ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Talking Rock to Seligman Telecommunications Project and Bagdad to County Road 5 Telecommunications Project Participating Agencies: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Prescott National Forest U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management Prepared for: Table Top Telephone Company, Inc. 600 N. Second Avenue Ajo, Arizona 85321 Prepared by: Transcon Environmental, Inc. 3740 East Southern Avenue, Suite 218 Mesa, Arizona 85206 (480) 807-0095 June 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Statutory and Regulatory Authority ............................................................................................ 3 1.3.1 Rural Development ................................................................................................................. 3 1.3.2 Forest Service .......................................................................................................................... 3 1.3.3 Bureau of Land Management .................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Conformance with Other Regulations ......................................................................................... 4 1.5 Decision Framework.................................................................................................................... 4 1.6 Public Notification and Scoping Process ..................................................................................... 4 2: Proposed Action and Alternatives ........................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Alignment Entirely Within the Road Prism Through Prescott N.F. Alternative ......................... 6 2.3 No-Action Alternative ................................................................................................................. 7 2.4 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated ..................................................................................... 7 2.4.1 Aerial Installation of Facilities ................................................................................................ 7 2.4.2 Bury Facilities Directly Within the Roadways........................................................................ 7 2.5 Project Location ........................................................................................................................... 8 2.5.1 Project Alignment Descriptions .............................................................................................. 9 2.6 Project Facilities ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.6.1 Fiber Optic Cable and Conduits ............................................................................................ 10 2.6.2 Buried Handholes .................................................................................................................. 10 2.6.3 Amplification/Regeneration Facilities .................................................................................. 10 2.6.4 Tie-In Facilities ..................................................................................................................... 10 2.6.5 Right-of-Way Markers .......................................................................................................... 11 2.6.6 Storage and Staging Area ...................................................................................................... 12 2.6.7 Steel Pipe ............................................................................................................................... 12 2.7 Project Construction Sequence .................................................................................................. 12 2.7.1 Permitting .............................................................................................................................. 12 2.7.2 Flagging and Staking the Right-of-Way ............................................................................... 13 2.7.3 Clearing and Grading ............................................................................................................ 13 2.7.4 Installation of the Fiber Optic Cable and Conduits ............................................................... 13 2.7.5 Placement of Right-of-Way Markers .................................................................................... 15 2.7.6 Development of Amplification/Regeneration Facility .......................................................... 15 2.7.7 Fiber Optic Cable Testing ..................................................................................................... 15 2.7.8 Site Clean-up and Restoration ............................................................................................... 15 2.7.9 Operation and Maintenance .................................................................................................. 15 2.7.10 Abandonment ........................................................................................................................ 15 2.8 Land Use and Access Requirements ......................................................................................... 16 2.8.1 Access ................................................................................................................................... 16 2.8.2 Fences and Range Improvements .......................................................................................... 16 3: Affected Environment ............................................................................................................................ 17 3.1 Land Use .................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.1 General Land Use .................................................................................................................. 17 3.1.2 Special Designations ............................................................................................................. 17 3.1.3 Recreation ............................................................................................................................. 18 3.2 Water Resources ........................................................................................................................ 19 3.2.1 Groundwater and Surface Water ........................................................................................... 19 3.2.2 Water Quality ........................................................................................................................ 19 Talking Rock to Seligman and Bagdad to County Road 5 Telecommunications Projects, Environmental Assessment Table Top Telephone Company page i 3.2.3 Floodplains ............................................................................................................................ 20 3.2.4 Wetlands and Riparian .......................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Soils ........................................................................................................................................... 20 3.4 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................. 21 3.4.1 Federally Listed Threatened or Endangered Species ............................................................ 21 3.4.2 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................. 22 3.4.3 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................. 22 3.4.4 Prescott N.F. Regional Forester’s Sensitive Species ............................................................. 23 3.4.5 Prescott N.F. Management Indicator Species ....................................................................... 23 3.4.6 BLM Sensitive Species ......................................................................................................... 23 3.5 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 24 3.6 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................. 25 3.7 Visual Resources ....................................................................................................................... 26 3.8 Transportation ............................................................................................................................ 29 3.9 Noise, Radio, and Television Interference ................................................................................ 30 3.10 Human Health and Safety .........................................................................................................