SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental Consequences5.5.10.1.3 Impacts from Live-fire TrainingSignificant Impacts Mitigable To Less Than SignificantImpact 2: Introduction and spread of invasive plants and noxious weeds. The impacts from live-firetraining at SBMR, DMR, PTA, and KTA/KLOA would be expected to affect the introduction andspread of invasive species by potential fires that would put native plant species at competitivedisadvantage. Impacts from noxious weeds under Alternative D would be significant, but mitigable toless than significant.Regulatory and Administrative Mitigation 2: Mitigation measures for effects to noxious weeds fromlive-fire training are the same as those described in under Alternative A.Less Than Significant ImpactsImpacts to vegetation: Vegetation communities within the range areas on SBMR, PTA, andKTA/KLOA would be disturbed by live-fire training. Training would continue at current levels underAlternative D. The majority of the training areas are nonnative vegetation and common native plants,primarily grasses and shrubs, which typically colonize denuded areas quickly and thoroughly. The useof certain types of ammunition increases the chances of starting fires in the impact area and within thesurface danger zones. The potential introduction of fire resulting from the operation of the proposedranges is discussed under Wildfire Management. Impacts to vegetation from live-fire training underAlternative D would be less than significant. Mitigation measures for effects to vegetation from livefiretraining are the same as those described under Alternative A.Impacts to general wildlife and habitats. Impacts to general wildlife and habitats are not expected tochange under Alternative D. Live-fire training would continue to displace various wildlife species.Displacement would be caused by increased human presence in the area, as well as by elevated noiselevels. Wildlife species that are more tolerant of human activity may remain in or around theseranges. Individuals that remain within the impact area and associated surface danger zones could bedirectly affected by ordnance or other munitions. Incidental mortality to wildlife could occur.However, such mortality is not expected to cause measurable impacts to wildlife populations.Training on the new and existing ranges would have a less than significant impact to wildlife andhabitats. Measures described previously under Alternative A would further reduce the impacts of livefiretraining.Impacts to Threatened and Endangered Species: Live-fire training would continue and under the NoAction Alternative, several range improvement projects would occur. Army use of those rangeswould produce a less than significant impact to threatened and endangered species because live-firetraining would occur over a larger area and at more locations. Continued use of Army land fortraining under No Action would prolong the impact to threatened and endangered species. Theseimpacts from continued training would remain a less than significant impact.No ImpactsImpacts to wetlands: No wetlands have been identified at PTA. There is one regulated wetland onSBMR (USACE 2005c). The wetland, located near Mount Kaala, is within the Schofield BarracksForest Reserve where no training activities would occur; therefore, no impacts to wetlands areexpected. On KTA, the one regulated wetland in the training area, Onion Pond, is more than twomiles away from the main training area, and no impacts are expected. A wetland delineation of DMRidentified one jurisdictional wetland (USACE 2002e). This wetland is within DMR but outside of theFebruary 2008 5-226 2/25th SBCT Final EIS