SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected Environmentnated critical habitat on the Army installations (USARHAW and 25th ID [L] 2004). The location ofsensitive species in the potential Hawaii ROI is based on the HINHP database (HINHP 2002), theDraft OIP, (USAG-HI 2005) the Oahu BO (USFWS 2003c), and the PTA BO (USFWS 2003d).Sensitive Wildlife Species. The following discussion includes only those special status wildlife speciesthat are considered likely to be found in the ROI. Twenty-eight special status wildlife species areknown to occur or have the potential to occur at SBMR or its vicinity (R. M. Towill Corp. 1997a).These include 22 rare invertebrates (20 of which are endangered mollusks), one damselfly and onewasp species, as well as five rare birds (USARHAW and 25th ID [L] 2001a). Sensitive species occurringwithin the ROI are most likely to occur in the higher elevations of the Waianae and KoolauMountains and are unlikely to occur in the disturbed lowland areas, which make up a large portion ofthe ROI. The location of sensitive species in the potential Hawaii ROI is based on the HINHP database(HINHP 2002), the Draft OIP, (USAG-HI 2005) the Oahu BO (USFWS 2003c), and the PTABO (USFWS 2003d).Ecologically Sensitive Areas. Surveys conducted under the HINHP show 11 native natural vegetationcommunities on SBMR. These zones are determined by climate, topography, elevation, and prevailingecological conditions. The HINHP considers two of these vegetation communities to be rare withan HINHP rank of G1: the Oahu diverse lowland moist forest and Loulu Hiwa lowland wet forest(HINHP 1994b). Three ecological zones have been identified in the SBMR survey area. The wetsummit crest zone exists in areas above 3,000 feet, along the tops of the Waianae and Koolau Mountains.This zone contains the globally imperiled Loulu Hiwa lowland wet forest. Cliffs and moderateslopes are the topographically dominant features in this cool, wet, cloud-swept region. Below this isthe moist ridges and cliffs zone, which is warmer and drier than the wet summit zone, though it doesnot escape the winds. The vegetation community on this part of SBMR supports ohia lowland moistshrubland and Kawelu lowland moist grassland; these communities are not considered rare and have aGlobal Heritage Ranking of G3. The third ecological zone exists below the steepest cliffs and slopesdescribed above and along the ridge tops to the gulch bottoms; this is the lowland forest zone. Typicallywarm and moist to wet, there are three forest types in this zone. The koa/ohia lowland moist forestis predominant on ridge tops and in lower elevations; ohia lowland wet forests and uluhe lowlandwet shrubland are the dominant native natural communities. Oahu diverse lowland moist forests occuron north-facing, moderately steep slopes, are considered rare, and have a Global Heritage ranking ofG1.Critical Habitat: There are 864 acres of plant critical habitat within the Oahu ROI. There are two birdspecies, the Oahu elepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis ibidis) and the palila (Loxioides bailleui), thathave federally designated critical habitat within the SBCT ROI. The elepaio critical habitat is onlywithin the Schofield Barracks ROI. There is no critical habitat in KTA, only in SBMR, KLOA, andSBER.In 2000, the USFWS granted the Oahu elepaio endangered species status under the ESA and designatedcritical habitat on Oahu for the elepaio in 2001. There are 8,629 acres of elepaio critical habitaton Oahu within the project ROI. The 2003 BO requires the Army to manage 75 elepaio pairs throughthe control of alien rats during the breeding season at SBMR. The BO allows the management of acombination of on and offsite elepaio pairs to reach our goal of management of 75 pairs at SBMR.This document governs much of how the Army conducts operations in regards to special status species(USAG-HI 2005).On May 9, 2006, the USFWS listed 11 species of Hawaiian picture-wing flies as endangered pursuantto the ESA, as amended; Drosophila aglaia, D. differens, D. hemipeza, D. heteroneura, D. montgomeryi,D. musaphilia, D. neoclavisetae, D. obatai, D. ochrobasis, D. substenoptera, and D. tarphytri-February 2008 3–64 2/25th SBCT Final EIS