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 3-142 crosses Cold Creek Road at MP 4.4. Cold Creek Road is only accessible from JBLM YTC to the west and is closed to public access from the east and SR-24. According to Yakima County’s “Plan 2015,” the land is designated as “Agricultural Resource Area” (Yakima County 2007). According to Benton County’s Land Use Plan, the land is designated as “Agricultural” (Benton County 2006). Where the route segment parallels the JBLM YTC boundary, the land use on JBLM YTC is Zone 3 (General Use). 3.4.4.8 Route Segment 3a The existing land use along Route Segment 3a is a utility corridor for overhead transmission lines owned by BPA, Grant County PUD, and PacifiCorp/Pacific Power on land owned by Reclamation. The route segment is located east of the Vantage Substation, and parallels four 230 kV transmission lines (Grant County PUD Priest Rapids-Vantage, BPA Midway-Vantage, PacifiCorp/Pacific Power Vantage-Walla Walla, and BPA Columbia-Vantage) for 0.1 mile into the substation. According to the Grant County Comprehensive Plan Map, the land use designation is “Rural Remote.” The primary land uses include, but are not limited to farming, mineral extraction, open space and residential (maximum density of one dwelling unit per 20 acres). No agricultural areas or PLSS sections containing CRP lands are crossed by Route Segment 3a. 3.4.4.9 Route Segment 3b The existing land use along Route Segment 3b is a mix of military, residential, farming (orchards: Auvil Fruit Company), and the Priest Rapids Project. This route segment is located almost entirely within the abandoned C, M, SP, & P Railroad ROW, except on the north end where the route segment crosses BLM and JBLM YTC land and the Columbia River. A portion of this railroad corridor is used as the John Wayne Pioneer Trail (special management areas are described in greater detail in Section 3.6 and recreation areas are detailed in Section 3.5). BLM land is crossed for 0.4 mile of this route segment, JBLM YTC lands are crossed for 0.8 mile, Reclamation lands are crossed for 1.4 miles, and the route segment is located within the Kittitas County Huntzinger Road ROW for 1.1 miles. The BLM land contains oil and gas leases. The private lands and the railroad ROW are crossed for 18.0 miles along this route segment. This route segment would cross 55 privately-owned land parcels owned by three landowners. Route Segment 3b is located adjacent to hand-movable sprinkler irrigated apple orchards in the railroad ROW. In Kittitas County, a large orchard is located between JBLM YTC and the Columbia River along Huntzinger Road. The orchard includes administrative offices and some housing facilities for Auvil Fruit Company workers. Other residential areas along this route segment include nine single-family detached houses near the south end of the orchard on the west side of Huntzinger Road along Auvil Road and approximately 14 single-family detached houses on the east side of the route segment next to the Priest Rapids Dam in Yakima County. A total of 21 residences are located within 500 feet and 31 are within 1,000 feet of the route segment. The route segment parallels the existing BPA-PacifiCorp/Pacific Power utility corridor across the Columbia River south of the Wanapum Dam. This route segment is located primarily in Yakima and Kittitas counties. Approximately two miles of this route segment is located in Grant County (south of Wanapum Dam on the east side of the Columbia River) and a small section (0.1 mile) is located in Benton County. According to the Yakima County “Plan 2015,” Comprehensive Plan, the land along the route segment south of Priest Rapids Dam is designated as “Agricultural Resource Area” (Yakima County 2007). The plan does not designate future land uses north of the dam as there is only a sliver of land associated with