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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-105 Basalt cliffs are present where Route Segment NNR-3 crosses both Selah and Lmuma creeks, and are within one mile of the route segment along the east side of the Yakima River Canyon. These basalt cliffs contain a high concentration of nesting raptors, including golden eagle, ferruginous hawk, and prairie falcon. Pallid bat has been detected along Selah Creek, within one mile of Route Segment NNR-3. This route segment parallels an excavated pond associated with WSDOT’s Selah Creek Rest Area and contains no wetland vegetation. Route Segment NNR-3 also crosses several un-named intermittent or ephemeral drainages and three streams categorized as perennial: Burbank Creek, Lmuma Creek, and Selah Creek (Appendix A - Water Resources Map). Riparian habitat is present along Burbank and Lmuma creeks. Selah Creek contains perennial flow for much of the season (JBLM YTC 2002); however, the reach of Selah Creek within the Project study area appears to be intermittent and contains little to no riparian habitat. Resident bighorn sheep are found west of Route Segment NNR-3 within the Yakima Canyon and along bluffs within the Yakima River drainage. Approximately 5,155 acres of the Mt. Baldy winter range for bighorn sheep is present within one mile of Route Segment NNR-3 and continues west along the eastern side of the Yakima River Canyon. Elk are known to occur west of this route segment in WDFW’s Wenas Wildlife Area. Mule deer are known to occur in the Wenas/Umtanum Ridge area, west of Route Segment NNR-3. The entire route segment ROW is within Sage-Grouse MUs defined as Regularly Occupied Habitat and Occasionally Occupied Habitat (Table 3.3-8). The eight-mile wide Sage-Grouse analysis area also includes area set aside by JBLM YTC as a primary protection zone for Sage-Grouse. Much of this route segment consists of annual grassland and perennial grassland, especially on south- facing slopes near the southern end of the route segment. The northern two-thirds of the route segment are dominated by sagebrush-steppe with a perennial grass understory. Sage-Grouse habitat suitability is influenced largely by varying densities of sagebrush. The eight-mile wide NNR-3 analysis area contains 42,197 acres of suitable Sage-Grouse habitat (53 percent of the analysis area), 2,145 acres of marginal habitat (three percent), and 35,113 acres of unsuitable habitat (44 percent; Table 3.3-9). The estimated Sage-Grouse population range does not overlap the NNR-3 ROW. Approximately seven percent (12,736 acres) of the JBLM YTC 95 percent population range is within four miles of Route Segment NNR-3 (Figure 3.3-4). The core population range does not overlap the analysis area (Figure 3.3- 4). The four-mile long stretch of Route Segment NNR-3 that occurs on BLM land was surveyed using ground transect Sage-Grouse surveys in 2013; no grouse or grouse sign were observed (Appendix B-1). One active lek (Lek #1) is located approximately 3.4 miles east of the southern end of Route Segment NNR-3 (Table 3.3-5). In 2015, three males were observed attending Lek #1, which was up from one male in 2014 (SEE 2015). This lek is within JBLM YTC’s Sage-Grouse Primary Protection Area, which has measures (see Section 3.3.2) that are enforced seasonally around leks (0.6 mile buffer) and within nesting and brood-rearing areas (limiting travel to existing roads and to specific ranges; JBLM YTC 2002). Additionally, nine historic leks are located between two and four miles southeast of this route segment. Route Segment NNR-3 would cross Reclamation’s proposed Wymer Dam and Reservoir Project for approximately 0.2 mile. At this crossing, Route Segment NNR-3 is directly adjacent to Pacific Power’s existing Pomona-Wanapum 230 kV Transmission Line. For the proposed Wymer Dam and Reservoir Project, mitigation land acquisition and habitat enhancement components are intended to result in a net improvement in conditions for Sage-Grouse. Approximately 2.3 miles of Route Segment NNR-3 crosses private land targeted for mitigation acquisition to offset impacts from the proposed Wymer Dam and Reservoir Project.