Right-of-way Application: Staging Area for the New Carissa Wreck Removal Project Environmental Assessment March 2008 Prepared for: Bureau of Land Management Coos Bay District Office 1300 Airport Lane North Ben, OR 97459 Prepared by: Titan Maritime, LLC 410 SW Fourth Terrace, Dania, Florida 33004 and HDR Engineering, Inc. 1001 SW Fifth Ave, Suite 1800, Portland, Oregon 97204 This page intentionally left blank. Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................... 1-2 1.2 Purpose and Need for Proposed Action ...................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Public Involvement....................................................................................................... 1-3 1.4 Resources Determined To Not Be Affected................................................................. 1-5 1.5 Conformance with Land Use Plans.............................................................................. 1-5 2.0 ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ..................................................2-1 2.1 No Action Alternative ................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Proposed Action Alternative......................................................................................... 2-1 2.2.1 Shoreline Staging Area........................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2.2 Site Access..........................................................................................................................................2-2 2.3 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated From Further Analysis................................... 2-4 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .............................3-1 3.1 General Setting............................................................................................................ 3-1 3.2 Geology and Soils........................................................................................................ 3-1 3.2.1 Affected Environment .......................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................................................................. 3-2 3.3 Water Resources......................................................................................................... 3-3 3.3.1 Affected Environment .......................................................................................................................... 3-3 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................................................................. 3-3 3.4 Fish and Wildlife .......................................................................................................... 3-4 3.4.1 Affected Environment .......................................................................................................................... 3-5 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences............................................................................................................. 3-9 3.5 Vegetation ................................................................................................................. 3-11 3.5.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................................ 3-11 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................................................................... 3-13 3.6 Recreation ................................................................................................................. 3-13 3.6.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................................ 3-13 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................................................................... 3-15 3.7 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................... 3-16 3.7.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................................ 3-16 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences........................................................................................................... 3-17 3.8 Residual Impacts ....................................................................................................... 3-18 4.0 LIST OF PREPARERS .................................................................................................4-1 5.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................5-1 List of Tables Table 3-1. Aquatic Special Status Species that may occur on the North Spit, Coos Bay District. ..................................................................................................................... 3-5 Table 3-2. Bird Special Status Species that may occur on the North Spit, Coos Bay District. ..................................................................................................................... 3-8 Table 3-3. Determination of Effects on ESA Listed Bird Species ............................... 3-10 Table 3-4. Plant Special Status Species documented or suspected on the North Spit. ................................................................................................................................ 3-12 Environmental Assessment Page ii Right-of-Way Application: March 2008 Staging Area for the New Carissa Wreck Removal Project List of Figures Note: Figures follow the main text of the report and precede the Appendix. Figure 1-1: Project Location Figure 2-1: Shoreline Staging Area Site Plan Figure 2-2: Construction Transporter Figure 3-1: Wetland Near Shoreline Staging Area Figure 3-2: Western Snowy Plover Critical Habitat and Restricted Areas Appendices Appendix A: Site Safety Plan Appendix B: Biological Assessments Appendix C: State Historic Preservation Office Letter Environmental Assessment Page iii Right-of-Way Application: March 2008 Staging Area for the New Carissa Wreck Removal Project Acronyms and Abbreviations ACEC Areas of Critical Environmental Concern BLM Bureau of Land Management Corps U.S. Army Corps of Engineers DSL Department of State Lands EA Environmental Assessment EFH Essential Fish Habitat ESA Endangered Species Act FAA Federal Aviation Administration NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NRHP National Register of Historic Places ODFW Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife OPRD Oregon Parks and Recreation Department RMP Resource Management Plan SHPO Oregon State Historic Preservation Office SRMA Special Recreation Management Area Titan Titan Maritime LLC USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Assessment Page iv Right-of-Way Application: March 2008 Staging Area for the New Carissa Wreck Removal Project 1.0 Introduction In February 1999, the New Carissa freight ship ran aground on the Oregon Coast near Coos Bay. The bow section was successfully removed from the area in March 1999 and disposed of 250 miles from the coast line. The stern section has since remained, deeply entrenched in sand in the tidal zone of the North Spit of Coos Bay, approximately 3 miles north of the mouth of Coos Bay (Figure 1-1). Following a 2002 Coos County Court ruling, the State of Oregon took ownership of the New Carissa shipwreck and was given the legal responsibility, and $22 million, for its removal. The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) has overall jurisdiction over the New Carissa because the wreck lies in the beach zone administered by the DSL. Recognizing the safety and legal liability concerns, the State made removal of the New Carissa wreckage a priority. The State of Oregon contracted with Titan Maritime LLC (Titan) to remove the stern section of the New Carissa from the North Spit tidal zone. Titan prepared a shipwreck removal plan that involves using two barges positioned adjacent to the wreck and an onshore staging area directly east of the wreck. The shoreline staging area would be located on land administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Coos County, Oregon (Township 25 South, Range 14 West, Section 13). BLM requires Titan to apply for temporary right-of-way grant for development of the shoreline staging area and access to the staging area over BLM roads. Titan’s use of the shoreline staging area would require activities on the beach, which is under the jurisdiction of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). Activities on OPRD lands would be permitted with that agency. This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared for BLM to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA; 42 USC §§ 4321 et seq.) and applicable NEPA regulations. This EA was prepared for the action involving temporary right-of-way grant on BLM lands and does not address the in-water activities related to the wreck removal. The wreck removal activities that would occur in the Pacific Ocean are in an area under the jurisdiction of