In cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management Alvey-Fairview Transmission Line Rebuild Project Draft Environmental Assessment February 2014 DOE/EA-1891 OR-BLM-OR-C000-2013-0004-EA Alvey-Fairview Transmission Line Rebuild Project Draft Environmental Assessment Bonneville Power Administration In cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management February 2014 Table of Contents Table of Contents Chapter 1. Purpose of and need for the Proposed Action ................................................ 1-1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Need for action ................................................................................................ 1-3 1.3 Purposes ........................................................................................................... 1-3 1.4 Cooperating agency ......................................................................................... 1-3 1.5 Public involvement ........................................................................................... 1-4 Chapter 2. Proposed Action and alternatives .................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1 Rights-of-way and easements .............................................................. 2-2 2.1.2 Replacement of transmission structures ............................................. 2-4 2.1.3 Conductors, overhead ground wire, and fiber optic cable .................. 2-7 2.1.4 Staging areas and tensioning sites ....................................................... 2-8 2.1.5 Access roads ......................................................................................... 2-9 2.1.6 Vegetation removal ............................................................................2-15 2.1.7 Construction activities........................................................................2-16 2.1.8 Ongoing maintenance and vegetation management ........................2-17 2.2 No Action Alternative .....................................................................................2-18 2.3 Comparison of alternatives ............................................................................2-19 Chapter 3. Affected environment and environmental consequences .............................. 3-1 3.1 Land use and recreation ................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Affected environment .......................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action................................ 3-6 3.1.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ....................... 3-9 3.2 Geology and soils ...........................................................................................3-10 3.2.1 Affected environment ........................................................................3-10 3.2.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action..............................3-12 3.2.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative .....................3-14 3.3 Vegetation ......................................................................................................3-14 3.3.1 Affected environment ........................................................................3-14 3.3.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action..............................3-21 3.3.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative .....................3-23 3.4 Streams and fish .............................................................................................3-23 3.4.1 Affected environment ........................................................................3-23 3.4.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action..............................3-28 3.4.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative .....................3-33 3.5 Wetlands, floodplains, and groundwater ......................................................3-33 3.5.1 Affected environment ........................................................................3-33 3.5.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action..............................3-37 3.5.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative .....................3-43 3.6 Wildlife ...........................................................................................................3-44 3.6.1 Affected environment ........................................................................3-44 Alvey-Fairview Transmission Line Rebuild Project Draft Environmental Assessment i Table of Contents 3.6.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-45 3.6.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-50 3.7 Cultural resources .......................................................................................... 3-51 3.7.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-51 3.7.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-54 3.7.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-56 3.8 Visual quality .................................................................................................. 3-56 3.8.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-56 3.8.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-61 3.8.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-62 3.9 Socioeconomics and public services .............................................................. 3-63 3.9.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-63 3.9.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-66 3.9.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-68 3.10 Noise, public health, and safety ..................................................................... 3-68 3.10.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-68 3.10.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-70 3.10.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-74 3.11 Transportation ............................................................................................... 3-74 3.11.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-74 3.11.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-75 3.11.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-75 3.12 Air quality ....................................................................................................... 3-76 3.12.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-76 3.12.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-77 3.12.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-77 3.13 Greenhouse gases .......................................................................................... 3-78 3.13.1 Affected environment ........................................................................ 3-78 3.13.2 Environmental consequences—Proposed Action ............................. 3-80 3.13.3 Environmental consequences—No Action Alternative ..................... 3-84 3.14 Cumulative impact analysis ........................................................................... 3-85 3.14.1 Cumulative impacts ........................................................................... 3-87 3.15 Intentional destructive acts ........................................................................... 3-95 Chapter 4. Environmental consultation, review, and permit requirements ..................... 4-1 4.1 National Environmental Policy Act .................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Vegetation, wildlife, and fish ........................................................................... 4-1 4.2.1 Endangered Species Act ....................................................................... 4-1 4.2.2 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act .................................................................................. 4-2 4.2.3 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act........ 4-3 4.2.4 Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Federal Memorandum of Understanding ..................................................................................... 4-3 4.2.5 Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act ....................................... 4-4 Bonneville Power Administration ii February 2014 Table of Contents 4.2.6 Oregon Fish Passage Law ..................................................................... 4-4 4.2.7 Oregon Fish and Wildlife Habitat Mitigation Policy ............................. 4-4 4.3 Water resources ............................................................................................... 4-5 4.4 Wetlands and floodplains protection .............................................................. 4-6 4.5 Cultural and historic resources ........................................................................ 4-7 4.6 Farmland Protection Policy Act ........................................................................ 4-8 4.7 Coastal Zone