United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-AZ-A010-2017-0041-EA August 2017 Black Rock Communications Tower and Power Line Location: Mohave County, AZ Applicant/Address: Tower Consulting Inc. 5905 W. Post Road Suite 100 Las Vegas, Nevada 89148 Dixie Power 145 Brigham Road St. George, UT 84790 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip Field Office 345 East Riverside Drive St. George, UT 84790 Phone: 435-688-3200 FAX: 435-688-3258 Table of Contents 1.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................ 7 1.2. Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................ 8 1.3. Conformance with Land Use Plan .................................................................................. 8 1.4. Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, and Other Plans ............................................. 11 1.5. Identification of Issues ..................................................................................................... 12 2.0. Proposed Action and Alternatives .................................................................................... 13 2.1. Alternative A - Proposed Action .................................................................................... 13 2.1.1. Communications Facility Compound .................................................................... 13 2.1.2. Power Line .................................................................................................................. 17 2.1.3. Access ........................................................................................................................ 19 2.1.4. Operations and Maintenance ................................................................................ 19 2.1.5. Best Management Practices ................................................................................... 19 2.1.6. Environmental Protection Measures/Design Features ......................................... 21 2.1.7. Monitoring .................................................................................................................. 24 2.2. Alternative B – Shorter Tower .......................................................................................... 24 2.3. Alternative C – Buried Power Line ................................................................................. 24 2.4. Alternative D – Northern Overhead Power Line .......................................................... 25 2.5. Alternative E - No Action ................................................................................................ 26 2.6. Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ............................... 26 2.6.1. Lower Elevation Tower .............................................................................................. 26 2.6.2. West Tower ................................................................................................................. 26 2.6.3. Low Mountain Tower ................................................................................................ 26 3.0. Affected Environment ........................................................................................................ 28 3.1. Elements/Resources of the Human Environment ........................................................ 29 3.2. Resources Brought Forward for Analysis ....................................................................... 33 3.2.1. Wildlife, Including Migratory Birds and Sensitive Species .................................... 33 3.2.2. Visual Resources ........................................................................................................ 35 3.2.3. Socioeconomics ........................................................................................................ 39 4.0. Environmental Consequences .......................................................................................... 40 BLM ASDO NEPA No. DOI-BLM-AZ-A010-2017-0041-EA i 4.1. Wildlife, Including Migratory Birds and Sensitive Species ........................................... 41 4.1.1. Alternative A - Proposed Action ............................................................................. 41 4.1.2. Alternative B – Shorter Tower ................................................................................... 42 4.1.3. Alternative C – Buried Power Line ........................................................................... 43 4.1.4. Alternative D – Northern Overhead Power Line ................................................... 44 4.1.5. Alternative E – No Action ......................................................................................... 44 4.2. Visual Resources ............................................................................................................... 44 4.2.1. Alternative A - Proposed Action ............................................................................. 44 4.2.2. Alternative B – Shorter Tower ................................................................................... 49 4.2.3. Alternative C – Buried Power Line ........................................................................... 52 4.2.4. Alternative D – Northern Overhead Power Line ................................................... 52 4.2.5. Alternative E – No Action ......................................................................................... 53 4.3. Socioeconomics .............................................................................................................. 53 4.3.1. Alternative A – Proposed Action ............................................................................. 53 4.3.2. Alternative B – Shorter Tower ................................................................................... 54 4.3.3. Alternative C – Buried Power Line ........................................................................... 54 4.3.4. Alternative D – Northern Overhead Power Line ................................................... 54 4.3.5. Alternative E – No Action ......................................................................................... 54 4.4. Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................................ 54 4.4.1. Wildlife, Including Migratory Birds and Sensitive Species .................................... 58 4.4.2. Visual Resources ........................................................................................................ 58 4.4.3. Socioeconomics ........................................................................................................ 59 5.0. Consultation and Coordination ........................................................................................ 60 5.1. Summary of Public Participation ................................................................................... 60 5.2. List of Preparers and Contributors.................................................................................. 68 6.0. Literature Cited .................................................................................................................... 69 Appendices Appendix A – Exhibits Appendix B – Site Plan and Site Detail Appendix C – Visual Resource Worksheets and KOP Photo Simulations BLM ASDO NEPA No. DOI-BLM-AZ-A010-2017-0041-EA ii List of Tables Table 1. Proposed Action Disturbance ............................................................................. 14 Table 2. Summary of Disturbance by Alternative ............................................................ 25 Table 3. Summary Evaluation of Elements/Resources of the Human Environment .... 29 Table 4. Visual Resource Management Class Objectives .............................................. 35 Table 5. Key Observation Points Descriptions ................................................................... 36 Table 6. Terms Used to Describe the Environmental Effects ........................................... 40 Table 7. Land Status in the CIA ........................................................................................... 55 Table 8. Grazing Allotments within the CIA ...................................................................... 55 Table 9. VRM Classes in the CIA ......................................................................................... 59 Table 10. Public Scoping Comments and Responses ....................................................... 61 Table 11. Public Comments on the EA ................................................................................ 66 Table 12. BLM Staff ................................................................................................................. 68 Table 13. Non-BLM Preparers (Stantec Consulting Services Inc.) .................................... 68 List of Figures Figure 1. General Project Location and Land Status ......................................................... 6 Figure 2. Communications Facility and Power Line .......................................................... 15 Figure 3. VRM Classes, KOPs, and Seen/Unseen Analysis ................................................ 37 Figure 4. Cumulative Impacts Analysis Area ....................................................................