Environmental Assessment RE Cinco Gen-Tie Project BLM Case File Number CACA-053735 Ridgecrest Field Office California Desert District Ridgecrest, California November 2014 Environmental Assessment RE Cinco Gen-Tie Project BLM Case File Number CACA-053735 DOI-BLM-CA-CAD000-2015-0002-EA Ridgecrest Field Office Bureau of Land Management Ridgecrest, California November 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Overview .................................................................................................................1 1.2 Project Location and Area Overview ...................................................................................1 1.3 BLM Purpose and Need .......................................................................................................5 1.4 Decision to be Made by the BLM ........................................................................................9 1.5 Issue Scoping .......................................................................................................................9 1.6 Policy Consistency and Land Use Plan Conformance .......................................................12 2. ALTERNATIVES..........................................................................................................................21 2.1 Alternative 1 (No Action Alternative) ...............................................................................21 2.2 Alternative 2 (BLM Preferred Alignment) ........................................................................21 2.3 Alternative 3 (Kern County Alignment) ............................................................................22 2.4 Alternative 4 (Private Land Alignment) ............................................................................22 2.5 Elements Common to All Action Alternatives ..................................................................22 2.6 Description of Alternatives Analyzed in Detail .................................................................34 2.7 Alternatives Considered But Not Analyzed in Detail ........................................................40 2.8 Affected Acreage Comparison of Action Alternatives ......................................................43 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .....................................................................................................45 3.1 Introduction and Overview ................................................................................................45 3.2 Air Resources .....................................................................................................................46 3.3 Biological Resources – Vegetation ....................................................................................47 3.4 Biological Resources – Wildlife ........................................................................................55 3.5 Climate Change ..................................................................................................................60 3.6 Cultural and Historic Resources ........................................................................................61 3.7 Energy Resources...............................................................................................................66 3.8 Fire and Fuels .....................................................................................................................66 3.9 Grazing Allotments ............................................................................................................67 3.10 Hazardous and Solid Wastes ..............................................................................................69 3.11 Lands and Realty................................................................................................................69 3.12 Noise and Vibration ...........................................................................................................70 3.13 Paleontological Resources .................................................................................................70 3.14 Public Health and Safety ....................................................................................................71 3.15 Recreation ..........................................................................................................................71 3.16 Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice ......................................................................73 3.17 Topography, Geology, and Soils .......................................................................................75 3.18 Transportation and Public Access ......................................................................................76 i RE Cinco Gen-Tie Environmental Assessment 3.19 Visual Resources ................................................................................................................79 3.20 Water Resources ................................................................................................................82 4. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................................85 4.1 Air Resources .....................................................................................................................85 4.2 Biological Resources – Vegetation ....................................................................................88 4.3 Biological Resources – Wildlife ........................................................................................94 4.4 Climate Change ................................................................................................................119 4.5 Cultural and Historic Resources ......................................................................................121 4.6 Energy Resources.............................................................................................................123 4.7 Fire and Fuels ...................................................................................................................125 4.8 Grazing Allotments ..........................................................................................................126 4.9 Hazardous and Solid Wastes ............................................................................................127 4.10 Lands and Realty..............................................................................................................141 4.11 Noise and Vibration .........................................................................................................143 4.12 Paleontological Resources ...............................................................................................146 4.13 Public Health and Safety ..................................................................................................148 4.14 Recreation ........................................................................................................................148 4.15 Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice ....................................................................149 4.16 Topography, Geology, and Soils .....................................................................................151 4.17 Transportation and Public Access ....................................................................................152 4.18 Visual Resources ..............................................................................................................153 4.19 Water Resources ..............................................................................................................157 4.20 Cumulative Impacts .........................................................................................................158 4.21 Other NEPA Considerations ............................................................................................174 5. TRIBES, AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS CONSULTED .................176 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................176 5.2 Tribal Consultation ..........................................................................................................176 5.3 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Consultation ...................................................................177 5.4 California Department of Fish and Wildlife Coordination ..............................................177 5.5 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coordination ..................................................................177 5.6 Regional Water Quality Control Board Coordination .....................................................177 5.7 Section 106 Consultation .................................................................................................178 6. LIST OF PREPARERS................................................................................................................179 7. REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................180 ii RE Cinco Gen-Tie Environmental Assessment Appendices Appendix A - Scoping Letters Appendix B - Alternative 2 Gen-Tie Design/Disturbance Maps Appendix C - Air Quality Technical Studies Appendix D - Biological Resources Technical Studies Appendix E - Cultural Resources Technical Studies Appendix F - Paleontological