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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 4 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Environmental Consequences PAGE 4-159 4.6 SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREAS Impacts on special management areas (SMAs) could be created as a result of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Project. Impacts would be caused by the displacement or alteration of existing uses or activities occurring within the SMA or conflict with legislative mandates, recognized values, and/or goals, objectives, standards, and policies of the management documents or agencies. 4.6.1 Methods and Impact Types 4.6.1.1 Analysis Methods The SMA impact methodology used was similar to those used to analyze land use resources and included: • Identifying the types of Project effects on established or proposed SMA resources; • Evaluating the intent of the designation and any specific legislative or planning directives related to the current or proposed management of the established or proposed SMA; • Developing criteria for assessing impact intensity; • Assessing impacts considering the effectiveness of Required Design Features (RDFs); • Introducing specific mitigation measures in specific locations to reduce impacts if possible; and • Evaluating residual impacts. 4.6.1.2 Impact Criteria Impacts on SMAs were determined based on Project compatibility with the use of the area, legislative mandates, recognized values, and/or goals, objectives, standards, and policies of the management documents or agencies. The potential change describes the physical changes that could potentially occur to a SMA use or activity, or conflict with legislative mandates, recognized values, and/or goals, objectives, standards, and policies of the management documents or agencies. Changes could be brought about by: • Acquisition of land or property rights to accommodate the Project; • Constructing the Project; • The physical presence and operation of the Project; and • Managing the right-of-way (ROW) and maintaining the Project. The potential for change from introducing transmission line facilities differs from one SMA to another with respect to what might be altered and to what extent. This potential for change is predicted by evaluating the environmental conditions, the Project description, and RDFs. 4.6.1.3 Impact Types Physical impacts to recognized values were assessed along the centerline of each of the route segments for the inventoried established or proposed SMAs. The impact types identified along the centerlines of Action Alternative route segments are characteristically direct and long-term and include any impact that: • Displaces, alters, or otherwise physically affects any existing, established, or planned SMAs; and • Conflicts with legislative mandates, recognized values, and/or goals, objectives, standards, and policies of the management documents or agencies.