Vantage to Pomona FEIS Index 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 1 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Purpose and Need PAGE 1-12 effective as of March 7, 2016. Depending on the exact locations of the transmission line towers, shoreline permitting may be required. 1.4.2.12 Yakima County Yakima County is a formal Cooperating Agency because of its responsibility under County Code to review the proposed Project which is subject to a Type II Land Use review. The review and associated public hearing is to determine that the development standards are met and that the Project is compatible with neighboring uses and consistency with County Code can be met. In order for Yakima County to conduct a Type II Land Use review and make a decision regarding the issuance of a Type II Administrative Permit, it is necessary for the Project to comply with SEPA. Yakima County may choose to adopt the FEIS to satisfy SEPA requirements. A Project-specific SEPA Environmental Checklist has been developed for the proposed Project and is included in Appendix D. Yakima County is the SEPA co-lead agency with WSDOT; WSDOT’s South Central Region Environmental Office is serving as the nominal lead agency for SEPA. 1.5 WASHINGTON STATE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT In order for the affected counties and state agencies to assess applicant-requested permits and approvals for the proposed Project, it is necessary for the Project to comply with SEPA. Yakima, Kittitas, Benton, and Grant counties, DNR, and WSDOT may choose to adopt this FEIS to satisfy SEPA requirements, as is allowed by WAC 197-11-610. WSDOT is the SEPA co-lead agency with Yakima County. As established in a Memorandum of Understanding between WSDOT and Yakima County, WSDOT’s South Central Region Environmental Office is the nominal lead agency. WSDOT has final responsibility for the completion of all SEPA procedures and documentation. Yakima County has jurisdiction by law and special expertise in local planning and compliance with the Washington State Growth Management Act. The counties, DNR, and WSDOT will provide additional public notice as required by state and local statutes when completing the SEPA review process. The SEPA process is designed to work with other laws, such as NEPA, to provide a comprehensive review of a proposed project. Combining the review processes of SEPA and NEPA reduces duplication and delay by combining evaluations and considering all aspects of a proposal at the same time. This FEIS may, therefore, be utilized by state and local governments in meeting SEPA requirements. The SEPA process for the evaluation of the proposed Project utilizes an Environmental Checklist along with detailed information and analysis contained in the FEIS to identify potential environmental impacts of the proposed Project. Appendix D contains the SEPA Environmental Checklist. Each question in the checklist is addressed and cross-references where detailed information in the FEIS can be found. 1.6 GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACT On non-federal lands, the Growth Management Act (WAC 365-190-130) is the State’s primary regulatory tool to protect special status species from the impacts of development. Under the Growth Management Act, local governments are required to create and implement development regulations that protect state- listed species and their habitat. Counties and cities must designate fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas and should consult with WDFW to base those designations on current information on priority habitats and species. The Priority Habitat and Species Program provides wildlife and habitat information for the purposes of land use planning and the evaluation of permits. This information is not regulatory, but is provided as recommendations that may be implemented as a part of county or local regulations (Stinson 2016).