Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...

Affected Environment
known or recorded occurrences of seabeach amaranth on Wallops Island to date. A single plant
was identified by USFWS on the southern end of Assateague Island in 2004.
3.2.5 Fish
Common fish in the waters near Wallops Island include the Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias
undulatus), sand shark (Carcharias taurus), smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis), smooth butterfly
ray (Gymnura micrura), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), and
summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). Salinity and water depths play a major role in
determining if a coastal fish species is present in the bays and inlets near the island.
3.2.5.1 Essential Fish Habitat
The tidal marsh areas of Wallops Island act as nursery grounds for a variety of fish species due to
the protection the marsh grasses provide and the abundance of food (NASA, 2008a). Eelgrass,
for example, provides protection to the spot, the northern pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus), the dusky
pipefish (Syngnathus floridae), and the bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli) (NASA, 2010b).
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (Magnuson-Stevens
Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), as amended, gives the United States exclusive management
authority over fisheries, except for highly migratory species of tuna, within a fishery
conservation zone of 5 to 322 kilometers (3 to 200 miles) offshore. The Mid-Atlantic Fisheries
Management Council is responsible for managing fisheries in Federal waters off the Atlantic
Coast, including the project area fisheries, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act. To
promote the long-term health and stability of managed fisheries, the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries
Management Council utilizes Fishery Management Plans for the following species or species
complexes: mackerel, squid and butterfish, bluefish, dogfish, surf clam and ocean quahog,
summer flounder, scup, sea bass, and tilefish. The Magnuson-Stevens Act also mandates the
identification of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for managed species. EFH is defined as the waters
or substrate necessary for fish to spawn, breed, feed, or grow to maturity.
3.3 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
3.3.1 Population
In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that the population of the Commonwealth of Virginia
was about 7.6 million, and Accomack County’s population was 39,345, with a population
density of 218 people per square kilometer (84.2 people per square mile) (U.S. Census Bureau,
2000). The population growth rate in Accomack County between 2000 and 2006 was
approximately 2.7 percent (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008a).
The village of Assawoman, approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) to the southwest, is the closest
residential community to Wallops Island. The towns of Wattsville and Atlantic are the closest
incorporated communities to Wallops Island and are located approximately 13 kilometers (8
miles) and 8 kilometers (5 miles) northwest of Wallops Island, respectively. There is no specific
census data available for Wattsville because it is an unincorporated residential area.
Chincoteague Island, VA, is approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) northeast of Wallops Island.
The Town of Chincoteague is the most densely populated area in Accomack County, with a
resident population of 4,317 people. Area populations fluctuate seasonally. During the summer
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