Hanford Site Biological Resources Management Plan
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DOE/RL-96-32 Revision 2 Hanford Site Biological Resources Management Plan Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management P.O. Box 550 Richland, Washington 99352 Approved for Public Release; Further Dissemination Unlimited This page intentionally left blank. DOE/RL-96-32 Revision 2 Hanford Site Biological Resources Management Plan Date Published February 2017 Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management P.O. Box 550 Richland, Washington 99352 By Janis Aardal at 12:39 pm, Feb 21, 2017 Release Approval Date Approved for Public Release; Further Dissemination Unlimited TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof or its contractors or subcontractors. This report has been reproduced from the best available copy. Printed in the United States of America DOE/RL 96-32 Revision 2 Executive Summary Resource stewardship is an integral part of consistent approach to protect and manage U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) biological resources on the site. Essential responsibilities at the Hanford Site. aspects of Hanford biological resource Appropriate management strategies and management include resource monitoring, actions, based on the best scientific information impact assessment, mitigation, and restoration. available, are important components of The BRMP’s overarching goals are to: stewardship and land-use planning at the site. • Foster preservation of important The Hanford Site Biological Resources biological resources. Management Plan (BRMP) is DOE’s primary implementation plan for managing natural • Minimize adverse impacts to biological resources under the Hanford Comprehensive resources from site development and Land-Use Plan (CLUP). other management activities. • Balance the site cleanup mission with The CLUP, which is described in the Final resource stewardship obligations. Hanford Comprehensive Land-Use Plan Environmental Impact Statement (HCP-EIS; DOE This document applies to all actions that 1999) and defined in the Record of Decision occur on Hanford Site lands managed by DOE, (ROD; 64 FR 61615), consists of a land-use map, including central Hanford and the portions of land-use designations, land-use policies, and a the Hanford Reach National Monument (HRNM) set of procedures for plan implementation. The currently managed by RL. CLUP land-use policies that direct land-use actions and help ensure individual land-use actions collectively advance the CLUP’s goals S.2. Roles and Responsibilities and objectives over time. BRMP is one of RL is responsible for administering and several implementation plans under the implementing BRMP for the Hanford Site. The framework of the CLUP. Each addresses unique RL and ORP site managers are ultimately resources and key activities that, together, responsible for the site’s natural resources, but provide a comprehensive approach for each program manager and assistant manager managing land and facilities at the Hanford Site. within RL and ORP is responsible for adhering to the resource management policies described in S.1. Introduction this document. The RL Site Stewardship Division (SSD) is responsible for defining The Hanford BRMP establishes DOE’s Hanford’s approach to biological resource management objectives, strategies, actions, and management and will assist other RL and ORP general directives for managing biological programs, contractors, and other organizations resources on the Hanford Site. The purpose of conducting work on the Hanford Site with BRMP is to provide the Richland Operations interpretation of these guidelines. The SSD Office (RL), the Office of River Protection (ORP), oversees monitoring and impact assessment Hanford contractors, and other organizations support and tracks performance of mitigation conducting work on the Hanford Site with a actions. i DOE/RL 96-32 Revision 2 Portions of the Hanford Site were declared laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and DOE part of the HRNM in 2000 by Presidential Orders. Key federal acts and Executive Orders Proclamation 7319, “Establishment of the that are relevant to biological resource Hanford Reach National Monument,” for their management include the following: ecological, cultural, and geological values. The • Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) manages portions of the HRNM and islands in the • National Environmental Policy Act of Hanford Reach as part of the Mid-Columbia 1969 (NEPA) River National Wildlife Refuge Complex through • Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 the Hanford Reach National Monument (MBTA) Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (HRNM-CCP). • Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act • Comprehensive Environmental Under existing DOE permits, the USFWS is Response, Compensation, and Liability responsible for protecting and managing HRNM Act of 1980 (CERCLA) resources and access to HRNM lands under its control. Because DOE is currently the • Resource Conservation and Recovery underlying landholder, it retains approval Act of 1976 (RCRA) authority over certain management aspects of • Clean Water Act of 1977 (CWA) the monument that could affect DOE operations such as safety or security buffers, • Sikes Act access to and operation of research sites, or • Magnuson-Stevens Fishery seismic, meteorological, or environmental Conservation and Management Act of monitoring sites. 1976 All contractors and subcontractors, and any • Executive Order 13112, “Invasive other entity performing work on Hanford lands Species” managed by DOE, will conduct work in • Executive Order 11990, “Protection of accordance with this management plan, as Wetlands” established by the CLUP implementing procedures. Each contractor is responsible for • Executive Order 11988, “Floodplain incorporating biological resource protection Management” measures into project planning, requesting • Presidential Memorandum of June 20, ecological compliance reviews for its activities, 2014, “Creating a Federal Strategy to and implementing mitigation actions for any Promote the Health of Honey Bees and project for which it is responsible. Unless Other Pollinators” otherwise controlled by legal or contractual • Presidential Proclamation 7319, requirements, BRMP also applies to lands under “Establishment of the Hanford Reach lease, permit, or easement. National Monument” S.3. Regulatory Basis • DOE Order 430.1C “Real Property Asset Management” (August 19, 2016). The Hanford BRMP was developed to support DOE compliance with applicable federal ii DOE/RL 96-32 Revision 2 BRMP also considers applicable Washington The Columbia River is designated as critical State regulations, especially those regarding fish habitat for three federal endangered or and wildlife management and noxious weed threatened fish species (Upper Columbia River control. spring Chinook, Upper Columbia River steelhead, and bull trout), and two federal S.4. Hanford’s Biological threatened terrestrial plant species (Umtanum desert buckwheat and White Bluffs bladderpod) Resources are found on the Hanford Site. In addition to The Hanford Site lies within the interior, low these species, the WNHP lists approximately elevation, Columbia River Basin, which is within 25 plant species as endangered, threatened, or the shrub-steppe zone. The diversity of physical sensitive. The WDFW lists 29 wildlife species as features across the Hanford Site contributes to threatened, endangered, sensitive, or a corresponding diversity of biological candidate. Also, approximately 23 plant species communities. The majority of the Hanford Site and 51 species of wildlife are listed as state consists of shrub-steppe habitats, but valuable monitor, review, or watch list. riparian, wetland, and aquatic habitats are associated with the Hanford Reach of the S.5. Resource Management Columbia River. Approach and The Hanford Site also contains a diversity of Implementation other rare terrestrial habitats such as riverine The primary goals in managing Hanford’s islands, bluffs/cliffs, basalt outcrops, swales, species, habitats, and ecosystem resources are and sand dunes. Both shrub-steppe and to maintain sustainable population levels of riparian habitats are considered “priority terrestrial and aquatic resident species and habitats” by the Washington Department of maintain or increase the quantity and quality of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). In addition, functioning native systems across the Hanford Washington’s Natural Heritage Program Site. (WNHP) has mapped and classified portions of the native plant communities found on Hanford The overarching objective of BRMP is to as priority ecosystems. provide strategies and management actions necessary to sustain Hanford’s biological The Hanford Site is home to at least resources. Specific DOE resource management 46 species of mammals, 10 species of reptiles, objectives for Hanford are to: 5 species of amphibians, over 200 species of birds, well over 1000 species of insects and • Protect species and habitats of state invertebrates, and approximately 700 species of and federal concern plants. There have been 46 fish species • Maintain and preserve native biological identified in the Hanford Reach, as well as diversity numerous insects, crayfish, and mollusks. Many • Reduce the spread of invasive species of