3.0 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES 3.1 INTRODUCTION This section presents the analysis topics included in the Hetch Hetchy Communication System Upgrade Environmental Assessment/Initial Study (EA/IS). Topics were selected based on federal and state laws and regulations, Executive Orders, National Park Service (NPS) Management Policies, United States Forest Service (USFS) Policies, and concerns expressed by the public, NPS and USFS staff, or other agencies during scoping and comment periods. Twenty separate resource topics are discussed in detail in this section. This section also provides a discussion of four topics that were dismissed from further analysis. To conduct an environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the “baseline” or “affected environment” must first be described. This section provides information on the existing natural, cultural, and social conditions relevant to the Proposed Action. The planning context is also presented in Section 1.9.3. The information provided on existing conditions forms the basis for considering the potential impacts, or environmental consequences of the Proposed Action, and mitigation measures, if needed. The major elements of the impact analysis under NEPA, including specific National Park Service requirements that are common to all resource topic areas are described. Following this introduction, an analysis of impacts within each resource area is provided, starting at Section 3.8. Within the resource sections, NEPA/National Park Service/US Forest Service analysis is presented first for the Proposed Action, followed by the analysis for each of the project alternatives under consideration. A discussion of cumulative impacts is provided within each resource topic.
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