2022-11-28-minutes-public-works-study-session

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Finding of No Significant Impact mitigate, or otherwise offset the Proposed Action's impact on essential fish habitat would result in no significant impacts (NMFS 2022; USFWS 2022). The USFWS also identified that the grubbing, removal, and hauling of trees would not result in significant impacts. Removal and hauling of the trees to the US Forest Service lot also would not result in significant impacts, given the baseline activity already associated with the site and the haul road. Later, some of these trees would be moved from the lot to other sites to serve as fish habitat in federal and state projects. As a result of these actions, the USFWS has found that the grubbing and removal of trees would not result in significant impacts (USFWS 2022). Therefore, there would be no significant effects from the Proposed Action on the federally listed species under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act—Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina)—that are potentially present in or adjacent to the project area. • Noise and Vibration—There would be no significant effects. • Transportation and Traffic—There would be no significant effects. • Cultural Resources— Reclamation has completed an archaeological survey and assessment of the built environment as part of this project's identification efforts. Due to the project's potential to affect traditional cultural properties (TCPs) of religious and cultural significance to Indian tribes, which may be located in the area of potential effect, and further clarification of the nature of the effects on known properties based on the TCP studies being conducted by the tribes, Reclamation has consulted with the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) and the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Reclamation worked with DAHP, the Washington State Historic Preservation Officer, the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the US Forest Service, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation to develop a programmatic agreement to allow completion of appropriate identification efforts while enabling timely implementation of the project. The programmatic agreement includes a series of stipulations to account for the project's effect on historic properties. • Additional identification efforts are in progress to further inform the understanding of the significance of TCPs and the nature of the effects on TCPs from the project. Project -specific coordination and consultation will remain ongoing to ensure no significant effects. As a result, there would be no overall significant effects as a result of this project. • Socioeconomic Resources—There would be no effect. Environmental Commitments To minimize or mitigate adverse effects as part of the Proposed Action, Reclamation would implement or incorporate the environmental commitments listed in Chapter 3 of the EA, in the resource reports in Appendix B of the EA, throughout the CWA permitting requirements, and in the programmatic agreement developed with the DAHP. Reclamation also would implement or incorporate the conservation measures identified through consultation and coordination with the USFWS and NMFS. Kachess Safety of Dams Final Environmental Assessment