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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 4 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Environmental Consequences PAGE 4-31 With the implementation of RDFs, impacts to special status plant species, potential suitable habitat, and WNHP priority ecosystems are anticipated to include 0.7 mile of low impacts and 8.6 miles of moderate impacts. Basalt Daisy Basalt daisy is a federal Species of Concern and BLM Sensitive and Washington Threatened species. It is endemic to Washington and occurs exclusively in a small area (approximately 33 square miles) along the Yakima River and Selah Creek Canyons. Five populations occupying approximately 1,369 acres are known to occur in Washington. Primary threats to basalt daisy include basalt mining, railroad and highway maintenance and construction, and herbicide spray drift from nearby agricultural fields. Within the proposed Project area, basalt daisy is known to occur where Route Segment NNR-3 crosses Selah Creek Canyon (for approximately 0.7 mile). This species was not documented during the special status plant surveys; however, the steep canyon wall above Selah Creek was not surveyed due to safety and access limitations. It is anticipated that the proposed Project would span Selah Creek and would use existing access roads. 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. Hoover’s Desert-Parsley Refer to Route Segment 3b for information on Hoover’s desert-parsley. One occurrence of Hoover’s desert-parsley was documented for Route Segment NNR-3 during the special status plant surveys. This occurrence consisted of approximately 21 individuals scattered across 0.2 acre of a basalt flow. Approximately 0.8 acres of long-term disturbance and 1.5 acres of short-term disturbance are anticipated to occur where Hoover’s desert-parsley was documented, less than 0.1 percent of the known occupied habitat of Hoover’s desert-parsley in the region. Since not all federal and state lands were surveyed, there may be additional occupied habitat for Hoover’s desert-parsley in the disturbance footprint that would be identified during pre-construction surveys. WNHP data indicate Hoover’s desert-parsley intersects Route Segment NNR-3 for an additional 0.3 miles; however, these locations include large buffers, so it is uncertain whether additional occurrences intersect the ROW corridor. RDF For the proposed Project, it was assumed that any occurrences would be spanned and construction activities would avoid these occurrences. With the implementation of RDFs described above and the assumption that occurrences 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. Hoover’s Tauschia Hoover’s tauschia is a federal species of concern and BLM Sensitive and Washington Sensitive Species (Interagency Special Status/Sensitive Species Program 2015). Hoover’s tauschia is a regional endemic extending from Toppenish Ridge in south central Yakima County, northward to the southeastern foothills of the Wenatchee Mountains in east-central Kittitas County. Within the region, 28 populations occupying approximately 13,911 acres are known to occur. Potential threats to Hoover’s tauschia include loss and degradation of habitat through orchard expansion and housing, grazing, OHV use and road construction. Fire is typically not a threat because Hoover’s tauschia sites generally do not have enough vegetation present to carry a fire (WNHP and BLM 2005). WNHP data indicates that Hoover’s tauschia occurrences intersect Route Segment NNR-3 for approximately 0.4 mile. These locations include large buffers; therefore, it is uncertain whether this occurrence intersects the ROW corridor. Since not all federal and state lands were surveyed, there may be occupied habitat for Hoover’s tauschia in the disturbance footprint that would be identified during pre-construction surveys. Direct impacts and RDFs that would be implemented to minimize impacts to potential occurrences of Hoover’s tauschia are similar to those described above for Nuttall’s sandwort. With the implementation of RDFs described above and the assumption that any occurrences found during pre-construction surveys will be spanned and avoided,