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Vantage to Pomona Heights Executive Summary 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS October 2016 PAGE ES-v Design Option cross the shortest distance of the PAC (38.7 miles), followed by Alternative A (41.5 miles). The longest distance of the PAC crossing by any Action Alternative is 58.9 miles by Alternative G. The ROW corridors for all three NNR Alternative options, including the Agency Preferred Alternative, would be located entirely outside of the modeled YTC Sage-Grouse population range, where 95 percent of Sage-Grouse use is expected to occur based on a kernel density analysis conducted for the proposed Project. The NNR Alternative options do not overlap the modeled 80 percent core population range, where 80 percent of Sage-Grouse use is estimated to occur. Each of the Alternatives A-H, cross through the modeled Sage-Grouse population range for a substantial distance (22.1 miles to 25.4 miles, depending on Action Alternative). Alternatives A-H pass through the 80 percent core population range for distances ranging from 7.4 miles for Alternatives G and H to 10.2 miles for Alternatives A and B. The eight-mile wide Sage-Grouse analysis area for each of Alternatives A-H overlaps approximately half (44 to 56 percent, depending on Action Alternative) of the total estimated 95 percent core population range for the YTC Sage-Grouse population. Impacts to Sage-Grouse for each Action Alternative were estimated by taking into account acres of disturbance to sagebrush steppe habitat, miles of Sage-Grouse core population range crossed, and distance in miles to active and inactive leks. None of the Action Alternatives corresponded to miles of overall high impact levels or of no identifiable impact levels. The Agency Preferred Alternative and the NNR Alternative - Underground Design Option had the shortest distance classified as moderate impact (23.9 miles), followed by NNR Alternative – MR Subroute (24.3 miles). Miles of moderate impacts for each of Alternatives A-H ranged from 35.1 miles for Alternative G to 45.9 miles for Alternative A. Even though Alternatives A-H passed through more degraded habitat than the three NNR Alternative options, their much longer length, much greater overlap with occupied Sage-Grouse core population range, and closer proximity to more leks, indicate a greater overall impact on Sage-Grouse for Alternatives A-H. Among Alternatives A-H, Alternative A would have the greatest impact on Sage-Grouse, and Alternative G would have the least impact, though still larger than for any of the three NNR Alternative options. While the NNR Alternative - MR Subroute would impact more miles than the Agency Preferred Alternative or NNR Alternative - Underground Design Option, most of the additional length is in a landscape that would yield a low level of impact on Sage-Grouse, resulting in modestly greater impact on Sage-Grouse than for the Agency Preferred Alternative. While the NNR Alternative - Underground Design Option would result in slightly fewer transmission structures than the Agency Preferred Alternative, the number of structures greater than 0.25 mile from an existing line would be the same and the acres of direct habitat disturbance would be slightly higher. Thus, the NNR Alternative - Underground Design Option did not have different overall impact levels for Sage-Grouse than the Agency Preferred Alternative. Land Use, Recreation, Transportation, and Visual The Agency Preferred Alternative would have the majority of its impacts to military (JBLM YTC) land use (22.3 acres) with less land use impacts to BLM grazing lease areas (7.6 acres) and residential areas (2.8 acres). Alternatives E, F, G, and H would have the greatest impacts on residential land use (22.1 acres each). Alternative H would have the greatest impacts on irrigated agriculture (9.1 acres). The NNR Alternative - MR Subroute would have the highest impacts on JBLM YTC land uses (39.7 acres). The most disturbances on DNR state trust grazing or agricultural leased land would occur for the NNR Alternative - MR Subroute (4.2 acres). Alternatives A and F would have the greatest impacts on BLM grazing leases (8.7 acres each). Overall, the greatest miles of high impacts on land use would occur for Alternative H (1.0 mile). None of the Action Alternatives would have high residual impacts to recreation resources. Alternatives B, C, E, and G would each have 1.7 miles of moderate residual impacts. Alternative F would have the