Vantage to Pomona FEIS Index 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-110 acres. 23 percent), and annual grassland (5,628 acres, 33 percent; Table 3.3-2). Shrubland vegetation provides suitable habitat for shrub-steppe and grassland species. Route Segment MR-1 crosses several un- named intermittent and ephemeral drainages. This route segment also crosses Scorpion Coulee Creek, which appears to be intermittent and contains little to no riparian habitat. Basalt cliffs are present along Lmuma Creek within one mile of Route Segment MR-1. Golden eagle, ferruginous hawk, and prairie falcon are known to nest on the basalt cliffs in this area. A white-tailed jackrabbit was confirmed near where MR-1 crosses I-82. Approximately 1,721 acres of the Mt. Baldy winter range for bighorn sheep is present within one mile of Route Segment MR-1 and continues west along the eastern side of the Yakima River Canyon. This entire route segment ROW is within Sage-Grouse MUs defined as Regularly Occupied Habitat (Table 3.3-8). The eight-mile wide Sage-Grouse analysis area contains areas set aside by JBLM YTC as a primary protection zone for Sage-Grouse. Most of the west arm of this route segment has adequate sagebrush cover for winter use (as determined with aerial imagery), but cover type data indicates an annual grass understory that would limit suitability for breeding and summer use. Weedy disturbed ground is prevalent along parts of the eastern stretch adjacent to private agricultural lands in Badger Pocket. The eight-mile wide Route Segment MR-1 analysis area contains 44,094 acres of suitable Sage-Grouse habitat (53 percent of the analysis area), 3,881 acres of marginal habitat (five percent), and 35,312 acres of unsuitable habitat (42 percent; Table 3.3-9). The estimated Sage-Grouse population range does not overlap the Route Segment MR-1 ROW. Less than one percent (817 acres) of the JBLM YTC 95 percent population range is within four miles of Route Segment MR-1. The core population range does not overlap the Route Segment MR-1 analysis area (Figure 3.3-4). No active leks are known to occur within the eight-mile wide MR-1analysis area (Table 3.3-5). Five historic leks are located within the analysis area of this route segment. Route Segment MR-1 would cross Reclamation’s proposed Wymer Dam and Reservoir Project for approximately 0.05 mile. 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 3.2 miles of Route Segment MR-1 crosses private land targeted for mitigation acquisition to offset impacts from the proposed Wymer Dam and Reservoir Project.