DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROPOSED DESIGNATION of CRITICAL HABITAT for CORAL PINK SAND DUNES TIGER BEETLE (Cicindela Albissima) in UTAH
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DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL HABITAT FOR CORAL PINK SAND DUNES TIGER BEETLE (Cicindela albissima) IN UTAH Prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Utah Ecological Services Field Office West Valley City, Utah April 30, 2013 Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4 1.0 Purpose for the Proposed Action .......................................................................................... 4 2.0 Need for the Action .............................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Background .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 Taxonomy and Species Description ................................................................................. 5 2.1.2 Habitat .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.1.3 Population Distribution .................................................................................................... 7 2.1.4 Life History ...................................................................................................................... 9 2.1.5 Adult Behavior and Ecology ............................................................................................ 9 2.1.6 Adult Dispersal ............................................................................................................... 10 2.1.7 Larval Behavior and Ecology ......................................................................................... 11 2.1.8 Population Size and Dynamics ....................................................................................... 11 2.1.9 Threats ............................................................................................................................ 12 2.2 Endangered Species Act .................................................................................................... 14 2.2.1 Critical Habitat ............................................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Section 7 Consultation ................................................................................................... 15 2.2.3 Technical Assistance ...................................................................................................... 16 2.2.4 Section 9 Prohibitions .................................................................................................... 17 2.2.5 Section 10 Permits .......................................................................................................... 17 3.0 Description of Alternatives ................................................................................................ 18 3.1 Alternatives Considered But Not Fully Evaluated............................................................. 18 3.2 Alternative A. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 19 3.3 Alternative B. Designation of Critical Habitat (Proposed Action) ................................... 19 3.4 Summary of Actions by Alternative .................................................................................. 20 4.0 Description of the Affected Environment .......................................................................... 20 4.1 Physical Environment ........................................................................................................ 20 4.2 Fish, Wildlife, and Plants ................................................................................................... 20 4.3 Human Environment .......................................................................................................... 23 4.4 Tribal Lands ....................................................................................................................... 23 5.0 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................ 23 5.1 Physical Environment ........................................................................................................ 25 5.2 Fish, Wildlife, and Plants ................................................................................................... 25 5.3 Human Environment .......................................................................................................... 27 5.3.1 Energy Development ...................................................................................................... 29 5.3.2 Transportation Projects .................................................................................................. 29 5.3.3 Agriculture and Grazing ................................................................................................. 29 5.3.4 Recreation....................................................................................................................... 30 5.3.5 Residential and Commercial Development .................................................................... 32 5.5 Archeological and Cultural Resources ............................................................................... 32 5.6 Environmental Justice ........................................................................................................ 33 5.7 Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................................... 33 ii 6.0 Council on Environmental Quality Analysis of Significance ............................................ 35 6.1 Context ............................................................................................................................... 35 6.2 Intensity.............................................................................................................................. 35 7.0 Contacts and Coordination with Others ............................................................................. 36 7.1 List of Agencies, Organizations, and Persons to Whom Copies of This Environmental Assessment Were Sent or Contacted ............................................................................................ 36 8.0 List of Contributors ............................................................................................................ 37 9.0 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................. 37 10.0 Maps ............................................................................................................................... 37 10.1 Map of Alternative B: Proposed Action ......................................................................... 38 10.2 Map of Alternative A: No Action .................................................................................. 39 List of Tables Table 1. Proposed Critical Habitat for CPSD tiger beetle. .......................................................... 20 Table 2. Candidate, threatened, and endangered species in Kane County Utah. .......................... 21 Table 3. Summary of Conservation Activity Related Co-Extensive Impacts to Economic Activities over the Next 20 Years (including a 7% Discount Rate). ........................................... 28 Table 4. Projected Co-extensive Costs of Consultations by Economic Activity from 2013-2033 ....................................................................................................................................................... 28 Table 5. Summary of Environmental Consequences by Alternative ........................................... 34 List of Figures Figure 1. CPSD tiger beetle populations and Conservation Areas. ................................................ 8 Figure 2. Adult CPSD tiger beetle population size estimate at CPSD from 1992 to 2011. .......... 12 Figure 3. Proposed critical habitat for CPSD tiger beetle (Cincindel albissima) .........................38 Figure 4. CPSD tiger beetle (Cincindela albissima) areas without critical habitat designation....39 iii Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is proposing to designate critical habitat for Coral Pink Sand Dunes (CPSD) tiger beetle (Cicindela albissima) in Utah, as required by section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). We proposed to list the CPSD tiger beetle as threatened and to designate critical habitat for the species on October 2, 2012 (77 FR 60208). In total, we proposed approximately 921 hectares (ha) (2,276 acres (ac)) in Kane County, Utah, for designation as critical habitat in our proposed rule. We announced a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on May 6, 2013 that requests public review of 2012 CPSD tiger beetle survey information and how it should be considered for the final designation of critical habitat. Critical habitat designation is required by the ESA for listed species. This Draft Environmental Assessment presents the purpose of and need for the critical habitat designation, the proposed action and alternatives, and an evaluation of the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the alternatives pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as implemented by the Council on Environmental regulations (40 CFR 1500, et seq.) and according to the U.S. Department of Interior