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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 4 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Environmental Consequences PAGE 4-24 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 3b are anticipated to be: 12.6 miles of no identifiable, 1.9 miles of low, and 7.3 miles of moderate. Special Status Species and Priority Habitats No federally listed plant species were identified along Route Segment 3b (Table 4.2-5). Special status plant species known to occur along sections of this route segment include: annual sandwort (WNHP occurrence), awned halfchaff sedge (WNHP occurrence), beaked spike-rush (WNHP occurrence), bristle- flowered collomia (Collomia macrocalyx; WNHP occurrence), caespitose evening-primrose (Oenothera caespitosa ssp. caespitosa; documented in special status plant surveys), Columbia milkvetch (documented in special status plant surveys), Hoover’s desert-parsley (WNHP occurrence), gray cryptantha (WNHP occurrence), and Kalm's lobelia (Lobelia kalmii; WNHP occurrence). BLM GeoBOB and WNHP data indicate that the following species are also within one mile of Route Segment 3b: beaked cryptantha (Cryptantha rostellata), dwarf evening-primrose (Eremothera pygmaea), grand redstem (Ammannia robusta), Great Basin gilia, naked-stemmed evening-primrose (Chylismia scapoidea ssp. scapoidea), Nuttall’s sandwort, snowball cactus, white eatonella (Eatonella nivea), and Wormskiold’s northern wormwood. These locations include large buffers, so it is difficult to accurately determine whether these occurrences truly intersect the ROW corridor. No WNHP priority ecosystems are known to occur along Route Segment 3b. Thirty-six percent (61.1 acres) of federal lands within this route segment were surveyed for special status plants; however, the majority of Route Segment 3b is comprised of non-federal land (250.6 acres) and was not surveyed (Table 3.2-3). As not all land within the route segment corridors was surveyed, impacts could occur to special status plant species. Long-term disturbance would occur to potential habitat for special status plants and include 6.5 acres of suitable, 1.5 acres of marginal, and 22.7 acres of unsuitable habitat. RDFs described above for Route Segment 1a/NNR-1 would also be implemented during construction and maintenance of Route Segment 3b to minimize impacts to special status plants. With the implementation of RDFs, impacts to special status plant species and potential suitable habitat are anticipated to include 6.8 miles of no identifiable, 0.8 mile of low impacts, and 14.2 miles of moderate impacts. Annual Sandwort Annual sandwort is a Washington Sensitive species. It is known to occur from British Columbia south to California, Nevada and Arizona. In Washington, it has been documented in Grant, Chelan, Whitman, Spokane, Walla Walla, and Klickitat counties. Within the region, one population occupying approximately 23 acres is known to occur. The primary threat to annual sandwort is from OHVs. WNHP data indicate that annual sandwort intersects Route Segment 3b for approximately 0.4 mile; however, special status species locations include large buffers, so it is uncertain whether this occurrence intersects the ROW corridor. With the implementation of RDFs described above and the assumption that any occurrences found during pre-construction surveys would be spanned and avoided, Project construction, operation, and maintenance activities could impact individuals or habitat (moderate impact), but would not contribute toward the need for federal listing. Awned Halfchaff Sedge Awned halfchaff sedge is described above for Route Segment 2d. WNHP data indicate that awned halfchaff sedge intersects Route Segment 3b for 0.3 mile. This location includes a large buffer, so it is