Appendix H Threatened and Endangered Species Technical Study In coordination with Oklahoma DOT Threatened and Endangered Species Technical Study Prepared by July 2016 Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................................................. vii 1.0 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Service Type Descriptions .............................................................................................. 1-4 Conventional Rail .......................................................................................................... 1-4 Higher-Speed Rail ......................................................................................................... 1-4 High-Speed Rail ............................................................................................................. 1-4 1.2 Alternative Descriptions ................................................................................................. 1-5 No Build Alternative ...................................................................................................... 1-5 Northern Section: Oklahoma City to Dallas and Fort Worth ....................................... 1-6 Central Section: Dallas and Fort Worth to San Antonio ............................................. 1-7 Southern Section: San Antonio to South Texas .......................................................... 1-9 Station Cities ............................................................................................................... 1-10 2.0 Regulatory Context and Purpose ............................................................................................. 2-1 3.0 Evaluation Methods ................................................................................................................. 3-1 4.0 Baseline/Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 4-1 4.1 Study Area ....................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Regional Environment .................................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 Regulatory Environment ................................................................................................. 4-1 Federal ........................................................................................................................... 4-1 State Regulations ......................................................................................................... 4-4 4.4 Sensitive Plants ............................................................................................................... 4-5 Acres of Potential Sensitive Plant Occurrences .......................................................... 4-8 4.5 Sensitive Wildlife .......................................................................................................... 4-13 Invertebrates ............................................................................................................... 4-19 Fishes .......................................................................................................................... 4-20 Reptiles and Amphibians ........................................................................................... 4-20 Birds 4-20 Mammals .................................................................................................................... 4-20 Acres of Potential Sensitive Wildlife Occurrences .................................................... 4-21 4.6 Critical Habitat .............................................................................................................. 4-28 5.0 Potential Effects on Threatened and Endangered Species .................................................... 5-1 5.1 No Build Alternative ........................................................................................................ 5-1 5.2 Northern Section: Oklahoma City to Dallas and Fort Worth ......................................... 5-1 Sensitive Plants ............................................................................................................ 5-1 Sensitive Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 5-1 Critical Habitat .............................................................................................................. 5-2 Construction Effects ..................................................................................................... 5-2 Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study July 2016 Threatened and Endangered Species Technical Study Page iii TBG102114052932SCO Contents Operational Effects ....................................................................................................... 5-3 5.3 Central Section (Dallas and Fort Worth to San Antonio) .............................................. 5-3 Sensitive Plants ............................................................................................................ 5-3 Sensitive Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 5-3 Critical Habitat .............................................................................................................. 5-3 Construction Effects ..................................................................................................... 5-4 Operational Effects ....................................................................................................... 5-4 5.4 Southern Section – San Antonio to South Texas .......................................................... 5-4 Sensitive Plants ............................................................................................................ 5-4 Sensitive Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 5-5 Critical Habitat .............................................................................................................. 5-5 Construction Effects ..................................................................................................... 5-6 Operational Effects ....................................................................................................... 5-6 5.5 Summary of Potential Effects ......................................................................................... 5-6 5.6 Subsequent Analysis and Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Strategies ......... 5-7 6.0 References ............................................................................................................................... 6-1 7.0 Preparers .................................................................................................................................. 7-1 List of Figures 1-1: Build Alternatives ............................................................................................................................ 1-2 4-1: Sensitive Plant Species Occurrences – Alternative S4 .............................................................. 4-10 4-2: Sensitive Plant Species Occurrences – Alternative S4 .............................................................. 4-11 4-3: Sensitive Plant Species Occurrences – Alternative S4 .............................................................. 4-12 4-4: Sensitive Wildlife Species Occurrences – Central Section Alternatives ................................... 4-22 4-5: Sensitive Wildlife Species Occurrences – Central Section Alternatives ................................... 4-23 4-6: Sensitive Wildlife Species Occurrences – Alternative S4 .......................................................... 4-25 4-7: Sensitive Wildlife Species Occurrences – Alternative S4 .......................................................... 4-26 4-8: Sensitive Wildlife Species Occurrences – Alternative S4 .......................................................... 4-27 4-9: Critical Habitat – Northern Section Alternative .......................................................................... 4-29 List of Tables 1-1: Alternatives Carried Forward for Further Evaluation ................................................................... 1-3 1-2: Cities with Potential Stations ....................................................................................................... 1-10 4-1: Sensitive Plant Species within EIS Study Area by Section and Alternative ................................. 4-5 4-2: Acres of Potential Sensitive Plant Occurrences within Southern Section EIS Study Area ........ 4-9 4-3: Sensitive Wildlife Species within EIS Study Area by Section and Alternative .......................... 4-13 4-4. Acres of Potential Sensitive Wildlife Occurrences within Central Section EIS Study Area ..... 4-21 Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study July 2016 Threatened and Endangered Species Technical Study Page iv TBG102114052932SCO Contents 4-5: Acres of Potential Sensitive Wildlife Habitat within Southern Section EIS Study Area .......... 4-24 5-1: Summary of Acres within EIS Study Area by Section and Alternative .......................................... 5-9 Texas-Oklahoma Passenger Rail Study July 2016 Threatened and Endangered Species Technical Study Page v TBG102114052932SCO Acronyms and Abbreviations