Vantage to Pomona FEIS Index 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 4 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Environmental Consequences PAGE 4-20 spanning areas supporting special status plants, where practicable; delineating populations of special status plants for avoidance during construction; and developing a Plant Protection Plan as part of the POD to identify specific measures for the protection of special status plants. With the implementation of RDFs, impacts to special status plant species and potential suitable habitat are anticipated to include 1.0 mile of low impacts. 4.2.4.5 Route Segment 2b General Vegetation Construction of Route Segment 2b would result in long-term disturbance to approximately 73.8 acres of land (Table 4.2-4). The majority of long-term disturbance, 65.8 acres, would occur in areas classified as sagebrush/perennial grassland. Long-term disturbance would also occur to annual (5.7 acres) and perennial (1.6 acres) grasslands and a small amount (0.7 acre) of intermittent stream/gully. Short-term disturbance would occur to approximately 15.3 acres of vegetation. General vegetation impacts are similar to those described above for Route Segment 1a/NNR-1. Disturbance would be minimized by RDFs described above that are designed to reduce impacts to vegetation resources. RDFs include using existing public roads to access structure sites, minimizing blading and disturbance to plant communities, revegetating following construction, and implementing a Noxious Weed and Invasive Plant Management Plan. Refer to Section 2.3 - Required Design Features Common to Action Alternatives for a complete list and description of RDFs. Impacts for Route Segment 2b are anticipated to be: 1.1 miles of no identifiable, 4.2 miles of low, and 11.1 miles of moderate. Special Status Species and Priority Habitats No federally listed plant species were identified along Route Segment 2b. Columbia milkvetch (Astragalus columbianus) was documented in special status plant surveys for Route Segment 2b (Table 4.2-5), as described below. No WNHP priority ecosystems are known to occur along Route Segment 2b. Eighty-five percent (43.0 acres) of federal lands within this route segment were surveyed for special status plants; however, the majority of Route Segment 2b is comprised of non-federal land (266.9 acres) and was not surveyed (Table 3.2-3). As not all land within the route segment was surveyed, impacts could occur to special status plant species. Long-term disturbance would occur to potential habitat for special status plants and include 26.2 acres of suitable, 7.3 acres of marginal and 2.3 acres unsuitable habitat. RDFs described above for Route Segment 1a/NNR-1 would also be implemented during construction and maintenance of Route Segment 2b to minimize impacts to special status plants and include: avoiding or spanning areas supporting special status plants, where practicable; delineating populations of special status plants for avoidance during construction; and developing a Plant Protection Plan as part of the POD to identify specific measures for the protection of special status plants. With the implementation of RDFs, impacts to special status plant species and potential suitable habitat are anticipated to include 1.1 miles of no identifiable, 3.8 miles of low impacts, and 11.5 miles of moderate impacts. Columbia Milkvetch Columbia milkvetch is a federal Species of Concern and BLM Sensitive and Washington Sensitive species. Columbia milkvetch is restricted to an area of approximately 25 miles by 5 miles located along the west side of the Columbia River in Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton counties. In the region, nineteen populations are known to occur on approximately 34,579 acres. This species was identified along a 0.5- mile section of Route Segment 2b (Table 4.2-5). This occurrence was near a previously documented WNHP population and consisted of approximately 116 individuals scattered throughout 1.9 acres.