Appendix D Biological Survey Reports EMPSi 2016; WRC 2013; ESRS 2013 This page intentionally left blank. Biological Survey Report ORNI 32, LLC DIXIE MEADOWS GEOTHERMAL UTILIZATION PROJECT PERSHING AND CHURCHILL COUNTIES, NEVADA July 2016 Environmental Management and Planning Solutions, Inc. 4741 Caughlin Parkway, Suite 4 Reno, Nevada 89519 This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Project Background ...................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Regional and Geographic Overview ......................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Methods .......................................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3.1 Ground Survey ............................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3.2 Golden Eagle Aerial Survey ......................................................................................... 1-5 2. VEGETATION ................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Vegetation Types within the Project Area ............................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Inter-Mountain Basins Mixed Salt Desert Scrub .................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat .................................................................. 2-2 2.1.3 Invasive Shrubland, Forbland, and Grassland .......................................................... 2-2 2.1.4 Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland ..................................................... 2-2 2.1.5 North American Arid West Emergent Marsh ........................................................ 2-5 2.1.6 Inter-Mountain Basins Playa ........................................................................................ 2-5 2.2 Noxious, Invasive, and Nonnative Species .............................................................................. 2-6 3. WILDLIFE ...................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Regional Overview ....................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Migratory Birds .............................................................................................................................. 3-2 3.2.1 Regulatory Background ................................................................................................ 3-2 3.2.2 Migratory Birds in the Survey Area ........................................................................... 3-2 3.3 Game Species ................................................................................................................................. 3-5 3.4 Other Wildlife Species ................................................................................................................ 3-5 4. SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES ............................................................................................. 4-1 4.1 Regulatory Background ............................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Special Status Species ................................................................................................................... 4-3 5. SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 5-2 6. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 6-1 FIGURES Page 1 Project Area .................................................................................................................................................. 1-3 2 Southwest Regional GAP Analysis Landcover Types within Survey Area ..................................... 2-3 3 Noxious Weeds ........................................................................................................................................... 2-7 4 Special Status Species Observations ..................................................................................................... 4-13 July 2016 Dixie Meadows Biological Survey Report i TABLES Page Table 2-1 SWReGAP Landcover Types within the Survey Area .................................................................... 2-5 Table 2-2 Noxious Weeds ....................................................................................................................................... 2-9 Table 3-1 Typical Wildlife Species Associated with Habitats within the Survey Area ............................... 3-1 Table 3-2 Birds of Conservation Concern Potentially Occurring within the Survey Area ...................... 3-3 Table 3-3 Game Birds Below Desired Condition Potentially Occurring within the Survey Area .......... 3-4 Table 4-1 Special Status Species .............................................................................................................................. 4-3 APPENDICES A Agency Correspondence B Photo Log C List of Species Observed ii Dixie Meadows Biological Survey Report July 2016 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Full Phrase BLM United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management ESA Endangered Species Act GPS global positioning system IM Instruction Memorandum kV kilovolt MW megawatt NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife NNHP Nevada Natural Heritage Program Orni 32 Orni 32 LLC SWReGAP Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project USC United States Code USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USGS United States Geological Survey July 2016 Dixie Meadows Biological Survey Report iii Table of Contents This page intentionally left blank. iv Dixie Meadows Biological Survey Report July 2016 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This report summarizes observations made during biological field surveys for the proposed Ormat Nevada Inc. (Ormat) Dixie Meadows Geothermal Utilization Project (Project). The proposed site is in Churchill and Pershing Counties, Nevada (Figure 1, Project Area). The biological field surveys were conducted to identify vegetation communities; evaluate project area habitat suitability for special status plant and wildlife species; locate important habitat features, such as nest sites and riparian and wetland areas; identify invasive, nonnative species; and document wildlife use of the area. The results of the biological surveys will be used to evaluate potential impacts of the proposed Project on biological resources in the environmental document prepared by the United States (US) Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Stillwater Field Office in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND Orni 32, LLC, a subsidiary of Ormat, is proposing the Dixie Meadows Geothermal Utilization Project in Dixie Valley, approximately 43 miles northeast of Fallon in Churchill County, Nevada (see Figure 1). Orni 32, LLC, proposes to construct up to two 30 megawatt (MW) geothermal power plants; to drill, test, and operate up to 15 geothermal production and injection well sites and 8 core hole sites; and to construct and operate pipelines to carry geothermal fluid between well fields and the power plants. Once commercial operations begin, power would be delivered to NV Energy by constructing a new 120-kilovolt (kV) interconnection line between the power plant and the Jersey Valley 120-kV transmission line. The new interconnection line would be 48 miles in length. July 2016 Dixie Meadows Biological Survey Report 1-1 1. Introduction In 2009, a biological survey was conducted within the original Dixie Meadows lease area, which is located east and southeast of the current survey area. It covered 4,936 acres (CH2M HILL 2009). In 2011, EMPSi conducted a biological survey in the project area and northern gen-tie alignment. In 2013, WRC conducted additional biological surveys in portions of the project area and in an alternate, southern gen-tie alignment, which is not covered in this report (WRC 2013; ESRS 2013). The biological surveys from 2016, detailed in this report, encompassed approximately 400 acres in the project area that have not been previously surveyed. In addition, the 2016 biological surveys covered portions of the current northern gen-tie alignment that are outside the 500-foot-wide buffer originally surveyed in 2011 (see Figure 1). 1.2 REGIONAL AND GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW The survey area is located on the east side of the Stillwater Range and west side of the Fish Creek Mountains. It spans from the Dixie Valley in the south up to the Jersey Valley in the north (Figure 1). The project area is located within the Great Basin ecoregion, which is a cold desert characterized by a series of uplifted mountain ranges and their associated intervening valleys. Elevations range from approximately 3,300 feet to 3,600 feet, and the Stillwater National Wildlife