Biological Assessment ARES Regulation Energy Management Project Prepared For: Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Office 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, NV 89130 BEC Environmental, Inc. Prepared By: BEC Environmental, Inc. 7660 West Sahara Avenue 7660 West Sahara Avenue, Suite 150 Suite 150 Las Vegas, Nevada 89117 Las Vegas, Nevada 89117 702.304.9830 October 2014 PO Box 11083 Revised August 2015 Reno, Nevada 89510 775.345.5261 Revised January 2016 www.becnv.com Biological Assessment for ARES REM Project August 2015 Page i of iv Table of Contents ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................... IV 1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Background ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................. 2 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND ACTION AREA .............................. 3 2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................. 3 2.1.1 Project Location .................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.2 Project Timing...................................................................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Project Component Description and Construction ........................................................ 6 2.1.3.1 Geotechnical and Land Surveys ......................................................... 6 2.1.3.2 Rail Corridor ........................................................................................... 6 2.1.3.3 Operations, Control, and Maintenance Facilities............................. 13 2.1.3.4 Transmission Lines and Switch Station ............................................... 16 2.1.4 Operations ......................................................................................................................... 17 2.1.4.1 Rail Corridor ......................................................................................... 17 2.1.4.2 Operations, Control, and Maintenance Facilities............................. 18 2.1.4.3 Transmission Lines and Switch Station ............................................... 18 2.1.5 Disturbance Area ............................................................................................................. 19 2.2 Proposed Mitigation Measures ....................................................................... 19 2.2.1 Design and Construction Mitigation Measures ............................................................. 19 2.2.2 Operations Mitigation Measures .................................................................................... 21 2.2.3 Rehabilitation .................................................................................................................... 22 3 ACTION AREA .......................................................................................................... 22 4 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE CONDITIONS ............................................................. 23 4.1 Description of the Action Area........................................................................ 23 4.1.1 Vegetation ........................................................................................................................ 23 4.1.2 Ongoing Activities ............................................................................................................ 23 4.1.3 Listed Species and Critical Habitat in the Action Area ................................................ 24 4.1.4 Legal Status of the Desert Tortoise in the Action Area ................................................. 25 4.1.5 Status of the Desert Tortoise in the Action Area ............................................................ 25 4.1.6 Trout Canyon Large Scale Translocation Site ................................................................ 25 4.1.7 Project-Specific Desert Tortoise Surveys ........................................................................ 27 4.1.7.1 Methods ............................................................................................... 27 Biological Assessment for ARES REM Project August 2015 Page ii of iv 4.1.7.2 Results .................................................................................................. 27 5 EFFECTS OF THE ACTION .......................................................................................... 29 5.1 Direct Effects ..................................................................................................... 29 5.2 Indirect Effects .................................................................................................. 31 6 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS .............................................................................................. 32 7 CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... 32 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................. 33 LIST OF CONTACTS MADE............................................................................................ 34 Biological Assessment for ARES REM Project August 2015 Page iii of iv List of Figures Figure 1. Vicinity map for the location of the Proposed Project within Nevada. ................................ 2 Figure 2. Component layout for the Proposed Action. ........................................................................... 3 Figure 3. Rail Corridor. ................................................................................................................................ 7 Figure 4. Operations, maintenance, and facilities area. ....................................................................... 8 Figure 5. Layout overview of the Proposed Action. ................................................................................ 9 Figure 6. Under-rail tortoise crossing preliminary design. .................................................................... 10 Figure 7. Preliminary design for the tortoise escape passages. .......................................................... 11 Figure 8. Artistic rendering of the proposed shuttle train and overhead catenary line ................... 12 Figure 9. ARES substation design plan. ................................................................................................... 14 Figure 10. Elevation view of the rail car maintenance building. ......................................................... 14 Figure 11. Elevation view of the control facilities and crew building. ................................................ 15 Figure 12. Gamebird Switch Station expansion and associated transmission modifications. ........ 17 Figure 13. Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project mapped vegetation communities. .............. 24 Figure 14. Approximate location of the Trout Canyon Large-Scale Desert Tortoise Translocation Site. ............................................................................................................................................................. 26 Figure 15. Tortoise sign observed during pedestrian survey. ............................................................... 28 Figure 16. USFWS desert tortoise population estimation determination table. .................................. 28 List of Tables Table 2-1: Proposed Rail Line Corridor Legal Land Description ............................................................. 5 Table 2-2: Proposed Operation, Control, and Maintenance Facilities Legal Land Description ........ 5 Table 2-3: Transmission Interconnection Line Legal Land Description ................................................. 5 Table 2-4: Summary of Permanent and Temporary Disturbance for the Proposed Action ............. 19 List of Appendices APPENDIX A – Botanical Survey Summary Report APPENDIX B – Desert Tortoise Presence/Absence Survey Summary Report Biological Assessment for ARES REM Project August 2015 Page iv of iv ACRONYMS ACCC Aluminum Conductor Composite Core APLIC Avian Power Line Interaction Committee AREMA American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-Way Association AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials BA Biological Assessment BLM Bureau of Land Management CAISO California Independent System Operator CFR Code of Federal Regulations ECN Energy Communications Network ESA Endangered Species Act – (16 U.S.C. 1536(c)) FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act – (43 U.S.C. 1701 et. seq.) IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IHHA International Heavy Haul Association IPaC Information, Planning and Conservation kV Kilovolt MOW Maintenance of Way MW Megawatt MWH Megawatt Hour NAC Nevada Administrative Code NDA Nevada Department of Agriculture NDOT Nevada Department of Transportation NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife NEPA National Environmental Policy Act – (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) NERC North American Electric Reliability Corporation NESC National Electrical Safety Code NNHP Nevada Natural Heritage Program NNPS Nevada Native Plant Society NRS Nevada Revised Statutes OPGW Optical Ground Wire PUCN Public Utilities Commission of Nevada REM Regulation