SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental Consequences5.2.10.1 Impacts from Cantonment ConstructionThere is no cantonment construction required in USAG-HI to support the stationing of the 2/25 th .USAG-HI has adequate facilities on hand to support the SBCT and, in fact, was supporting theSBCT’s living, administrative, and vehicle maintenance requirements in 2007 prior to the unit’sdeployment.5.2.10.2 Impacts from Range ConstructionSignificant ImpactsImpact 1: Impacts to Threatened and Endangered Species. The Proposed Action would result inshort- and long-term impacts on listed species and their designated critical habitat within the PTAROI as a result of construction and increases and changes to training. Within the ROI, one wildlifespecies, the palila (Loxoiides bailleui), has critical habitat. Proposed activities border on the paliladesignated critical habitat in the ROI. There are 2,569 acres of palila critical habitat within the ROI.The Army is responsible for maintaining this habitat in a condition suitable for the palila and, bydoing so contribute to the recovery of the species. Construction activity and increased training wouldhave adverse impacts on the habitat, deterring the recovery of the species. BAX construction willaffect the easternmost population of honohono (Haplostachys haplostachya), significantly reducingthe distribution of this species. Populations of Silene hawaiiensis (No Common Name) are knownfrom the footprints of the BAX, and up to 20 percent of the total number of existing plants of thisspecies could be adversely affected by construction. One individual representing less than one percentof the total population of ae (Zanthoxylum hawaiiense) occurs in the BAX project area and wouldlikely be affected by construction. Mitigation measures would minimize impacts to threatened andendangered species and their habitats, but not to a less than significant level.Regulatory and Administrative Mitigation 1: In 2003, the Army initiated a formal consultation withthe USFWS by issuing a Biological Assessment (BA) for SBMR, KTA, KLOA, SBER, SRAA, andDMR. The USFWS responded with no jeopardy BO for current force activities and transformation ofthe 2/25 th brigade to a SBCT on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii (USFWS 2003c and 2003d,respectively). The BO was issued under the condition that the listed species that have less than threestable populations and/or more than 50 percent of known individuals occur within the action area bestabilized. The consultation used an action area that encompasses all land potentially affected bymilitary training and thus includes land outside the installation boundaries.The Draft OIP (USAG-HI 2005) was developed to monitor and protect listed species identified in theBO. The OIP guides the Army in the ongoing conservation and stabilization efforts for 23 endangeredplant taxa, 4 endangered snail species, and one avian species potentially affected by military trainingat any of the Army training installations on Oahu (except Makua). This effort will result in 69 plant,24 snail and multiple elepaio populations. The OIP identifies additional management actions, beyondthose already used by the Army, needed to stabilize these target taxa. If at any time there is a changein the training areas or action areas, if there is a change in the species status, or the discovery ofadditional taxa the Army would be required to reinitiate consultation with the USFWS in order toavoid a jeopardy opinion under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. An Implementation Plan forPTA and the Keamuku Parcel is currently in development and will be structured with the sameapproach to species protection as is taken in the OIP.All species management in regards to impacts would be followed as described in the Oahu andHawaii Biological Opinions (USFWS 2003c and 2003d). Example mitigation measures that would beimplemented by the Army at potential impact sites include:February 2008 5-46 2/25th SBCT Final EIS