Final Environmental Impact Statement for Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Incidental Take Permit Fowler Ridge Wind Farm Benton County, Indiana December 2013 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bloomington, Indiana Field Office 621 South Walker Street Bloomington, Indiana 47403 Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, Benton County, Indiana Final Environmental Impact Statement COVER SHEET a. Title: Proposed Habitat Conservation Plan and Incidental Take Permit for the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, Benton County, Indiana b. Subject: Final Environmental Impact Statement c. Lead Agency: United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) d. Abstract: The permit applicant, Fowler Ridge Wind Farm LLC; Fowler Ridge II Wind Farm LLC; Fowler Ridge III Wind Farm LLC; and Fowler Ridge IV Wind Farm LLC., collectively Fowler Ridge, is seeking an Incidental Take Permit (ITP) for the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm (FRWF or Project) in Benton County, Indiana.. The FRWF currently consists of 355 wind turbines and associated access roads and infrastructure constructed in three phases with a total energy capacity of 600 megawatts (MW). Construction of Phase IV, owned by Fowler Ridge IV Wind Farm LLC, is currently planned for 2014. Phase IV would consist of up to 94 turbines for a total capacity of 150.4 MW. The total build-out for all four phases of Fowler Ridge will be up to 449 turbines (750 MW) The FRWF is located in an area through which the federally endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) migrates. Fowler Ridge has developed a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) to ensure that impacts to the federally listed Indiana bat are adequately minimized and mitigated in accordance with the requirements of Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service received an application for an ITP from Fowler Ridge for the FRWF on January 15, 2013. On April 5, 2013, the Service published a notice in the Federal Register stating the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Draft Habitat Conservation Plan (DHCP), and Draft Implementing Agreement (DIA). The public comment period for the above mentioned documents expired on June 4, 2013. Comments received during the public comment period and Service responses to those comments are included in Appendix I of this Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). Since release of the DEIS, the ITP term length changed from 22 years to 21 years. Substantive changes to the DEIS resulting from the reduction in permit term length are included in Appendix J of this FEIS. Key issues associated with the construction of Phase IV and the operation of the four phases of the FRWF include impacts to December 2013 Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, Benton County, Indiana Final Environmental Impact Statement wildlife (including migratory birds and bats) and impacts to the federally endangered Indiana bat. The Service has selected the 5.0 m/s Cut-In Speed Alternative (Applicant Proposed Action) as the preferred alternative. Of the alternatives evaluated in this FEIS, this alternative best fulfills the agency’s statutory mission and responsibilities while meeting the purpose and need. e. Contact: Mr. Scott Pruitt Field Supervisor U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bloomington Indiana Field Office 621 South Walker St. Bloomington, IN, 47403 (812) 334-4261 [email protected] f. Transmittal: This FEIS prepared by Service staff on the proposed HCP and ITP for the Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) for the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm located in Benton County, Indiana is being made available to the public in January 2014. The Service’s decision on issuance of the permit will occur no sooner than 30 days after the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency notice of the FEIS in the Federal Register and will be documented in a Record of Decision. You may obtain copies of the FEIS and related documents on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov (Docket Number FWS-R3- ES-2013-0032). You may obtain the documents by mail from the Bloomington Indiana Field Office (see contact information above) or the Midwest Regional Office. ii December 2013 Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, Benton County, Indiana Final Environmental Impact Statement Table of Contents 1.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW AND BACKGROUND ................................................................. 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 FOWLER RIDGE WIND FARM PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................. 1 1.2.1 Project Components ............................................................................................... 1 1.2.2 Construction of Fowler IV ........................................................................................ 3 1.2.3 Operations and Maintenance (O&M) ...................................................................... 7 1.2.4 Decommissioning .................................................................................................... 7 1.3 REGULATORY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK.................................................................... 9 1.3.1 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ............................................................. 9 1.3.2 Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) ................................................................. 9 1.3.3 Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) ......................................................................... 11 1.3.4 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) .................................................. 12 1.3.5 Clean Water Act (CWA) ........................................................................................ 12 1.3.6 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) ........................................................... 12 1.3.7 Clean Air Act ......................................................................................................... 13 1.3.8 Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA) ................................................................ 13 1.3.9 Executive Order 11990 – Wetlands Protection ..................................................... 13 1.3.10 Executive Order 11988 – Floodplain Management ............................................... 13 1.3.11 Executive Order 12898 – Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations .............................................. 13 1.3.12 State Regulations .................................................................................................. 13 1.3.13 County Regulations ............................................................................................... 15 1.3.14 Consultation and Regulatory Compliance History ................................................ 15 1.4 SCOPING AND PUBLIC INTERACTION ........................................................................ 16 1.4.1 Issues Raised During Public Scoping Period ........................................................ 17 1.5 DRAFT EIS (DEIS) PUBLIC REVIEW............................................................................. 17 2.0 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................... 18 2.1 PURPOSE OF THE EIS .................................................................................................. 18 2.2 PROPOSED ACTION ..................................................................................................... 18 2.3 NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION.......................................................................... 19 2.4 DECISIONS TO BE MADE BY RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS .......................................... 19 3.0 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................. 21 3.1 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................. 21 3.1.1 Development of Alternatives ................................................................................. 21 3.1.2 Alternatives Carried Forward for Detailed Analysis .............................................. 22 3.1.3 Alternatives Considered and Dismissed ............................................................... 28 4.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................... 31 4.1 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .................................................................................................. 31 4.1.1 Scope of Analysis ................................................................................................. 31 4.1.2 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................... 31 iii December 2013 Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, Benton County, Indiana Final Environmental Impact Statement 4.2 LAND USE ...................................................................................................................... 34 4.2.1 Scope of Analysis ................................................................................................. 34 4.2.2 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................... 34 4.3 VEGETATION ................................................................................................................. 40 4.3.1 Scope of Analysis ................................................................................................. 40 4.3.2 Existing Conditions ..............................................................................................