Draft Resource Report 3 – Rev 0 Fish, Vegetation, and Wildlife Resources FERC DOCKET NO. PF09-11-000 USAG-UR-SGREG-000013 December 2011 DRAFT ALASKA PIPELINE PROJECT USAG-UR-SGREG-000013 DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 3 DECEMBER 2011 FISH, VEGETATION, AND WILDLIFE REVISION 0 RESOURCES FERC Docket No. PF09-11-000 Notes: Yellow highlighting is used throughout this draft Resource Report to highlight selected information that is pending or subject to change in the final report. DRAFT ALASKA PIPELINE PROJECT USAG-UR-SGREG-000013 DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 3 DECEMBER 2011 FISH, VEGETATION, AND WILDLIFE REVISION 0 RESOURCES FERC Docket No. PF09-11-000 PAGE 3-I TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.0 RESOURCE REPORT 3 – FISH, WILDLIFE, AND VEGETATION ............................... 3-1 3.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW ...................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 AQUATIC RESOURCES .................................................................................... 3-3 3.2.1 Inland Freshwater Fisheries ................................................................... 3-3 3.2.1.1 Coldwater Anadromous Fisheries ............................................ 3-3 3.2.1.2 Coldwater Resident Fisheries ................................................. 3-10 3.2.1.3 Seasonal Fish Distribution ...................................................... 3-17 3.2.1.4 Sensitive Fish Species ........................................................... 3-23 3.2.2 Marine Fisheries ................................................................................... 3-24 3.2.2.1 Existing Marine Environment .................................................. 3-24 3.2.2.2 Marine Fishes ......................................................................... 3-25 3.2.3 Essential Fish Habitat ........................................................................... 3-26 3.2.3.1 Marine Essential Fish Habitat ................................................. 3-27 3.2.3.2 Freshwater Essential Fish Habitat .......................................... 3-27 3.2.4 Construction and Operation Impacts and Mitigation ............................. 3-31 3.2.4.1 Inland Freshwater Fisheries Impacts and Mitigation .............. 3-31 3.2.4.2 Marine Fisheries Impacts and Mitigation ................................ 3-39 3.3 VEGETATION .................................................................................................. 3-40 3.3.1 General Description of Vegetation Resources ...................................... 3-40 3.3.1.1 Arctic Tundra Ecoregion ......................................................... 3-40 3.3.1.2 Intermontane Boreal Ecoregion .............................................. 3-43 3.3.2 Terrestrial Plant Communities .............................................................. 3-45 3.3.2.1 Vegetation Classification and Identification ............................ 3-45 3.3.2.2 Invasive Species Surveys ....................................................... 3-48 3.3.3 Unique, Sensitive, and Protected Vegetation Communities ................. 3-49 3.3.4 Construction and Operation Impacts and Mitigation ............................. 3-51 3.3.4.1 Vegetation Impacts ................................................................. 3-51 3.4 WILDLIFE AND TERRESTRIAL RESOURCES ............................................... 3-53 3.4.1 General Ecological Provinces and Habitats .......................................... 3-53 3.4.1.1 Beaufort Sea and Stefansson Sound Ecosystem ................... 3-55 3.4.1.2 Beaufort Coastal Plain Ecoregion ........................................... 3-57 3.4.1.3 Brooks Foothills Ecoregion ..................................................... 3-58 3.4.1.4 Brooks Range Ecoregion ........................................................ 3-59 3.4.1.5 Intermontane Boreal Forest Ecoregion ................................... 3-60 3.4.2 Wildlife Resources ................................................................................ 3-61 3.4.2.1 Marine Mammals .................................................................... 3-61 3.4.2.2 Terrestrial Mammals ............................................................... 3-65 3.4.3 Avian Resources ................................................................................... 3-78 3.4.3.1 Beaufort Coastal Plain Bird Species ....................................... 3-78 3.4.3.2 Brooks Foothills Ecoregion Bird Species ................................ 3-85 3.4.3.3 Brooks Range Ecoregion Bird Species .................................. 3-85 3.4.3.4 Intermontane Boreal Forest Bird Species ............................... 3-85 3.4.3.5 Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act ......................................................................... 3-95 3.4.4 Amphibians ........................................................................................... 3-95 DRAFT ALASKA PIPELINE PROJECT USAG-UR-SGREG-000013 DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 3 DECEMBER 2011 FISH, VEGETATION, AND WILDLIFE REVISION 0 RESOURCES FERC Docket No. PF09-11-000 PAGE 3-II 3.4.5 Terrestrial and Aquatic Invertebrates .................................................... 3-95 3.4.6 Sensitive Wildlife Resources and Habitat Areas ................................... 3-96 3.4.6.1 BLM Sensitive and “Watch” List Species ................................ 3-96 3.4.6.2 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern ................................ 3-98 3.4.6.3 National Wildlife Refuges ..................................................... 3-100 3.4.6.4 Alaska Game Management Units ......................................... 3-100 3.4.7 Construction and Operation Impacts and Mitigation ........................... 3-101 3.4.7.1 Marine Mammal Species ...................................................... 3-101 3.4.7.2 Terrestrial Species ................................................................ 3-103 3.4.7.3 Avian Species ....................................................................... 3-113 3.5 THREATENED, ENDANGERED, AND SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES .......... 3-116 3.5.1 Federally Listed, Proposed Threatened and Endangered, or Candidate Species ............................................................................................... 3-116 3.5.1.1 Polar Bear ............................................................................. 3-117 3.5.1.2 Bowhead Whale ................................................................... 3-121 3.5.1.3 Ringed Seal .......................................................................... 3-122 3.5.1.4 Bearded Seal ........................................................................ 3-123 3.5.1.5 Pacific Walrus ....................................................................... 3-125 3.5.1.6 Spectacled Eider .................................................................. 3-127 3.5.1.7 Steller’s Eider ....................................................................... 3-130 3.5.1.8 Yellow-Billed Loon ................................................................ 3-131 3.5.1.9 Eskimo Curlew ...................................................................... 3-133 3.5.2 Special Status Species ....................................................................... 3-133 3.5.2.1 BLM-Sensitive Species ......................................................... 3-133 3.5.2.2 State-Sensitive Species ........................................................ 3-134 3.5.3 Construction and Operation Impacts and Mitigation ........................... 3-134 3.5.3.1 Polar Bear ............................................................................. 3-135 3.5.3.2 Bowhead Whale ................................................................... 3-136 3.5.3.3 Ringed Seal .......................................................................... 3-137 3.5.3.4 Bearded Seal ........................................................................ 3-138 3.5.3.5 Pacific Walrus ....................................................................... 3-138 3.5.3.6 Spectacled Eider .................................................................. 3-138 3.5.3.7 Steller’s Eider ....................................................................... 3-140 3.5.3.8 Yellow-Billed Loon ................................................................ 3-141 3.5.3.9 Eskimo Curlew ...................................................................... 3-143 3.6 CUMLATIVE IMPACTS .................................................................................. 3-143 3.7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................... 3-143 DRAFT ALASKA PIPELINE PROJECT USAG-UR-SGREG-000013 DRAFT RESOURCE REPORT 3 DECEMBER 2011 FISH, VEGETATION, AND WILDLIFE REVISION 0 RESOURCES FERC Docket No. PF09-11-000 PAGE 3-III LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1-1 Resource Report 3 Filing Requirements Checklist ....................................... 3-2 Table 3.2.1-1 Coldwater Anadromous Fish Species Occurring in the Project Area ........... 3-5 Table 3.2.1-2 Coldwater Resident Fish Species Expected Occurrence in the Project Area ............................................................................................................ 3-11 Table 3.2.1-3 BLM Sensitive and ...................................................................................... 3-24 Table 3.2.3-1 Freshwater Essential Fish Habitat Crossed by the Project ........................ 3-29 Table 3.2.4-1 Preliminary List of Waterbodies with the Potential to Develop Frost Bulbs