Auwahi Wind Farm Project Habitat Conservation Plan

FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AUWAHI WIND FARM PROJECT HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN Prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service January 24, 2012 Auwahi Wind Farm Project Final Environmental Assessment EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In accordance with Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, Auwahi Wind has prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to accompany its request to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for construction and operation of the Auwahi Wind Farm project (Auwahi Wind project) on Maui. Auwahi Wind has also sought an Incidental Take License (ITL) from the Hawaii Department of Natural Resources in accordance with Chapter 195D of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Species covered under the ITP and ITL would include the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis), Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus), and Blackburn’s sphinx moth (Manduca blackburni). These four species are all federally listed as endangered. The decision by the USFWS to issue an ITP to Auwahi Wind and approve the associated HCP is a Federal action subject to compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As part of the NEPA process, this environmental assessment has been prepared to evaluate the impacts of, and potential alternatives to, issuing an ITP and approving the implementation of the proposed HCP (Table ES-1). Table ES-1. Summary of impacts associated with implementation of the HCP and construction and operation of the Auwahi Wind project. Alternative 1 – Alternative 3 – Resource No Action Alternative 2 – Proposed Action Reduced Permit Term Climate No effect HCP Implementation: Minor temporary air Same as Alternative 2 but emissions (vehicles); long-term benefits green house gas benefits through reforestation efforts reduced unless additional Auwahi Wind Project: Minor temporary air renewable power added emissions during construction; long-term after project ceases benefits through reductions in fossil fuel operation consumption Geology and No effect HCP Implementation: Negligible impacts to Same as Alternative 2 Topography geology and topography Auwahi Wind Project: Minor adverse impacts to geology and topography due to ground-disturbing activities, minimized through implementation of BMPs and restoration of disturbed areas Soil No effect HCP Implementation: Minor short-term soil Same as Alternative 2 disturbance during implementation of mitigation measures minimized through implementation of standard BMPs Auwahi Wind Project: Minor short-term soil disturbance during construction and minor long-term soil disturbance during operation, minimized through implementation of standard BMPs Natural Hazards No effect HCP Implementation: Negligible impacts Same as Alternative 2 due to implementation of project Fire Management Plan Auwahi Wind Project: Negligible impacts due to fire prevention measures; monitoring and maintenance of project structures and vegetation; and Fire Management Plan ES-1 Auwahi Wind Farm Project Final Environmental Assessment Table ES-1. Summary of impacts associated with implementation of the HCP and construction and operation of the Auwahi Wind project. Alternative 1 – Alternative 3 – Resource No Action Alternative 2 – Proposed Action Reduced Permit Term Hydrology and No effect HCP Implementation: No direct impacts to Same as Alternative 2 Water Resources surface water features or impacts to water quality; minor, localized temporary adverse impacts associated with project implementation (erosion) minimized through implementation of standard BMPs (stormwater pollution prevention and temporary erosion and sediment control plan SWPP Plan and TESC Plan); HCP mitigation measures would benefit water resources by increasing soil moisture, slowing runoff, increasing infiltration, and preventing soil damage Auwahi Wind Project: No direct impacts to surface water features; minor, localized temporary adverse impacts associated with project implementation (erosion) minimized through implementation of standard BMPs (SWPPP and TESC Plan); no measureable reduction in the quantity or quality of ground water Vegetation No effect HCP Implementation: Negligible, short-term Same as Alternative 2 adverse impacts due to ground disturbance; no impacts to rare or special status species; long-term beneficial impacts due to native forest restoration efforts Auwahi Wind Project: Permanent removal of 39 acres of vegetation, primarily consisting of grazed grasslands/pastures; no direct impacts to federally listed plants; minor, temporary potential for indirect impacts (fire, invasive plants) minimized through fire and invasive plant prevention measures; a majority of rare plants will be avoided but a few individual rare plants may be removed; mitigation for the Covered Species and plantings of iliahi, red ilima, and aiea will benefit these species. Loss of potential native plant habitat and potential habitat for the following endangered plants which occur in the Kanaio NAR adjacent to the generator-tie line: Alectryon micrococcus (Mahoe),Bonamia menziesii, Cenchrus agrimoniodes (Kamanomano), Colubrina oppositifolia (Kauila), Flueggea neowawraea (Mehamehame), Melicope adscendens(Alani), M. knudsenii, M. mucronulata. Impacts to potential native plant habitat will benefit from habitat restoration. ES-2 Auwahi Wind Farm Project Final Environmental Assessment Table ES-1. Summary of impacts associated with implementation of the HCP and construction and operation of the Auwahi Wind project. Alternative 1 – Alternative 3 – Resource No Action Alternative 2 – Proposed Action Reduced Permit Term Wildlife Habitats would HCP implementation: Long-term beneficial HCP Implementation: Same remain degraded; no impacts due to the protection (fencing) avoidance, minimization, adverse impacts and/or enhancement (outplantings) of native and mitigation measures as associated with the ecosystems; minor net benefit to the Alternative 2, but fewer wind farm but also Covered Species acres protected or enhanced no beneficial impacts Auwahi Wind Project: Minor, localized for petrels and bats because of HCP mitigation habitat removal; collision potential; and mitigation reduced due to measures temporary disturbance; impacts would be lower take avoided or minimized through Auwahi Wind Project: implementation of the HCP. Yellow-faced Similar impacts as under bees (listing warranted but precluded) or Alternative 2 but shorter ground nests could be crushed; bees could duration; reduced take of collide with construction equipment; minor Covered Species due to 21- removal of vegetation used for nesting year operating period versus and/or individual plants used for pollen and 25 years nectar collection. Impacts avoided because activities outside of preferred bee habitat and minimized through implementation of standard BMPs for invasive plants species, revegetating disturbed areas, and implementing the Fire Management Plan; species would benefit from mitigation for Blackburn’s sphinx moths and Hawaiian hoary bats on Ulupalakua Ranch (see below). Requested take of Covered Species: Hawaiian Petrel - Tier 1: 19 adults, 7 chicks; Tier 2: 32 adults, 12 chicks; Tier 3: 64 adults, 23 chicks; mitigation consists of petrel management measures (conducting predator control and monitoring) at the Kahikinui Forest Project to offset take by increasing survival and reproduction. Hawaiian hoary bat - Tier 1: 5 adults, 2 young; Tier 2: 10 adults, 4 young; Tier 3: 19 adults, 8 young; mitigation consists of habitat restoration measures at Waihou Mitigation Area (fencing, ungulate removal, and outplanting) and radio-telemetry research project Hawaiian goose - 5 adults; mitigation consists of funding to conduct predator control or support egg and gosling rescue at Haleakala National Park Blackburn’s sphinx moth - 0.3 acres of native habitat and 27.7 acres of degraded habitat.lost; mitigation consists of funding to the LHWRP to restore dryland forest in the Auwahi Forest Restoration Project with outplantings of larval and adult host plants. ES-3 Auwahi Wind Farm Project Final Environmental Assessment Table ES-1. Summary of impacts associated with implementation of the HCP and construction and operation of the Auwahi Wind project. Alternative 1 – Alternative 3 – Resource No Action Alternative 2 – Proposed Action Reduced Permit Term Land Use No effect HCP Implementation: No land use impacts Same as Alternative 2 Auwahi Wind Project: Negligible, short-term adverse impacts to land use due to disruption of grazing during construction; no impacts would occur during operation; in compliance with existing land uses, plans, and policies Transportation No effect HCP Implementation: Negligible impact due Same as Alternative 2, and Traffic to minor traffic association with except shorter duration of implementing mitigation measures minor traffic impacts due to Auwahi Wind Project: Minor, short-term shorter operating period adverse impacts due to construction traffic and transportation of superloads, mitigated through implementation of traffic management plan; long-term beneficial impact due to road improvements Visual Resources No effect HCP Implementation: Minor impacts due to Same as Alternative 2 Waihou (and Kahikinui should that become a viable optionin the future) mitigation fence; long-term increase in scenic value of mitigation sites due to reforestation Auwahi Wind Project: Minor, short-term adverse impacts during construction due to dust; moderate long-term visual impacts due to visibility from

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