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AUWAHI WIND FARM HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN Draft Amendment

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AUWAHI WIND FARM HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN Draft Amendment AUWAHI WIND FARM HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN Draft Amendment Prepared for Auwahi Wind Energy LLC Prepared by 19 November 2018 Auwahi Wind Farm Project Habitat Conservation Plan Amendment TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT OVERVIEW .................................................................. 1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 APPLICANT INFORMATION........................................................................................ 1-5 1.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................... 1-5 1.4 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANS, POLICIES, AND LAWS .................................................................................... 1-6 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN ........................................ 2-1 2.1 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE HCP ...................................................................... 2-1 2.2 SCOPE AND TERM ........................................................................................................... 2-2 2.3 SURVEY AND RESOURCES .......................................................................................... 2-2 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING .................................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 REGIONAL LOCATION ................................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 LAND USE ........................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.3 TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY ................................................................................ 3-1 3.4 SOILS ...................................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.5 HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES .............................................................. 3-1 3.6 TERRESTRIAL FLORA .................................................................................................... 3-1 3.7 NON-LISTED WILDLIFE ............................................................................................... 3-1 3.8 LISTED WILDLIFE ........................................................................................................... 3-1 3.8.1 Hawaiian Hoary Bat .................................................................................................. 3-1 3.8.2 Hawaiian Petrel ........................................................................................................ 3-13 3.8.3 Nene .......................................................................................................................... 3-13 3.8.4 Blackburn’s Sphinx Moth ...................................................................................... 3-13 3.9 OTHER RESOURCES ..................................................................................................... 3-13 4.0 GOALS AND CONSERVATION MEASURES ....................................................................... 4-1 4.1 BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Goals ........................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1.2 Objectives ................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION OF IMPACTS ............................................. 4-1 4.2.1 General Project Development Measures ............................................................... 4-1 4.2.2 Pre-construction Surveys and Timing Considerations ........................................ 4-2 4.2.3 Project Components and Siting Considerations ................................................... 4-2 4.2.4 Invasive Plant Species Management ....................................................................... 4-2 4.2.5 Fire Prevention During Construction and Operation ......................................... 4-2 4.2.6 Measures to Minimize Environmental Impacts ................................................... 4-2 4.2.7 Operational Avoidance and Minimization Measures for the HCP Amendment (New HCP Amendment Section) .................................................... 4-2 5.0 ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND TAKE LIMITS .................................... 5-1 5.1 HAWAIIAN HOARY BAT ............................................................................................... 5-1 5.1.1 Direct Take for the HCP Amendment .................................................................. 5-1 5.1.2 Indirect Take for the HCP Amendment ............................................................... 5-3 5.1.3 Authorized Take Request for the ITP/ITL for the HCP Amendment ............ 5-5 i Auwahi Wind Farm Project Habitat Conservation Plan Amendment 5.1.4 Tiers of Take ............................................................................................................ 5-10 5.2 HAWAIIAN PETREL ...................................................................................................... 5-11 5.3 NENE ................................................................................................................................... 5-11 5.4 BLACKBURN’S SPHINX MOTH ................................................................................. 5-11 6.0 COMPENSATORY MITIGATION FOR POTENTIAL IMPACTS .................................... 6-1 6.1 MITIGATION LOCATIONS ........................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 HAWAIIAN HOARY BAT ............................................................................................... 6-1 6.2.1 Tier 1 Mitigation ........................................................................................................ 6-1 6.2.2 Tier 2 and Tier 3 Mitigation .................................................................................... 6-2 6.2.3 Tiers 4 – 6 ................................................................................................................... 6-3 6.2.4 Tier 5 and Tier 6 Mitigation .................................................................................. 6-33 6.2.5 Triggers for Mitigation at each Tier ..................................................................... 6-39 6.2.6 Funding Assurance ................................................................................................. 6-40 6.2.7 Contingency Funds/Adaptive Management ....................................................... 6-41 6.3 HAWAIIAN PETREL ...................................................................................................... 6-41 6.4 NĒNĒ ................................................................................................................................... 6-41 6.5 BLACKBURN’S SPHINX MOTH ................................................................................. 6-41 7.0 MONITORING, REPORTING, AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ............................. 7-1 7.1 PROJECT-SPECIFIC TAKE............................................................................................. 7-1 7.1.1 Monitoring Direct Take ........................................................................................... 7-1 7.1.2 Estimating Indirect Take .......................................................................................... 7-2 7.2 NON-FATALITY MONITORING ................................................................................. 7-2 7.2.1 Hawaiian Hoary Bats ................................................................................................ 7-2 7.2.2 Hawaiian Petrels ........................................................................................................ 7-2 7.3 REPORTING........................................................................................................................ 7-2 7.4 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ......................................................................................... 7-2 7.4.1 Adaptive Management of Minimization Measures .............................................. 7-3 7.4.2 Adaptive Management of Mitigation ................................................................... 7-10 8.0 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................ 8-1 8.1 FULL NIGHTTIME SHUTDOWN ................................................................................ 8-1 8.2 YEAR-ROUND CURTAILMENT AT 6.9 M/S ............................................................ 8-1 8.3 FULL NIGHTTIME SHUTDOWN FROM AUGUST TO OCTOBER ................. 8-1 8.4 REDUCED PERMIT TERM............................................................................................. 8-2 9.0 PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................................ 9-1 9.1 RESPONSIBILITIES .......................................................................................................... 9-1 9.2 SCOPE AND DURATION ............................................................................................... 9-1 9.3 CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, AND NO SURPRISES POLICY .................................................................................................
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