Supplement Analysis for the Wildlife Management Program EIS (DOE/EIS-0246/SA-17)

Technical Report · Thu Sep 13 00:00:00 EDT 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/824044· OSTI ID:824044

BPA proposes to partially fund the acquisition of 7,630 acres of shrub-steppe, riparian, and wetland habitat in northern Franklin County, Washington. Title to the land will be transferred initially to The Conservation Fund and ultimately for inclusion as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Passive management practices will take place on the land until an official management plan is developed and approved for the property. Some short-term control of invasive, exotic plant species may occur as necessary prior to the approval of a management plan. The compliance checklist for this project was completed by Randy Hill with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Columbia National Wildlife Refuge and meets the standards and guidelines for the Wildlife Mitigation Program Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD). A comprehensive management plan will be prepared for the property after it is acquired and will follow the guidelines and mitigation measures detailed in the Wildlife Mitigation Program EIS and ROD. No plant or animal species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) will be affected by the fee-title purchase of the subject property. Mark Miller with the Eastern Washington Ecological Services Office of USFWS concurred with this finding on August 3, 2001. Section 7 consultation will be conducted by BPA and USFWS, as necessary, prior to the implementation of any restoration or enhancement activities on the site. In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) and USFWS policy, the addition of the Eagle Lakes property to the National Wildlife Refuge System does not constitute an undertaking as defined by the NHPA, or require compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA. Anan Raymond, Regional Archaeologist with USFWS Region 1 Cultural Resource Team, concurred with this finding on May 4, 2001. Compliance with NHPA, including cultural resources surveys, will be implemented, as necessary, once specific management activities are proposed for the property. In the unlikely event that archaeological material is encountered during developments that might occur prior to a cultural resource survey, an archeologist will immediately be notified and work halted in the vicinity of the finds until they can be inspected and assessed. A Level I Contaminants Survey was completed on April 3, 2000 by Toni Davidson, Environmental Contaminants Specialist with the USFWS Upper Columbia River Basin Field Office. The survey found that overall the lakes, wetlands, and terrestrial habitats on the site appear to be in a healthy condition. The only concern expressed in the survey report was over the presence of two household/farm dumps. As a requirement of the Eagle Lakes sale, the landowner agreed to remove the dumps to the satisfaction of the USFWS contaminant specialist before the title to the land is transferred. A follow-up survey will be conducted to confirm compliance with this requirement of sale. Public involvement associated with this project has included written notification and solicitation of comments to interested parties, adjacent landowners, local tribes, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and sports clubs. Public response from the mail-out indicated general support for the project, although some questions were raised about the provision of seasonal hunting and fishing on the property. These types of questions will be addressed in the development of a management plan for the Eagle Lakes land. Because of initial favorable comments on this project, it was decided that subsequent public meetings and/or workshops were not warranted.

• Research Organization: U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US)
• OSTI ID: 824044
• Report Number(s): DOE/EIS-0246/SA-17; TRN: US200430%%1402
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 13 Sep 2001
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ANIMALS
COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN
COMPLIANCE
CULTURAL RESOURCES
ENDANGERED SPECIES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
HABITAT
IMPLEMENTATION
LAKES
MANAGEMENT
MITIGATION
PRESERVATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
US FWS
WETLANDS
SA
EAGLE LAKES RANCH
ACQUISITION
RESTORATION
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
FRANKLIN COUNTY
WASHINGTON