BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project Preliminary Environmental Assessment September 2013 DOE/EA-1941 This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 Purpose of and Need for Proposed Action 1-1 1.1 Background 1-1 1.2 Need for Action 1-3 1.3 Purposes 1-3 1.4 Public Involvement 1-3 1.4.1 Scoping Comment Period 1-3 1.4.2 Preliminary EA Comment Period 1-4 CHAPTER 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action 2-1 2.1.1 Roads 2-2 2.1.2 Retaining Wall Construction 2-10 2.1.3 Bridge and Arch Pipe Construction 2-11 2.1.4 Staging Areas 2-13 2.1.5 Anticipated Construction Schedule 2-13 2.1.6 Operation and Maintenance 2-13 2.2 No Action Alternative 2-14 2.3 Comparison of Alternatives 2-14 CHAPTER 3 Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Mitigation Measures 3-1 3.1 Introduction 3-1 3.2 Land Use, Recreation, and Transportation 3-2 3.2.1 Affected Environment 3-2 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-7 3.2.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-10 3.2.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-10 Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project i September 2013 Table of Contents 3.2.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-10 3.2.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-11 3.3 Geology and Soils 3-12 3.3.1 Affected Environment 3-12 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-13 3.3.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-16 3.3.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-16 3.3.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-16 3.3.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-16 3.4 Water Resources 3-18 3.4.1 Affected Environment 3-18 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-21 3.4.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-25 3.4.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-26 3.4.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-26 3.4.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-27 3.5 Wetlands and Floodplains 3-28 3.5.1 Affected Environment 3-28 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-29 3.5.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-30 3.5.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-31 3.5.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-31 3.5.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-31 3.6 Vegetation 3-32 3.6.1 Affected Environment 3-32 ii Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project September 2013 Table of Contents 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-42 3.6.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-45 3.6.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-45 3.6.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-45 3.6.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-46 3.7 Fish and Wildlife 3-47 3.7.1 Affected Environment 3-47 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-55 3.7.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-62 3.7.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-63 3.7.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-64 3.7.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-65 3.8 Cultural Resources 3-66 3.8.1 Affected Environment 3-66 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-68 3.8.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-68 3.8.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-69 3.8.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-69 3.8.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-69 3.9 Socioeconomics and Public Services 3-70 3.9.1 Affected Environment 3-70 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-78 3.9.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-79 3.9.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-79 3.9.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-80 Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project iii September 2013 Table of Contents 3.9.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-80 3.10 Visual Quality 3-81 3.10.1 Affected Environment 3-81 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-82 3.10.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-83 3.10.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-83 3.10.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-83 3.10.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-84 3.11 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gases 3-85 3.11.1 Affected Environment 3-85 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-86 3.11.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-89 3.11.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-89 3.11.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-89 3.11.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-90 3.12 Noise, Public Health, and Safety 3-91 3.12.1 Affected Environment 3-91 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences – Proposed Action 3-92 3.12.3 Mitigation – Proposed Action 3-95 3.12.4 Unavoidable Impacts Remaining After Mitigation 3-95 3.12.5 Cumulative Impacts – Proposed Action 3-95 3.12.6 Environmental Consequences – No Action Alternative 3-96 CHAPTER 4 Environmental Consultation, Review, and Permit Requirements 4-1 4.1 National Environmental Policy Act 4-1 4.2 Land Use 4-1 iv Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project September 2013 Table of Contents 4.2.1 Northwest Forest Plan 4-1 4.2.2 Northwest Oregon State Forest Management Plan 4-1 4.2.3 State and Local Land Use 4-2 4.3 Water Resources 4-3 4.3.1 Clean Water Act 4-3 4.3.2 Oregon Fish Passage Law 4-3 4.4 Wetlands and Floodplains 4-3 4.4.1 Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements 4-3 4.4.2 Oregon Removal Fill Law 4-4 4.4.3 Coastal Zone Management Act 4-4 4.5 Vegetation, Fish, and Wildlife 4-4 4.5.1 Endangered Species Act 4-4 4.5.2 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act 4-5 4.5.3 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 4-5 4.5.4 Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Federal Memorandum of Understanding 4-5 4.5.5 Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act 4-6 4.6 Cultural Resources 4-6 4.7 Tribal Consultation 4-7 4.8 Socioeconomics and Public Services 4-8 4.8.1 Executive Order on Environmental Justice 4-8 4.9 Air Quality 4-8 4.9.1 Clean Air Act 4-8 4.10 Noise, Public Health, and Safety 4-8 4.10.1 The Noise Control Act and Local Noise Control Ordinances 4-8 4.10.2 Safe Drinking Water Act 4-9 Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project v September 2013 Table of Contents 4.10.3 Toxic Substances Control Act 4-9 4.10.4 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 4-9 4.10.5 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 4-9 4.10.6 Oregon Department of Transportation and Local Public Works Departments 4-10 4.10.7 Uniform Fire Code 4-10 CHAPTER 5 Persons, Tribe, and Agencies Consulted 5-1 5.1 Federal Agencies 5-1 5.2 State Agencies 5-1 5.3 Counties and Cities 5-1 5.4 Tribes 5-2 5.5 Non-Government Organizations 5-2 5.6 Landowners 5-2 CHAPTER 6 Glossary and Acronyms 6-1 6.1 Glossary 6-1 6.2 Acronyms and Abbreviations 6-8 CHAPTER 7 REFERENCES 7-1 7.1 References 7-1 7.2 Personal Communications 7-8 FIGURES Figure 1-1. Project vicinity map 1-2 Figure 2-1. Existing project road near structure 11/1 2-3 Figure 2-2. Example of an existing project road where earthwork, widening and reconstruction will be completed near structure 14/1 2-3 Figure 2-3. Area proposed for new road construction near structure 16/6 2- 3 Figure 2-4. Example of finished project road near structure 7/5 2-3 vi Boyer-Tillamook Access Road Improvement Project September 2013 Table of Contents Figure 2-5. Project location Map A: line miles 22/3 to 18/5 2- 5 Figure 2-6. Project location Map B: line miles 18/3 to 15/6 2-6 Figure 2-7. Project location, Map C: line miles 15/4 to 12/1 2-7 Figure 2-8. Project location, Map D: line miles 11/3 to 9/2 2-8 Figure 2-9. Project location, Map E: line miles 8/3 to 4/4 2-9 Figure 2-10. Area where retaining wall would be constructed near structure 22/2 2-11 Figure 2-11. Example of retaining wall construction 2-11 Figure 3-1. Land uses 3-3 Figure 3-2. Recreation areas 3-5 Figure 3-3. Landslide evidence on a project road near structure 14/1 3-13 Figure 3-4. Landslide topography map 3-14 Figure 3-5. Existing trees at Hester Creek culvert to bridge site 3-23 Figure 3-6. Vegetation 3-33 Figure 3-7. Environmental Justice – Populations in the Project Area 3-74 Figure 3-8. Existing transmission line near structure 5/2 3-81 Figure 3-9. Existing access road near structure 6/4 3-81 Figure 3-10. Existing access road near structure 20/3 3-82 Figure 3-11. Existing transmission line and access road near structure 17/1 3-82 TABLES Table 2-1. Comparison of the Proposed Action and No Action Alternative 2-14 Table 2-2.