He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve Draft Environmental Impact Statement NOAA Office for Coastal Management August 23, 2016 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1: NATIONAL CONTEXT ................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT ........................................................................................................... 4 1.1.1 THE NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM........................................................................................ 5 1.1.2 NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK ....................................... 5 1.1.3 NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE SYSTEM BIOGEOGRAPHIC REGIONS ................................................ 6 1.2 A POTENTIAL HE‘EIA NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE AS PART OF A NETWORK OF RESERVES ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 2: PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION ................................................................................. 10 2.1 PURPOSE OF PROPOSED ACTION ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION ......................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 3: STATE CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................ 14 3.1 HE‘EIA NERR SITE SELECTION AND NOMINATION PROCESS AND HISTORY ................................................ 14 3.2 HE‘EIA: THE PROPOSED SITE ........................................................................................................................... 16 3.3 SCOPING ............................................................................................................................................................. 18 3.4 ALTERNATIVE ESTUARIES CONSIDERED DURING SITE SELECTION .............................................................. 20 3.5 DOCUMENTS THAT INFLUENCE THE SCOPE OF THE DEIS .............................................................................. 21 3.6 PERMITS, LICENSES, AND ENTITLEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACTION ................................................ 21 CHAPTER 4: ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION .................................................. 23 4.1 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ..................................................................................................................... 23 4.2 BOUNDARY ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................................................. 24 4.2.1 PROPOSED ACTION (PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE) ..................................................................................................... 25 4.2.2 ALTERNATIVE A ‒ NOMINATED SITE WITH LAND ADDITIONS INCLUDING ENTIRE HCDA PARCEL, C&CH PARCEL AND THE SMALL BOAT HARBOR AND PIER ............................................................................................................. 26 4.2.3 ALTERNATIVE B ‒ NOMINATED SITE WITH INCLUSION OF ADDITIONAL WATER COMPONENTS CENTERED AROUND REEFS 7, 8, 9, AND 10 .............................................................................................................................................. 28 4.2.4 ALTERNATIVE C ‒ NOMINATED SITE BOUNDARY ..................................................................................................... 29 4.2.5 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ............................................................................................................................................. 30 4.3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE BOUNDARY ................................................... 30 4.4 OTHER ALTERNATIVES PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED .......................................................... 34 4.6.1 HE‘EIA UPLANDS CONTROLLED BY DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS ................................................. 35 4.6.2 TRIBUTARIES OF HE‘EIA STREAM ................................................................................................................................. 37 4.6.3 MŌKAPU PENINSULA ...................................................................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER 5: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 39 i 5.1 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................................. 39 5.1.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 40 5.1.2 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 47 5.1.3 LIVING RESOURCES ......................................................................................................................................................... 50 5.2 HUMAN ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................................................... 71 5.2.1 HUMAN AND ECONOMIC SETTING ................................................................................................................................ 71 5.2.2 CULTURAL AND HISTORIC SETTING ............................................................................................................................. 75 5.2.3 CURRENT HUMAN USES ................................................................................................................................................. 84 CHAPTER 6: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ..................................................................................... 90 6.1 AFFECTED RESOURCES AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS ......................................................................................... 90 6.1.1 TYPES OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS .................................................................................................................................... 91 6.1.2 DURATION OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ............................................................................................................................ 91 6.1.3 MAGNITUDE OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ......................................................................................................................... 92 6.1.4 POTENTIAL IMPACT MITIGATION MEASURES ............................................................................................................ 93 6.1.5 ALTERNATIVE BOUNDARY CONFIGURATIONS ............................................................................................................ 93 6.1.6 SUMMARY OF IMPACTS ................................................................................................................................................... 93 6.2 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................................. 95 6.2.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................................................................. 95 6.2.2 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 106 6.2.3 LIVING RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................................................... 120 6.3 HUMAN ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................................................. 162 6.3.1 HUMAN AND ECONOMIC SETTING ............................................................................................................................. 163 6.3.2 CULTURAL AND HISTORIC SETTING .......................................................................................................................... 167 6.3.3 HUMAN USES ................................................................................................................................................................. 172 6.4 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS .................................................................................................................................... 186 6.4.1 INTRODUCTION TO CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ANALYSIS ........................................................................................... 186 6.4.2 MAJOR HISTORIC ACTIVITIES AFFECTING THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT ......................................................... 188 6.4.3 INTRODUCTION TO CURRENT OUTLOOK .................................................................................................................. 189 6.4.4 AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................................................................................