Appendix F Notice to Proceed Process and Mitigation and Monitoring Requirements TransWest Express Transmission Project December 2016 Record of Decision Appendix F List of Acronyms ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern BLM Bureau of Land Management BMP best management practice CDNST Continental Divide National Scenic Trail CFR Code of Federal Regulations CIC compliance inspection contractor EIS Environmental Impact Statement ESA Endangered Species Act HEA Habitat Equivalency Analysis HPTP Historic Properties Treatment Plan NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NPS National Park Service NSHT National Scenic and Historic Trails NST National Scenic Trail NTP Notice to Proceed NTSA National Trails System Act OSNHT Old Spanish National Historic Trail PA Programmatic Agreement PHMA Priority Habitat Management Area POD Plan of Development Project TransWest Express Transmission Project RMPA Resource Management Plan Amendment ROD Record of Decision ROW right-of-way SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan TAG Technical Advisory Group TCP Traditional Cultural Property TWE TransWest Express URMCC Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission USDI U.S. Department of the Interior USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Western Western Area Power Administration WWEC West-wide Energy Corridor TransWest Express Transmission Project December 2016 Record of Decision Appendix F-i Contents 1.0 Additional Project-Specific Mitigation Measures ....................................................................... F-1 1.1 Notice to Proceed Requirements.......................................................................................... F-1 1.1.1 Explanation of the Notice to Proceed Process ..................................................... F-1 1.2 Structure Types ..................................................................................................................... F-9 1.3 Additional Required Biological Resources Mitigation to be Added to the NTP POD ....... F-14 1.3.1 Compensatory Mitigation for Impacts to Greater Sage-grouse Habitat ............. F-14 1.3.2 Platte River Species ............................................................................................. F-14 1.3.3 Biological Resources Monitoring and Adaptive Management Plan ................... F-14 1.3.4 Required Migratory Bird Mitigation ...................................................................... F-15 1.4 Cultural Resources Mitigation ............................................................................................. F-16 1.4.1 State-Wide Historic Property Treatment Plans (HPTPs) .................................... F-16 1.4.2 Tribal Monitoring Plan .......................................................................................... F-17 1.4.3 Cultural Resources Survey Requirements .......................................................... F-18 1.5 National Scenic and Historic Trail Mitigation ...................................................................... F-18 1.6 Nevada 368 Corridor of Concern Mitigation ....................................................................... F-19 1.7 Wilderness Characteristics Mitigation ................................................................................ F-20 1.8 Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission (URMCC) Requirements ......... F-21 1.9 Dinosaur National Monument Special Use Permit Mitigation ............................................ F-22 2.0 Monitoring and Enforcement ...................................................................................................... F-22 2.1 Compliance Inspection Contractor (CIC) Requirements and CIC Third-party Contractors .......................................................................................................................... F-22 List of Figures Figure ROD F-1 Selected Alternative and Requirements, Part 1 .................................................. F-11 Figure ROD F-2 Selected Alternative and Requirements, Part 2 .................................................. F-12 Figure ROD F-3 Selected Alternative and Requirements, Part 3 .................................................. F-13 List of Attachments Attachment F.1 BLM Greater Sage-Grouse Mitigation Framework Plan Attachment F.2 NPS Requirements for Access to Deerlodge Road TransWest Express Transmission Project December 2016 Record of Decision Appendix F-ii 1.0 Additional Project-Specific Mitigation Measures The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has developed mitigation and monitoring measures for the TransWest Express (TWE) Transmission Project (Project) through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, to avoid, minimize and compensate for resource impacts associated with the Project. Secretarial Order No. 3330 and the BLM's Draft Regional Mitigation Manual 1794 provide guidance regarding landscape level mitigation for resources impacted by large infrastructure projects. Landscape level mitigation includes avoidance of impacts to the extent possible, then minimization of impacts and finally compensatation for remaining residual impacts by replacing or providing substitute resources within the mosaic of ecosystems where comparable important, scarce, or sensitive resources exist. Proposed mitigation measures were initially described in Chapter 3 and Appendix C of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) (Section C.5, Table C.5-1). They have been refined and incorporated into the Environmental Protection Plans contained in the Plan of Development (ROD POD) and Table 17, ROD POD Section 8.3.2 Additional Mitigation Measures for the TWE Project (Appendix B of this ROD). Further refinement will occur before BLM issues a Notice to Proceed (NTP) and will be incorporated into the NTP POD for BLM approval. In addition to the mitigation measures incorporated into the ROD POD (Appendix B of this ROD), prior to the issuance of an NTP (other than geotechnical) and the start of construction the applicant shall prepare an acceptable NTP POD that incorporates all of the mitigation measures required by the ROD including those identified in this Appendix. 1.1 Notice to Proceed Requirements As explained in the ROD, under the applicable regulations an Applicant cannot initiate any construction or other surface disturbing activities on a ROW without the prior written authorization of the Authorized Officer or his/her delegate in the form of a NTP. Prior to the issuance of an NTP the Applicant shall demonstrate satisfaction of all applicable ROD requirements. This section describes the NTP process for the Project. 1.1.1 Explanation of the Notice to Proceed Process Although the BLM is issuing a ROW grant for the Project, there are several details concerning Project design, construction, and mitigation actions that cannot be finalized until after BLM issues a decision identifying a selected alternative. Post-ROD requirements consist of completing an acceptable NTP POD which will include meeting BLM NTP requirements and ROW terms, conditions and stipulations before any overall Project NTP is issued. This overall NTP POD covering Project-wide practices and requirements will contain the final plans outlined in the attached ROD POD, including any updates/revisions to those plans required by this ROD. The NTP POD also will include additional NTP requirements outlined in the ROW grant. Applicant committed measures and identified mitigation analyzed in the Final EIS and reflected in the ROD POD (Appendix B to the ROD) will be implemented Project-wide as described in the Tables found in the Environmental Mitigation Measures Chapter and elsewhere through-out each section of the POD, consistent with the proposed action as analyzed in the Final EIS and as a condition of this decision. Mitigation of impacts to affected resources is a required component of this decision (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 1508.20). TransWest Express Transmission Project December 2016 Record of Decision Appendix F-1 Selected mitigation and applicable resource mitigation plans are discussed and included in this appendix and in the ROW grant. The final NTP POD will include adequate details regarding the types of mitigation measures and how they will be implemented. A final project wide NTP will be issued only after acceptance by BLM of the NTP POD and satisfaction of all required mitigation and monitoring and other stipulations as described in the ROD. The ROW grant establishes the Applicant’s right to use the authorized public lands to construct, operate, maintain and decommission a high-voltage electric transmission line and associated facilities, and set forth the terms and conditions of that authorization (e.g., requiring the Applicant to pay rent in accordance with 43 CFR 2806 from the date the grant is issued). An Applicant is not permitted to use the areas covered by the ROW grant for the proposed Project until the actions listed below are completed and a NTP is issued. Consistent with the requirements of the ROD, the following activities must be performed following the issuance of the ROD and ROW grant and prior to issuance of an NTP for the Project: • Acquisition of authorizations on state and private lands; • Completion of biological resources surveys including but not limited to federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as outlined in the Final Biological Assessment (April 8, 2015) including addendums, BLM sensitive species, etc. to inform final engineering and design. • Completion of final engineering to include final