Kawailoa Wind Power Draft Habitat Conservation Plan Amendment Applicant Kawailoa Wind, LLC 1166 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor New York, NY 10036 HCP Amendment Prepared by: Tetra Tech, Inc. 737 Bishop Street, Suite 2340 Honolulu, HI 96813 Revised September 2018 This page intentionally left blank Kawailoa Wind Draft Habitat Conservation Plan Amendment Table of Contents Introduction and Project Overview ................................................................................... 1 1.1 Summary ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Hawaiian Hoary Bat .............................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Hawaiian Petrel .................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Applicant Background ................................................................................................ 4 1.3 Regulatory Context ................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Project Description ................................................................................................... 4 1.4.1 Project History ..................................................................................................... 5 1.4.2 Project Design and Components ............................................................................. 5 1.4.3 Purpose and Need for Kawailoa Wind Project ............................................................ 5 1.5 List of Preparers ....................................................................................................... 6 DESCRIPTION OF HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN .............................................................. 7 2.1 Purpose of this HCP .................................................................................................. 7 2.2 Scope and Term ....................................................................................................... 7 2.3 Surveys and Resources ............................................................................................. 7 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ............................................................................................. 9 3.1 Location, Vicinity, and Climate .................................................................................... 9 3.2 Topography and Geology ........................................................................................... 9 3.3 Soils ....................................................................................................................... 9 3.4 Hydrology, Drainage and Water Resources ................................................................... 9 3.5 Environmental Contaminants ...................................................................................... 9 3.6 Land Use Designations .............................................................................................. 9 3.7 Flora ....................................................................................................................... 9 3.8 Wildlife ................................................................................................................... 9 3.8.1 Surveys Conducted .............................................................................................. 9 3.8.2 Non-Listed Wildlife Species .................................................................................... 9 3.8.3 Wildlife at Off-site Microwave Facility Locations ........................................................ 9 3.8.4 Listed Wildlife Species ........................................................................................... 9 BIOLOGICAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ............................................................................17 ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................................19 5.1 Full Nighttime Curtailment ........................................................................................19 5.2 Curtailment with Cut-in Speeds of 5.5 Meters Per Second or Above .................................19 5.3 Avoidance and Minimization Measures ........................................................................21 5.3.1 USFWS Guidelines ...............................................................................................21 iii Kawailoa Wind Draft Habitat Conservation Plan Amendment POTENTIAL IMPACTS .....................................................................................................22 6.1 Impacts to Birds ......................................................................................................22 6.2 Impacts to Bats .......................................................................................................22 6.3 Estimating Project-related Impacts .............................................................................22 6.3.1 Take Levels ........................................................................................................22 6.3.2 Monitoring of Take Levels .....................................................................................22 6.3.3 Estimating Indirect Take ......................................................................................22 6.3.4 Seabirds ............................................................................................................22 6.3.5 Hawaiian Waterbirds ............................................................................................24 6.3.6 Hawaiian Short-eared Owl ....................................................................................24 6.3.7 Hawaiian Hoary Bat .............................................................................................24 6.4 Cumulative Impacts to Listed Species .........................................................................27 6.4.1 Seabirds ............................................................................................................29 6.4.2 Waterbirds (Hawaiian Duck, Hawaiian Stilt, Hawaiian Coot, Hawaiian Moorhen) ............ 29 6.4.3 Hawaiian Short-eared Owl ....................................................................................29 6.4.4 Hawaiian Hoary Bat .............................................................................................29 6B.0 AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION MEASURES ....................................................................32 6B.1 Operational Minimization Measures Implemented for the Hawaiian Hoary Bat ................... 32 6B.2 Avoidance and Minimization Measures for the Hawaiian Petrel ........................................35 6B.3 USFWS Guidelines ...................................................................................................35 MITIGATION MEASURES ................................................................................................36 7.1 Selection of Mitigation Measures ................................................................................36 7.2 General Measures ....................................................................................................36 7.3 Seabirds (Newell’s Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel) .....................................................36 7.3.1 Newels Shearwater ..............................................................................................37 7.3.2 Hawaiian Petrel ...................................................................................................37 7.4 Waterbirds (Hawaiian Duck, Hawaiian Stilt, Hawaiian Coot, and Hawaiian Moorhen) .......... 42 7.5 Hawaiian Short-eared Owl ........................................................................................42 7.6 Hawaiian Hoary Bat .................................................................................................42 7.6.1 Mitigation for Tier 1 Take .....................................................................................43 7.6.2 Mitigation for Tier 2 and Tier 3 Take .......................................................................43 7.6.3 Mitigation for Tier 4 Take .....................................................................................44 7.6.4 Mitigation for Tier 5 and Tier 6 Take .......................................................................51 7.7 Immediate Revegetation to Control Soil Erosion ...........................................................59 7.8 Managing Invasive Species .......................................................................................59 7.9 Replanting of Native Trees ........................................................................................59 iv Kawailoa Wind Draft Habitat Conservation Plan Amendment IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................................60 8.1 HCP Administration ..................................................................................................60 8.2 Monitoring and Reporting ..........................................................................................60 8.2.1 Take Monitoring ..................................................................................................60 8.2.2 Reporting ...........................................................................................................62 8.3 Adaptive Management Program .................................................................................63