U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2012-0024-EA August 2012 Eldorado Valley Transmission and Utility Corridor Programmatic Environmental Assessment Las Vegas Field Office 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 702-515-5000 (office) 702-515-5010 (fax) This page intentionally left blank Draft Eldorado Valley Corridor Programmatic EA i Table of Contents 1. Purpose and Need .................................................................................... 1 1.1 Identifying Information .......................................................................................... 3 1.1.1 Title, EA Number, and Type of Project .................................................... 3 1.1.2 Location of Proposed Action ..................................................................... 3 1.1.3 Name of Location of Preparing Office ...................................................... 4 1.1.4 Case File Number ...................................................................................... 4 1.2 Background ............................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Purpose and Need for BLM Action ........................................................................ 5 1.4 Scope of the Analysis ............................................................................................. 6 1.5 Relationship to Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Other Plans ............................... 6 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives .......................................................... 9 2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................... 11 2.2 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 11 3. Affected Environment ............................................................................ 13 3.1 Proposed Project General Setting ......................................................................... 15 3.1.1 Resources Considered ............................................................................. 15 3.1.2 Resources or Uses Present and Brought Forward for Analysis ............... 16 3.2 Land Use .............................................................................................................. 17 3.2.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 17 3.2.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 20 3.3 Special Status Species .......................................................................................... 21 3.3.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 21 3.3.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 30 3.4 Migratory Birds .................................................................................................... 31 3.4.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 31 3.4.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 32 3.5 Wildlife ................................................................................................................. 32 3.5.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 32 3.6 Vegetation and Non-Native Plant Species ........................................................... 34 3.6.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 34 3.6.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 35 3.7 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................... 37 3.7.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 37 3.7.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 40 3.8 Visual Resources .................................................................................................. 41 3.8.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 41 3.8.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 54 3.9 Recreation ............................................................................................................. 55 3.9.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 56 3.9.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 57 3.10 Air Quality and Climate ....................................................................................... 58 3.10.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 58 3.10.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 62 August 2012 Table of Contents Draft Eldorado Valley Corridor Programmatic EA ii 3.11 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................ 63 3.11.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 63 3.11.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 70 3.12 Hydrology and Water Resources .......................................................................... 70 3.12.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 70 3.12.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 72 3.13 Noise..................................................................................................................... 74 3.13.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 74 3.13.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 77 3.14 Fuels and Fire Management ................................................................................. 80 3.14.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 80 3.14.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 82 3.15 Socioeconomics .................................................................................................... 83 3.15.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 83 3.15.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 83 3.16 Human Health and Safety/Hazardous Materials .................................................. 85 3.16.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................. 85 3.16.2 Applicable Laws, Regulations, and Standards ........................................ 88 4. Environmental Consequences .............................................................. 95 4.1 Overview of Development ................................................................................... 97 4.2 Land Use .............................................................................................................. 98 4.2.1 Environmental Consequences ................................................................. 98 4.2.2 Best Management Practices..................................................................... 98 4.3 Special-status Species........................................................................................... 99 4.3.1 Environmental Consequences ................................................................. 99 4.3.2 Best management Practices ................................................................... 103 4.4 Migratory Birds .................................................................................................. 110 4.4.1 Environmental Consequences ............................................................... 110 4.4.2 Best Management Practices................................................................... 112 4.5 Wildlife ............................................................................................................... 113 4.5.1 Environmental Consequences ............................................................... 113 4.5.2 Best Management Practices................................................................... 114 4.6 Vegetation and Non-Native Plant Species ......................................................... 115 4.6.1 Environmental Consequences ............................................................... 115 4.6.2 Best Management Practices................................................................... 116 4.7 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. 117 4.7.1 Environmental Consequences ............................................................... 117 4.7.2 Best Management Practices................................................................... 118 4.8 Visual Resources ................................................................................................ 123 4.8.1 Environmental Consequences ............................................................... 123 4.8.2 Best Management Practices..................................................................