). Within the Project study area, they have been documented in the Columbia River and Wanapum and Priest Rapid Reservoirs are regular concentration areas (WDFW 2015a). Harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) require fast-flowing mountain streams with calm loafing sites located nearby (Larsen et al. 2004). The Project study area is located outside the harlequin duck’s known range and they have not been documented in the JBLM YTC (Larsen et al. 2004; DES 2000). There is not suitable habitat present within the Project study area and it is unlikely that harlequin ducks will occur. Dry grasslands and shrub-steppe, generally near water, are the traditional breeding habitats of long-billed curlews. They will also nest in grain fields and pastures. The Project study area is within the breeding range of the long-billed curlew (BirdWeb 2008; Paige and Ritter 1999). Breeding and large concentrations have been documented on the JBLM YTC and within the Project study area (WDFW 2015a). Upland sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda) occur in native grasslands and are often found nesting at airports and airfields. The Project study area is outside the known distribution of upland sandpipers; however, rare migrants may occur within the Project study area (BirdWeb 2008). Sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) inhabit wet meadows, moist grasslands, and wetlands, and often feed in grain fields and pastures. During migration and in winter, they live in more open mesic prairie, agricultural fields, and river valleys (BirdWeb 2008; Larsen et al. 2004). The Project study area is within the migration range of sandhill cranes, but is not within a known migratory stopover or nesting area (Larsen et al. 2004). Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) occur in Washington during winter and migration, where they feed in open, moist and mesic habitats, including agricultural fields with stubble and in wetlands with emergent vegetation. The Project study area is within the non-breeding and migration range of tundra swans and they have been observed near the Columbia and Yakima Rivers in the general vicinity of the Project (DES 2000; BirdWeb 2008). Mammal Species Fifteen mammal special status species are known or likely to occur in the Project study area (Table 3.3-7). Mammal species have potential habitat throughout the entire Project study area. A map showing the locations of sensitive wildlife species is presented in Appendix A; however, due to the sensitive nature of location information, this map is presented at a small-scale (WDFW 2011b; Guggenmos 2012). Bighorn sheep typically occur in remote mountain terrain and in a variety of plant communities including alpine meadows, woodlands, mixed-grass prairie, shrub-steppe, and dry pinyon-juniper (American Society of Mammalogists [ASM] 2011). Bighorn sheep are observed infrequently on JBLM YTC. Resident bighorns are found immediately west of the Project study area within the Yakima Canyon and