Draft Environmental Assessment Tyler Nature Center Regional Office Complex Replacement Project Smith County, Texas Prepared by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and US Fish and Wildlife Service April 25, 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 4 PURPOSE AND NEED .................................................................................................................. 4 PROPOSED ACTION and ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................. 5 Alternative A: Reconstruction of the Regional Office Complex (Proposed Action) .................. 5 Alternative B: No Action ............................................................................................................ 5 Other Alternatives Considered but Dismissed from Further Analysis ........................................ 6 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................... 6 Physical Resources ...................................................................................................................... 6 Air ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Soils ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Water/Wetlands ....................................................................................................................... 7 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................... 8 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................ 8 Federally Listed Species .......................................................................................................... 9 State Listed Species ............................................................................................................... 10 Historic and Cultural Resources ................................................................................................ 13 Recreation.................................................................................................................................. 15 Social and Economic Factors .................................................................................................... 15 Environmental Justice............................................................................................................ 16 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ................................................................................... 16 Alternative A (Proposed Action)............................................................................................... 16 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 16 Air .......................................................................................................................................... 16 Soils ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Water/Wetlands ..................................................................................................................... 17 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................. 17 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................. 17 Federally Listed Species ........................................................................................................ 17 State Listed Species ............................................................................................................... 18 Other Wildlife Species ........................................................................................................... 19 Historic and Cultural Resources ................................................................................................ 20 Recreation.................................................................................................................................. 20 Social and Economic Factors .................................................................................................... 20 2 Environmental Justice............................................................................................................ 20 Alternative B: (No Action) ........................................................................................................ 20 Physical Resources .................................................................................................................... 21 Air .......................................................................................................................................... 21 Soils ....................................................................................................................................... 21 Water/Wetlands ..................................................................................................................... 21 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................. 21 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................. 21 Federally Listed Species ........................................................................................................ 21 State Listed Species ............................................................................................................... 21 Other Wildlife Species ........................................................................................................... 21 Historic and Cultural Resources ................................................................................................ 21 Recreation.................................................................................................................................. 22 Social and Economic Factors .................................................................................................... 22 Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources of the Proposed Action ................... 22 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .......................................................................................................... 22 PUBLIC REVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 23 PREPARERS ................................................................................................................................ 24 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................. 24 Appendix A: Project Location Map .............................................................................................. 26 Appendix B Site Plan .................................................................................................................... 27 Appendix C: Topographic Map .................................................................................................... 28 Appendix D: Soils Map ................................................................................................................ 29 Appendix E: Water Resources Map .............................................................................................. 30 Appendix F: Ecological Mapping Systems of Texas .................................................................... 31 Appendix G: IPAC Trust Resources List...................................................................................... 32 Appendix H: TPWD Smith County List ....................................................................................... 39 Appendix I: Texas Historical Commission Concurrence ............................................................. 50 Appendix J: USFWS Section 7 Consultation ............................................................................... 52 Appendix K: Section 106 Tribal Consultation.............................................................................. 52 Appendix L: Texas Register Notice .............................................................................................. 52 Appendix M: Commission Meeting Agenda ................................................................................ 52 3 INTRODUCTION This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to analyze the environmental effects of reconstructing the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) regional office complex at the existing Tyler Nature Center (TNC), which is owned and operated by TPWD. Because TPWD proposes to use Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) funds to reconstruct the regional office complex, the proposed project constitutes a Federal action that is subject to evaluation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). This EA has been prepared following Department of Interior procedures for compliance with NEPA and the Council on