SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 5 – Environmental Consequencesbe significant when combined with the contributions from agricultural and urban lands. Theimplementation of BMPs for all potential cumulative projects, as required under federal and stateregulations, will reduce the cumulative effects to soils associated with Alternative C, but not to lessthan significant.No cumulative impacts to geologic resources are expected.5.6.3.2 Water ResourcesRegional activities at and near Fort Carson would result in increased runoff and potential forincreased sedimentation, which could impair water quality in surrounding water bodies. Thoseregional activities that increase the amount of impervious surface could also add to runoff.The greater Colorado Springs area has experienced population growth well above state and nationalaverages for several decades. That growth is forecast by PPACG to continue for the foreseeablefuture, an increase to which the proposed transformation would add incrementally but notsubstantially. Population growth demands that new water resources be developed, the planning forwhich is now underway by Colorado Springs Utilities and other municipal providers through projectssuch as the Southern Delivery System. According to the EIS currently being prepared by the Bureauof Reclamation for the Southern Delivery System proposal to construct new water storage reservoirsand an extensive network of delivery piping, growth in the Colorado Springs area is projected tooccur with or without adequate water supplies (Bureau of Reclamation 2006).The area surrounding the PCMS has historically been devoted primarily to agricultural and rural uses.These activities have disturbed natural areas and affected water resources to some extent. Therewould be no cumulative impacts to water resources in the vicinity of PCMS.Overall, cumulative impacts to water resources associated with Alternative C would be expected to besignificant but mitigable to less than significant.5.6.3.3 Wildfire ManagementSome of the projects identified as contributing to cumulative impacts would occur in or adjacent toareas where wildland fires could occur because of implementation of Alternative C. The cumulativeprojects are expected to contain mitigation measures to minimize the potential for wildfires.Cumulative fire management impacts to the region would mainly result from the addition of newfiring ranges, and expansion of existing or development of new maneuver areas, and populationgrowth near FTC.Training of the 2/25 th SBCT at FTC would increase the future use of several planned rangeimprovement projects and those foreseeable activities that involve maneuver training exercises. Anincrease in training area use would cumulatively increase the likelihood of accidental ignitions. ThePCMS is used approximately 4 months per year on average. Use of the PCMS in recent years,however, has been lower because of overseas deployments of military personnel. Future use of thePCMS is projected to increase, and SBCT training would contribute to the training load at PCMS.Implementation of the Prescribed Burn Plan, as well as any fire management activities developedspecifically for SBCT training would reduce the cumulative impacts to wildfire risk, but not to lessthan a significant level.February 2008 5-269 2/25th SBCT Final EIS