SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental Consequencesbe similar to current conditions, the potential for those activities to spread invasive species wouldremain.The spread of invasive species would be lessened by instituting the Army’s ongoing environmentalprograms. Measures identified in the INRMP, the Biological Opinions for the Islands of Oahu andHawaii, the 2004 FEIS, and the Draft Implementation Plans for Oahu and PTA Training Areas forprotection of biological resources would continue. Impacts from noxious weeds would be significant,but is mitigable to less than significant.Threatened and Endangered Species. Construction of a CALFEX-capable range in the footprint ofthe PTA BAX would result in short- and long-term impacts on listed species and their designatedcritical habitat. Though different than the BAX proposed in 2004, it would be approximately the samesize. Within the ROI, one wildlife species, the palila (Loxoiides bailleui), has critical habitat.Proposed activities border on the palila designated critical habitat in the ROI. Construction activityand training would have adverse impacts on the habitat, deterring the recovery of the species. Rangeconstruction will affect the easternmost population of honohono (Haplostachys haplostachya),significantly reducing the distribution of this species. Populations of Silene hawaiiensis (No CommonName) are known from the proposed range location, and up to 20 percent of the total number ofexisting plants of this species could be adversely affected by construction. One individualrepresenting less than one percent of the total population of ae (Zanthoxylum hawaiiense) occurs inthe project area and would likely be affected by construction. Mitigation measures would minimizeimpacts to threatened and endangered species and their habitats, but not to a less than significantlevel.In 2003, the Army initiated a formal consultation with the USFWS by issuing a BiologicalAssessment (BA) for SBMR, KTA, KLOA, SBER, SRAA, and DMR. The USFWS responded withno jeopardy BO for current force activities and transformation of the 2/25 th brigade to a SBCT on theislands of Oahu and Hawaii. The activities of the 4/4th would fall within the parameters addressed inthe Biological Opinions, which had already considered the more intensive impacts associated withSBCT training and Legacy training. With implementation of the BOs, impacts to threatened andendangered species at SBMR, KTA, KLOA, and DMR would be mitigated to less than significant.Impacts at PTA would not be mitigable to less than significant.Wildlife and Habitats. Range construction projects at SBMR and PTA are proposed for areas that arecurrently disturbed lands or active ranges. Impacts to native vegetation and habitats are expected to benegligible. Human presence and elevated noise levels would displace various wildlife species duringconstruction; however, impacts from range construction to wildlife would not be different than theimpacts from normal operations and activities occurring in the anticipated construction footprints.Operation of ranges has the potential to displace various wildlife species. Displacement would becaused by increased human presence and elevated noise levels. Wildlife within the impact area andassociated surface danger zones could be directly affected by ordnance or other munitions. Use ofnew ranges at SBMR and PTA would not significantly impact wildlife or their habitats because thenew ranges would be constructed in disturbed areas or in the footprints of existing ranges. Wildlifespecies in or around these ranges are more tolerant of human activity, and it is assumed that moresensitive species have previously left the area. Incidental mortality to wildlife could occur, but at thesame frequency as current conditions. Such mortality would not cause measurable impacts to wildlifepopulations. Live-fire training on the new and existing ranges would have a less than significantimpact to wildlife and habitats.February 2008 5-190 2/25th SBCT Final EIS