Chapter 3. Environmental Setting and Impact Analysis
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Chapter 3. Environmental Setting and Impact Analysis 3.1 Introduction to the Environmental Analysis This chapter provides an integrated presentation of the regulatory setting, environmental setting, environmental impacts, and mitigation measures for resources that may be affected by the proposed project. A preliminary assessment of each resource identified in the Environmental Checklist in Appendix G to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines was conducted to identify resources or issue areas that require further evaluation (see Appendix C for the preliminary assessment). Mineral resources, public services, and recreation were dismissed from detailed evaluation. All other resources are evaluated in detail, although some issue areas would not be affected by the proposed project (e.g., no habitat conservation plans apply to the area, no airports or developed areas are nearby, no water or wastewater facilities are included in the project); these issues are identified in the introduction to the relevant resource section. In each resource section, the regulatory setting describes applicable laws, regulations, and policies specific to each resource topic. The environmental setting describes the environment in the project area, as it exists before the commencement of the proposed project. To be precise, the setting, which serves as the baseline for the impact analysis, is the environment as it existed on the date the Notice of Preparation was issued or September 28, 2009, with more recent information incorporated, where appropriate, for some resource topics. The environmental setting is presented at the regional and local (which includes the project area) scales, as appropriate to each resource topic. The impact analysis describes changes to the physical environment resulting from implementation of the proposed project, including permanent and temporary (construction phase) impacts and beneficial effects. The level of significance of each impact was determined using the thresholds identified in the Environmental Checklist and supplemented with local, regional, and federal (e.g., Trinity County or Shasta-Trinity National Forest) standards and guidelines. Significance thresholds vary for each issue and are defined at the beginning of each impact analysis section. According to CEQA Guidelines Section 15382, a significant impact is “… a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project…” Mitigation measures are identified for each potentially significant impact to avoid the impact or reduce its intensity to a less- than-significant level. 3.2 Land Use This section describes land uses in the vicinity of Wildwood Road and analyzes the impacts of the proposed project on these uses. Information pertaining to land uses in the project vicinity was obtained primarily from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest (STNF) Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) (U.S. Forest Service 1995) and Trinity County. North State Resources, Inc. 3-1 Draft Environmental Impact Report April 2014 Wildwood Road Realignment and Widening Project Chapter 3. Environmental Setting and Impact Analysis The following issues are not discussed further in this section for the reasons noted below: . Physical Division of a Community: The proposed project consists of improvements to an existing road corridor. No communities exist along the road. Displacement of Residences or People: The proposed project would not require relocation or displacement of existing residences. Habitat Conservation Plan Consistency: No habitat conservation plans have been approved for the project area. 3.2.1 Regulatory Setting Shasta-Trinity National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan The LRMP guides the management of the STNF by establishing management goals and objectives intended to direct management of National Forest System (NFS) lands for a 10- to 15-year planning period, while also being compatible with Forest Service objectives for the next 50 years (the planning horizon) (U.S. Forest Service 1995). The LRMP also identifies Standards and Guidelines designed to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts. STNF lands within the project boundaries fall within the South Fork Management Unit in two management areas: the Hayfork Management Area (Management Area 18) and the Wildwood Management Area (Management Area 21). Both of these management areas are managed for their late successional reserves, wildlife habitat, recreation (motorized and non-motorized), water quality, riparian area preservation, and commercial timber production. Portions of the management areas are classified as adaptive management areas, meaning that management can be flexible for the purposes of retaining key structural elements of Late Successional Reserves on lands subjected to regeneration harvest and restoring and protecting riparian zones, while also providing for a stable timber supply. Riparian reserves are a land allocation established under the STNF LRMP to protect and manage a wide array of riparian features, including rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and unstable landscapes (e.g., inner gorges). They are established along streams and around bodies of water and are managed to be consistent with Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives, as identified in the STNF LRMP. Late successional reserves are managed to protect and enhance conditions of late-successional and old- growth forests. The guidelines in the STNF LRMP incorporated those identified in the Record of Decision for Amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning Documents within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl. The 1994 Record of Decision was amended in 2004 to clarify provisions related to the Aquatic Conservation Strategy, specifically with respect to direction pertaining to the Aquatic Conservation Strategy objectives; watershed analysis; riparian reserves; and Standards and Guidelines for Resource Activities. Draft Environmental Impact Report 3-2 North State Resources, Inc. Wildwood Road Realignment and Widening Project April 2014 Chapter 3. Environmental Setting and Impact Analysis Trinity County General Plan The Trinity County General Plan applies to privately owned lands in the project area. The primary objective of the Open Space and Conservation Element (Hahn, Wise, and Associates, Inc. 1973) is to retain the character and natural beauty of Trinity County by preserving existing open space and controlling open space. Implementation of this objective requires retention of the rural character of the county, preservation of forests and agricultural lands as open space, protection of streambanks and floodplains, and establishment of recreational facilities. The General Plan Circulation Element identifies goals to (1) provide for the long-range development of Trinity County’s roadway system that is consistent with adopted land use patterns, ensures the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, minimizes impacts on the attractiveness of the community, meets environmental and circulation objectives, and implements funding strategies for construction, improvement, and maintenance of existing and new roadways; (2) maintain and upgrade the existing transportation system to prevent costly deterioration; (3) ensure the system efficiency does not decline; (4) maintain air quality and conserve energy; and (5) increase mobility and reduce travel time within Trinity County and adjacent regions (LSC Transportation Consultants Inc. 2002). Various objectives and policies have been identified to achieve these goals and improve or maintain the county-wide transportation system. Trinity County Zoning Ordinance The Trinity County Zoning Ordinance implements the land use goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan. The Zoning Ordinance establishes zoning districts to provide specific development requirements and restrictions for land uses in the county. Zoning districts must be consistent with the General Plan land use designations. Trinity County 2010 Regional Transportation Plan The Trinity County 2010 Regional Transportation Plan (Fehr & Peers 2011) contains a number of goals, policies, and objectives intended to guide transportation projects relative to land use. Relevant transportation plan goals, objectives, and policies include: Overall Goal (Goal 0): To provide a safe, reliable, accessible, cost-effective and efficient transportation system consistent with socioeconomic and environmental needs within Trinity County. Goal 1: Develop and maintain an efficient and safe system of streets, highways, and bridges that is sensitive to existing and future needs and promotes preservation of the environment, reliable access to communities and enhancement of the economy. Objective 1.2: Rehabilitate and/or reconstruct existing road and bridge facilities where necessary, and continue to maintain existing facilities. o Policy 1.12.A: Pursue Federal and State grant funding for major rehabilitation and reconstruction of County roads and bridges. Objective 1.3: Enhance operation and safety of existing county roads and state highways by providing adequate width and safe passing zones where necessary and feasible. North State Resources, Inc. 3-3 Draft Environmental Impact Report April 2014 Wildwood Road Realignment and Widening Project Chapter 3. Environmental Setting and Impact Analysis o Policy 1.3.A: Strive to provide two safe travel lanes on county roadways. Objective 1.5: Provide reliable all-weather access to all developed communities of the