U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Draft Environmental Assessment Bayside Wildlife Drive Project September 2017 Draft Environmental Assessment Bayside Wildlife Drive Project September 2017 Prepared by: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge 22817 Ocelot Road Los Fresnos, Texas 78566 And Federal Highway Administration Central Federal Lands Highway Division 12300 West Dakota Avenue Lakewood, Colorado 80228 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED ............................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.2 Location .............................................................................................................................. 5 1.3 Background ........................................................................................................................ 5 1.4 Purpose of Action ............................................................................................................... 6 1.5 Need for Action .................................................................................................................. 6 1.6 Decision to be Made ........................................................................................................... 6 1.7 Regulatory Compliance ...................................................................................................... 6 1.8 Scoping/Public Involvement and Issues Identified ............................................................ 8 2.0 ALTERNATIVES .................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Alternative 1—No Action Alternative (Bayside Drive Remains Closed to Private Motor Vehicles) ........................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Alternative 2—Widen and Re-open a Portion of Bayside Wildlife Drive to Private Motor Vehicles (Proposed Action) .............................................................................................. 10 2.2.1 Road Design and Pavement ...................................................................................... 10 2.2.2 Parking and Pullouts ................................................................................................. 15 2.2.3 Drainage .................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.4 Miscellaneous Improvements ................................................................................... 15 2.2.5 Traffic Control and Scheduling ................................................................................. 15 2.2.6 Staging Areas ............................................................................................................ 16 2.2.7 Grade-Separated Wildlife Crossings ......................................................................... 16 2.2.8 Changes in Operations .............................................................................................. 17 2.2.9 Resource Protection Measures .................................................................................. 17 2.3 Alternative 3—Re-Pave Bayside Wildlife Drive with Grade Separated Wildlife Crossings; Keep the Drive Closed to Private Motor Vehicles ........................................................... 18 2.4 Alternatives Considered But Dismissed from Detailed Analysis ..................................... 19 2.4.1 One-Way Loop with Multiple Grade-Separated Wildlife Crossings ........................ 19 2.4.2 One-Way Loop with At-Grade Wildlife Crossings .................................................. 19 2.4.3 Two-Way Travel on Bayside Wildlife Drive, with Turnaround at Moranco Blanco Trailhead ................................................................................................................... 19 2.4.4 Use Abandoned Road Grade for Access ................................................................... 20 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................... 21 3.1 Physical Environment ...................................................................................................... 21 3.1.1 Air Quality ................................................................................................................ 21 3.1.2 Soils / Geology .......................................................................................................... 21 3.1.3 Water Quality and Quantity ...................................................................................... 21 3.1.4 Floodplains ................................................................................................................ 22 3.2 Biological Resources/Environment .................................................................................. 22 3.2.1 Vegetative Communities/Habitat .............................................................................. 22 3.2.2 Wildlife ..................................................................................................................... 24 3.2.3 Threatened & Endangered Species and other Special Status Species....................... 25 3.3 Human Environment ........................................................................................................ 29 3.3.1 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................... 29 3.3.2 Socioeconomic Resources ........................................................................................ 29 3.3.3 Visitor Services/Activities ........................................................................................ 30 3.3.4 Aesthetic and Visual Resources ................................................................................ 31 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ............................................................................. 32 4.1 Physical Environment ...................................................................................................... 33 4.1.1 Impacts to Air Quality/Climate Change ................................................................... 33 4.1.2 Impacts to Water Quality and Quantity .................................................................... 34 4.1.3 Impacts to Floodplains .............................................................................................. 35 4.2 Biological Environment ................................................................................................... 35 4.2.1 Impacts on Vegetative Communities/Habitat ........................................................... 35 4.2.2 Impacts on Wildlife................................................................................................... 36 4.2.3 Impacts on Threatened and Endangered Species and Special Status Species: ......... 37 4.3 Human Environment ........................................................................................................ 38 4.3.1 Impacts on Cultural Resources ................................................................................. 38 4.3.2 Impacts on Socioeconomics ...................................................................................... 39 4.3.3 Impacts on Visitor Services/Activities ...................................................................... 39 4.4 Assessment of Cumulative Impacts ................................................................................. 41 4.5 Environmental Justice ...................................................................................................... 42 4.6 Indian Trust Assets ........................................................................................................... 42 4.7 Unavoidable Adverse Effects ........................................................................................... 43 4.8 Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources ................................................ 43 4.9 Summary of Environmental Effects by Alternative ......................................................... 44 5.0 CONSULTATION, COORDINATION AND DOCUMENT PREPARATION ........................ 46 5.1 Agencies and Individuals Consulted in the Preparation of this Document Include: ........ 46 5.2 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 47 Appendix A: Scoping Notice .......................................................................................................... 49 Appendix B: Intra-Service Section 7 Consultation Letter ............................................................. 51 Appendix C: Parties Contacted During Scoping ............................................................................ 56 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED 1.1 Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (refuge), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration - Central Federal Lands Highway Division (FHWA), are proposing re-open Bayside Wildlife Drive and to address concerns over impacts to the refuge’s endangered ocelot population due to road-based mortality. The Service is the lead agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance. This Environmental