Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Plant Species

THREATENED AND ENDANGERED (T&E) PLANT SPECIES FIELD INSPECTION REPORT

STATE OF NEW YORK PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION CASE NO. 11-T-0116

Long Island Power Authority – Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need Pursuant to Article VII of the Public Service Law to Increase the Design Capacity of the Existing 10.6 Mile Wildwood to Riverhead Electric Transmission Line from 69 kV to 138 kV

Prepared For:

PSEG-LI 999 Stewart Avenue Bethpage, NY 11714

Prepared By:

Land Use Ecological Services, Inc. 570 Expressway Drive South, Ste. 2F Medford, NY 11763

Date: September 12, 2019

A. INTRODUCTION The Wildwood to Riverhead Electric Transmission Line 69 kV to 138 kV Upgrade Project (the Project) was certified by the New York State Public Service Commission under Article VII of the New York State Public Service Law (NYSPSC Case # 11-T-0116). The purpose of the Project is to increase the operating design capacity of the existing 10.6-mile Wildwood to Riverhead 69 kV line to 138 kV. The Project involves replacing the existing 69 kV insulators with larger insulators to allow for the existing line conductors to operate at 138 kV. The Project also proposes the addition of three new transmission line poles outside the existing Wildwood substation and the installation of approximately 900 feet of underground transmission line outside of the Wildwood substation (AKRF, 2014). All construction activities would be within the existing 100-foot wide right-of-way (ROW) with no planned tree removal or no new ROW needing to be obtained for the Project (AKRF, 2018).

In accordance with the New York Public Service Commission’s Order Adopting the Terms of a Joint Proposal and Granting a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need (issued on July 12, 2012, pg.14), field surveys for State-listed plant species and significant ecological communities were performed in mid-August 2017 (AKRF, 2018) and late August- early September, 2019 (this report).

The plant species and ecological communities requiring field survey were based on a Public Service Enterprise Group Long Island (PSEGLI) request to the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) for an update on threatened, endangered or species of special concern (T & E Species) that may occur in the vicinity of the planned project, prior to performance of the required field survey. The field survey reviewed the Project ROW for the species and significant natural communities identified in the NYNHP letter dated June 16, 2017 (Appendix 1).

B. THREATENED AND ENDANGERED (T & E) PLANT & ANIMAL SPECIES AND SIGNIFICANT NATURAL COMMUNITIES

LITTLE-LEAF TICK TREFOIL Little-leaf tick trefoil (Desmodium ciliare) is a New York State threatened member of the pea family (Fabaceae). Little-leaf tick trefoil is found in various dry, open habitats with sandy soil including oak openings, openings and roadsides within pitch pine forests, and sandy or rocky summit grasslands (NYNHP, 2019a). Little-leaf tick trefoil has a state rarity rank of S2S3, meaning that it is very vulnerable to disappearing from New York State or vulnerable to becoming imperiled in New York State. Little-leaf tick trefoil is in flower and most easily identified between mid-July and mid-September (NYNHP, 2019a).

VELVETY BUSH CLOVER Velvety bush clover (Lespedeza stuevei) is a New York State threatened member of the pea family (Fabaceae). Velvety bush clover is found in disturbed habitats dominated by grasses and wildflowers within pitch pine-scrub oak barrens, pitch pine-oak woods and coastal oak-hickory woods (NYNHP, 2019b). Velvety bush clover has a state rarity rank of S2, meaning that it is threatened/imperiled in New York State due to rarity or is vulnerable to extirpation from New York State. Velvety bush clover is in flower and most easily identified between August and October (NYNHP, 2019b).

LONG-BEAKED BEAK SEDGE Long-beaked beak sedge (Rhynchospora scirpoides) is a New York State rare member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae). Long-beaked beak sedge occurs predominately on mucky or sandy

- 1 - soils on the margins of coastal plain ponds in pine barrens (NYNHP, 2019c). Long-beaked beak sedge has a state rarity rank of S2, meaning that it is threatened/imperiled in New York State due to rarity or is vulnerable to extirpation from the New York State. Long-beaked beak sedge fruits between July and October and is most easily identified in August and September (NYNHP, 2019c).

EARLY FROSTWEED Early frostweed (Crocanthemum propinquum) is a New York State threatened member of the rock-rose family (Cistaceae). Early frostweed is found in dry sandy soils in openings within coastal oak-heath forests (NYNHP, 2019d). Early frostweed has a state rarity rank of S2, meaning that it is threatened/imperiled in New York State or is vulnerable to extirpation from New York State. Early frostweed is in flower between mid-May and late June, and fruits between mid-June and mid-October, and is most easily identified at this time (NYNHP, 2019d).

STIFF TICK TREFOIL Stiff tick trefoil (Desmodium obtusum) is a New York State endangered member of the pea family (Fabaceae). Stiff tick trefoil is found in dry sandy woods and thickets, oak forest openings, and maritime grasslands and successional old fields (NYNHP, 2019e). Stiff tick trefoil has a New York State rarity rank of S1, meaning that it is endangered/critically imperiled in New York or is extremely vulnerable to extirpation from New York State. Stiff tick trefoil is in flower between August and mid-September and fruits between September and mid-October, and is most easily identified at this time (NYNHP, 2019e).

EASTERN TIGER SALAMANDER Eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is a New York State endangered species that breeds in temporary and permanent freshwater pools and ponds in pine barrens and deciduous (red maple and oak spp.) and mixed pine-deciduous (pitch pine-oak spp.) forests (NYNHP, 2019f). Tiger salamanders spend the large majority of the year in the forests within 1,600 feet of their breeding ponds. During this time, adult tiger salamanders are found in surficial soils suitable for burrowing and in soils with extensive networks of burrows from small mammals. The migration of adult salamanders to the breeding ponds can occur anytime between November and April depending on weather and pond ice conditions. Juvenile salamanders migrate out of the ponds between late June and September (NYNHP, 2019f).

NORTHERN LONG-EARED BAT The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) is a federally and state-listed threatened species. Northern long-eared bats can utilize a wide variety of upland woodland and forest types (NYNHP, 2019g), but are typically associated with mature interior forest (Carroll et al, 2002) and tend to avoid woodlands with significant edge habitat (Yates and Muzika, 2006). Northern long- eared bats roost during the day in dead or live trees under loose bark, or in cavities and crevices (US Fish and Wildlife Service, 2013). Northern long-eared bats may also feed over a wide variety of forested/wooded habitats and adjacent and interspersed non-forested habitats such as wetlands, edges of agricultural fields, old fields, and pastures. Northern long-eared bats have been documented using pitch pine-oak forests of eastern Long Island as summer habitat.

COASTAL BARRENS BUCKMOTH Coastal barrens buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5) is a New York State-listed species of special concern. The larvae of the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth are restricted to scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) as its primary foodplant. Therefore, this species inhabits ecological communities with abundant scrub oak including dwarf pine plains, pitch pine-oak-heath woodland, and pitch pine- scrub oak barrens (NYNHP, 2019h).

- 2 -

RED MAPLE-BLACKGUM SWAMP This ecological community is a maritime, coastal, or inland hardwood swamp that occurs in poorly drained depressions, sometimes in a narrow band between a stream and upland. Red maple (Acer rubrum) and blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) are often codominant, or blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) may be the dominant tree. These swamps feature a well-developed shrub layer comprised of sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum), and inkberry (Ilex glabra) among others. The herbaceous layer is characterized by cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), netted chain fern (Woodwardia areolata), and peat mosses (Sphagnum spp.) (Edinger et al, 2014)

COASTAL PLAIN PONDSHORE This ecological community occurs on gently sloping, sandy or gravelly shores of oligotrophic coastal plain ponds with fluctuating water levels formed in glacial outwash plains. In New York State, coastal plain pond shores are restricted to coastal lowlands in Suffolk County. The dominant vegetation on the pond shore is typically grass like and includes spikerush (Eleocharis parvula), beakrush (Rhynchospora capitellata) and pipewort (Eriocaulon aquaticum) (NYNHP, 2019i).

COASTAL OAK-HEATH FOREST This ecological community is a a low diversity, large patch to matrix, hardwood forest dominated by oaks and hickories with a well-developed short shrub layer dominated by huckleberries (Gaylussacia spp.) and blueberries (Vaccinium spp.). The forest is usually codominated by two or more species of oaks: scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), white oak (Q. alba) and black oak (Q. velutina). The herbaceous layer is very sparse; characteristic species are bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), and Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica). Coastal oak heath forests occur on dry, well-drained, sandy soils of glacial outwash plains or moraines of the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

C. METHODOLOGY A desktop review of available data was performed prior to field surveys for the subject T&E species and significant natural communities. The following documents and databases were reviewed: 2018 AKRF report (AKRF, 2018), New York Natural Heritage Program correspondence dated June 16, 2017 (Appendix 1), and aerial imagery. A meander survey was conducted by WP Bowman, PhD of Land Use Ecological Services throughout the width of the Project ROW in late August-early September 2019. All of the T&E populations identified in the 2018 AKRF report were also surveyed. The species, location, approximate number of stems, general condition, ecological community type, and associated plant species was recorded for each T&E population encountered. Plant species identification was based on various New York Natural Heritage Program Plant Guides (https://guides.nynhp.org/plants/), Britton and Brown (1970), Fernald (1950), Newcomb (1977), Gleason and Cronquist (1991), and Krings (2004).

D. RESULTS

Ecological Communities Ecological communities present within the Project ROW include mowed roadside/pathway, herbicide-sprayed roadside/pathway, unpaved road/path, cropland/row crops, cropland/field crops, conifer plantation, successional old field, successional shrubland, southern successional hardwood forest, successional sandplain grassland, pitch pine-scrub oak barrens, and pitch pine- heath barrens.

- 3 -

None of the significant natural communities identified in the NYNHP 2017 letter (red maple- blackgum swamp, coastal plain pond shore, and coastal oak-heath forest) were found within the Project ROW. However, coastal oak-heath forests are located immediately adjacent to large reaches of the Project ROW.

Threatened & Endangered Plants Velvety bush clover, long-beaked beak sedge, early frostweed and stiff tick trefoil were not observed during the 2017 or 2019 field surveys. Suitable habitat for velvety bush clover, early frostweed and stiff tick trefoil is present within the Project ROW. Suitable habitat for long-beaked beak sedge (i.e. coastal plain pondshores) is not present within the Project ROW.

Threatened & Endangered Animals Eastern tiger salamanders prefer forested habitats adjacent to their breeding ponds. Accordingly, the disturbed and early successional habitats within the Project ROW are not expected to provide high-quality habitat for tiger salamanders. However, the coastal oak forests and pine barrens forests adjacent to the Project ROW would be expected to provide habitat for eastern tiger salamanders if within 1,600 feet of known salamander breeding ponds.

Open habitats within the Project ROW adjacent to large tracts of coastal oak or pine barrens forests would provide suitable summer foraging habitat for northern long-eared bats. However, the Project ROW would not be expected to provide roosting habitat for northern long-eared bats due to the infrequency and small size/young age of trees within the ROW. Furthermore, no tree removal is proposed as part of this project (AKRF, 2018).

Suitable habitat for coastal barrens buckmoth is present within the eastern portion of the Project ROW, particularly to the south of the Peconic River, where thickets of scrub oak are abundant within the Project ROW.

Little-leaf Tick Trefoil Little-leaf tick trefoil was observed at nine distinct locations within and immediately adjacent to the Project ROW (Figures 1-6). Little-leaf tick trefoil was identified based on the presence of 1) hairy stems and leaves and 2) nearly sessile leaves with petioles that are shorter (generally 2-10 mm in length) than the lateral leaflets (Photos 1 and 2) (NYNHP, 2019a). In contrast, the similar (and sometimes co-occurring) smooth small-leaf tick trefoil (D. marilandicum) has hairless (i.e. glabrous) leaves and stems and longer petioles that are roughly equal or longer in length to the lateral leaflets (Photo 3).

- 4 -

Photo 1 (left) and Photo 2 (right): Desmodium ciliare observed in Project ROW. Note short (nearly sessile) petioles.

Photo 3: Desmodium marilandicum observed in Project ROW. Note longer petioles that are equal or longer in length to lateral leaflets.

Little-leaf tick trefoil was typically observed along the edges of access roads or paths within sandy successional old field or successional shrubland habitats. Representative photos of the habitat where little-leaf tick trefoil populations were observed are provided in Photos 4 and 5. Little-leaf tick trefoil was typically found to grow in association with wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), rough- leaved goldenrod (Solidago rugosa), sweet gale (Comptonia peregrine), northern dewberry (Rubus flagellaris), smooth small-leaf tick trefoil (D. marilandicum), path rush (Juncus tenuis), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), intermediate dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum), round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata), and wand-like bush clover (L. violacea). Some invasive species were present at these sites including mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris), Chinese lespedeza (L. cuneata), and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).

- 5 -

Photo 4 (left) and Photo 5 (right): Typical habitat for Desmodium ciliare in Project ROW comprised of path edges within successional old fields and successional shrublands.

The nine little-leaf tick trefoil populations identified within the ROW were located between Edwards Avenue and Fresh Pond Avenue, between Fresh Pond Avenue and Hulse Landing Road, and along Sound Avenue. Approximately 200 little-leaf tick-trefoil stems were observed at the nine locations throughout the ROW occupying approximately 972 square feet total within the ROW. Each of these populations is very small (comprised of 2-20 plants). Due to the small size of each of these populations, each is at risk of extirpation due to natural ecological succession or further infestations by invasive species.

E. RECOMMENDATIONS The following best management practices are recommended to avoid or minimize impacts to the known populations of little-leaf tick trefoil:

• Install temporary protective fencing around known populations of little-leaf tick trefoil within the Project ROW that are adjacent to proposed areas of disturbance. Protective fencing should be installed no closer than 6 feet to any observed little-leaf tick trefoil plant. Temporary fence posts shall be installed by hand. Care should be taken to avoid trampling within the population and to install the fencing from the perimeter of the location. Machinery and personnel should be excluded from these areas to prevent unnecessary disturbance to little-leaf tick trefoil plants. Fencing must be removed within 180 days of the completion of disturbance adjacent to these populations. • Should the contractor deem it impossible to avoid particular known populations of little- leaf tick trefoil during construction, those populations should be transplanted to the closest suitable habitat to the population. Suitable habitat includes open, successional old fields habitats dominated by native wildflowers or grasses. The presence of any of the native bush clovers (Lespedeza), such as L. violacea or L. capitata is a good indicator of the suitability of the habitat for little-leaf tick trefoil. • Transplanting should be done by a trained landscape crew. Individual or groups of little- leaf tick-trefoil should be dug up carefully using hand tools. • Prior to transplanting, the surrounding vegetation should be carefully trimmed in the area where planting will occur.

- 6 -

• Care should be taken to dig deeply around the plant to remove as much of the root system and soil as possible. Little-leaf tick trefoil has a taproot; the roots and soils should be dug to a depth of at least 15 inches. • Any broken roots exposed during digging should be trimmed with clean, sharp shears. • Care should be taken to not include any invasive plants within the dug root ball. • When removing the root ball and plant from the substrate, the aboveground shoots should not be handled. The root ball should be transferred to an appropriately sized container or wrapped in moist burlap. Only the root ball should be handled during excavation, transport, and transplanting. • The plant should be kept moist and shaded until re-planted. • The planting hole at the recipient planting site should be similar in depth to the dug root ball. A root stimulant should be applied to the root ball of the transplanted plant. After planting, the level of the root ball should be slightly below the grade of the new soil surface. The planting hole should be carefully filled and the soil lightly tamped to ensure no air pockets between the root ball and the soil. • Transplanted little-leaf tick trefoil should receive adequate water post-planting. Plants should receive the equivalent of 1 inch of rainfall weekly during the growing season through natural precipitation or manual watering. • Natural areas surrounding the original little-leaf tick trefoil population locations disturbed during construction should be restored with a seed mix consisting of native plant species.

F. REFERENCES

AKRF, 2014. Revised Environmental Management and Construction Plan. New York State Public Service Commission Case No. 11-T-0116. Prepared for Public Service Enterprise Group Long Island (PSEGLI). March 17, 2014.

AKRF, 2018. Threatened and Endangered (T&E) Plant Species Field Inspection Report. New York State Public Service Commission Case No. 11-T-0116. Prepared for Public Service Enterprise Group Long Island (PSEGLI). June 15, 2018.

Britton, N.L. and A. Brown. 1970. An illustrated flora of the northern United States and Canada. Vol. II. 2nd ed. Dover Publications. New York, NY.

Carroll, S. K., T. C. Carter and G. A. Feldhamer. 2002. Placement of nets for bats: effects on perceived fauna. Southeastern Naturalist 1:193-198.

Edinger, G. J., D. J. Evans, S. Gebauer, T. G. Howard, D. M. Hunt, and A. M. Olivero (editors). 2014. Ecological Communities of New York State. Second Edition. A revised and expanded edition of Carol Reschke’s Ecological Communities of New York State. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany,

Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray’s Manual of Botany. 8th ed. American Book Company. New York, NY.

Gleason, H.A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. The New York Botanical Garden Press. Bronx, NY.

Krings, A. 2004. Abaxial foliar vestiture of Desmodium (Fabaceae) in North Carolina and vegetative recognition of the species. Vulpia 3: 140-172.

- 7 -

Newcomb, L. 1977. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019a. Online Conservation Guide for Desmodium ciliare. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/little-leaf-tick-trefoil/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019b. Online Conservation Guide for Lespedeza stuevei. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/velvety-bush-clover/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019c. Online Conservation Guide for Rhynchospora scirpoides. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/long-beaked-beak-sedge/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019d. Online Conservation Guide for Crocanthemum propinquum. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/early-frostweed/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019e. Online Conservation Guide for Desmodium obtusum. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/stiff-tick-trefoil/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019f. Online Conservation Guide for Ambystoma tigrinum. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/tiger-salamander/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019g. Online Conservation Guide for Myotis septentrionalis. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/northern-long-eared-bat/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019h. Online Conservation Guide for Hemileuca maia ssp. 5. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/coastal-barrens-buckmoth/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2019i. Online Conservation Guide for Coastal plain pond shore. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/coastal-plain-pond-shore/. Accessed September 5, 2019.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. 12-Month finding on a petition to list the eastern small-footed bat and the northern long-eared bat as threatened or endangered; Listing the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species; Proposed rule. Vol. 78 No. 191, Department of the Interior.

Yates, M. and R. Muzika. 2006. Effect of forest structure and fragmentation on site occupancy of bat species in Missouri Ozark forests. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:1238-1248.

- 8 -

k k k k

Approx. ROW Boundary k Invasive Species Cleaning Station Desmodium ciliare (Little-leaf tick trefoil) NOTE: D. ciliare depicted on east edge of Figure 5 is the same individual as depicted on the west edge of Figure 6.

1. Data on threatened and endangered species (TES) collected Land Use Ecological Services, Inc. Project: THREATENED SPECIES MAP 8/29/19 - 9/5/19 by Land Use Ecological Services, Inc. 1 in = 150 ft 570 Expressway Drive South, Ste 2F For: PSEGLI Wildwood to Riverhead using hand-held GPS. 2. Prior TES species data provided by PSEGLI and Ü Medford, NY 11763 Electric Transmission Line Upgrade Project verified or updated by Land Use in the field. 025 50 100 (631) 727-2400 www.landuse.us Suffolk County, NY 3. Basemap aerial provided by ESRI. ft Date: 9/11/2019 Revised: 9/24/2019 Scale: As Noted Figure: 1 k

Appendix 1 – New York Natural Heritage Program Correspondence (dated June 16, 2017) June 16, 2017 Lara Urbat PSEG Long Island 175 East Old Country Road Hicksville, NY 11801

Re: Wildwood to Riverhead Overhead Transmission Line County: Suffolk Town/City: Brookhaven, Southampton

Dear Ms. Urbat: In response to your recent request, we have reviewed the New York Natural Heritage Program database with respect to the above project.

Enclosed is a report of rare or state-listed animals and plants, and significant natural communities that our database indicates occur in the vicinity of the project site.

For most sites, comprehensive field surveys have not been conducted; the enclosed report only includes records from our database. We cannot provide a definitive statement as to the presence or absence of all rare or state-listed species or significant natural communities. Depending on the nature of the project and the conditions at the project site, further information from on-site surveys or other sources may be required to fully assess impacts on biological resources.

Our database is continually growing as records are added and updated. If this proposed project is still under development one year from now, we recommend that you contact us again so that we may update this response with the most current information.

The presence of the plants and animals identified in the enclosed report may result in this project requiring additional review or permit conditions. For further guidance, and for information regarding other permits that may be required under state law for regulated areas or activities (e.g., regulated wetlands), please contact the NYS DEC Region 1 Office, Division of Environmental Permits, as listed at www.dec.ny.gov/about/39381.html.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Conrad Information Resources Coordinator 600 New York Natural Heritage Program New York Natural Heritage Program Report on State-listed Animals

The following state-listed animals have been documented in the vicinity of the project site.

The following list includes animals that are listed by NYS as Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern; and/or that are federally listed or are candidates for federal listing.

For information about any permit considerations for the project, contact the Permits staff at the NYSDEC Region 1 Office. For information about potential impacts of the project on these species, and how to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any impacts, contact the Wildlife Manager. A listing of Regional Offices is at http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/558.html.

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME NY STATE LISTING FEDERAL LISTING

The following species has been documented near the project site at several locations, in Towns of Riverhead, Southampton, and Brookhaven.

Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum Endangered 52

The following species has been documented within 1.5 miles of the project site. Individual animals may travel 1.5 miles from documented locations.

Northern Long-eared Bat Myotis septentrionalis Threatened Threatened 14541 Non-winter location

If any rare plants or animals are documented during site visits, we request that information on the observations be provided to the New York Natural Heritage Program so that we may update our database. Information about many of the listed animals in New York, including habitat, biology, identification, conservation, and management, are available online in Natural Heritage’s Conservation Guides at www.guides.nynhp.org, and from NYSDEC at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7494.html.

6/16/2017 Page 1 of 1 Report on Rare Animals, Rare Plants, and New York Natural Heritage Program Significant Natural Communities

The following rare plants, rare animals, and significant natural communities have been documented at the project site, or in its vicinity.

We recommend that potential onsite and offsite impacts of the proposed project on these species or communities be addressed as part of any environmental assessment or review conducted as part of the planning, permitting and approval process, such as reviews conducted under SEQR. Field surveys of the project site may be necessary to determine the status of a species at the site, particularly for sites that are currently undeveloped and may still contain suitable habitat. Final requirements of the project to avoid, minimize, or mitigate potential impacts are determined by the lead permitting agency or the government body approving the project.

The following animals, while not listed by New York State as Endangered or Threatened, are of conservation concern to the state, and are considered rare by the New York Natural Heritage Program.

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME NY STATE LISTING HERITAGE CONSERVATION STATUS

Moths Coastal Barrens Buckmoth Hemileuca maia ssp. 5 Special Concern Imperiled in NYS and Globally Uncommon In vicinity of Peconic Bog County Park, Town of Southampton, 1987-10-19: Dense tree and scrub oak thicket with 7097 scattered pitch pine.

The following significant natural communities are considered significant from a statewide perspective by the NY Natural Heritage Program. They are either occurrences of a community type that is rare in the state, or a high quality example of a more common community type. By meeting specific, documented criteria, the NY Natural Heritage Program considers these community occurrences to have high ecological and conservation value.

COMMON NAME HERITAGE CONSERVATION STATUS

Wetland/Aquatic Communities

Red Maple-Blackgum Swamp High Quality Occurrence of Rare Community Type

Lower Peconic River, including adjacent to Riverhead Substation: The forest is of moderate size, and apparently 838 mature with tip-up mounds, in a moderately intact landscape with a large road to the south, but well connected to surrounding pine barrens.

Coastal Plain Pond Shore Rare Community Type

Pond just west of Kroemer Avenue, Town of Riverhead: Diversity is low, there are some exotics, and the area is small. 4583

Upland/Terrestrial Communities

Coastal Oak-Heath Forest High Quality Occurrence of Uncommon Community Type

Shoreham, including adjacent to Wildwood Substation: This is a fairly large coastal oak-heath forest community within a 13100 relatively large natural landscape with other good quality coastal and maritime communities.

6/16/2017 Page 1 of 2 The following plants are listed as Endangered or Threatened by New York State, and/or are considered rare by the New York Natural Heritage Program, and so are a vulnerable natural resource of conservation concern.

COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME NY STATE LISTING HERITAGE CONSERVATION STATUS Long-beaked Beakrush Rhynchospora scirpoides Rare Vulnerable in NYS

Pond just west of Kroemer Avenue, Town of Riverhead, 1988-08-09: This is a series of small ponds set in woods. The 4813 plants are on a mucky pond shore.

The following rare plants are found in Shoreham, along utility rights-of-way adjacent to or near the Wildwood Substation.

Little-leaf Tick-trefoil Desmodium ciliare Threatened Imperiled in NYS

2007-09-05: Immediately adjacent to the east side of the Wildwood Substation; and in scattered patches throughout a 12714 large part of the large, wide utility right-of-way extending north from the Wildwood Substation, which runs through oak- dominated forests. The soils are mostly dry and sandy.

Velvety Bush-clover Lespedeza stuevei Threatened Imperiled in NYS

2007-09-05: Immediately adjacent to the east side of the Wildwood Substation; and in scattered patches throughout a 12813 large part of the large, wide utility rights-of-way extending north and west from the Wildwood Substation. The soils are mostly dry and sandy.

Early Frostweed Crocanthemum propinquum Threatened Imperiled in NYS

2007-09-05: Under the large, wide utility right-of-way extending north from the Wildwood Substation. The soils are mostly 12716 dry and sandy.

Stiff Tick-trefoil Desmodium obtusum Endangered Critically Imperiled in NYS

2007-09-05: Under the large, wide utility right-of-way extending west from the Wildwood Substation, on the edge of a dirt 12715 road. The soils are dry and sandy.

This report only includes records from the NY Natural Heritage database. For most sites, comprehensive field surveys have not been conducted, and we cannot provide a definitive statement as to the presence or absence of all rare or state-listed species. Depending on the nature of the project and the conditions at the project site, further information from on-site surveys or other sources may be required to fully assess impacts on biological resources. If any rare plants or animals are documented during site visits, we request that information on the observations be provided to the New York Natural Heritage Program so that we may update our database. Information about many of the rare animals and plants in New York, including habitat, biology, identification, conservation, and management, are available online in Natural Heritage’s Conservation Guides at www.guides.nynhp.org, from NatureServe Explorer at www.natureserve.org/explorer, and from USDA’s Plants Database at http://plants.usda.gov/index.html (for plants). Information about many of the natural community types in New York, including identification, dominant and characteristic vegetation, distribution, conservation, and management, is available online in Natural Heritage’s Conservation Guides at www.guides.nynhp.org. For descriptions of all community types, go to www.dec.ny.gov/animals/97703.html for Ecological Communities of New York State.

6/16/2017 Page 2 of 2