Attachment_15_-_FONSI_Cahuilla_0001.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management

Finding of No Significant Impact

DOI-BLM-CA-D070-2020-0022-EA

Cahuilla Ranger Station Reconstruction Project EA

PREPARING OFFICE

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management

El Centro Field Office 1661 South 4th Street El Centro, CA 92243 i

Finding of No Significant Impact

DOI-BLM-CA-D070-2020-0022-EA

Cahuilla Ranger Station Reconstruction Project EA

Introduction

The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM), El Centro Field Office (ECFO), proposes to demolish and reconstruct the existing Cahuilla Ranger Station (Proposed Action) located on Gecko Road, south of State Route 78 (SR-78) within the BLM-administered Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (ISDRA), in southern California (Project Area). The existing Cahuilla Ranger Station is over 37 years old and is in poor condition. The reconstructed Cahuilla Ranger Station would include the following features and facilities:

• Visitor Information/Fee Collection lobby

• BLM Staff areas

• BLM Emergency Medical Service (EMS) area

• BLM Law Enforcement (LE) area

• BLM Maintenance area

The Project Area is located within the Imperial Sand Dunes Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) within Imperial County in southeastern California and comprises approximately 159,000 acres of BLM-administered land covering an area more than 40 miles long and averaging five miles in width.

The primary activities within the Imperial Sand Dunes SRMA include off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation and camping. The Imperial Sand Dunes SRMA consists of a typical sand dune habitat with larger dunes found in the central portion and microphyll woodlands found on the eastern edge that contain several plant species, including palo verde, mesquite, and ironwood. On the western edge, where the Project Area is located, crescent sand dunes transition to creosote bush scrub and psammophytic scrub vegetation communities.

The Environmental Assessment (EA) identified issues, analyzed alternatives, and disclosed the potential environmental impacts associated with the Proposed Action. The EA fulfilled the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirement for site-specific analysis of resource impacts. The analysis in the EA assisted in making a determination of the significance of impacts to the human environment associated with the actions developed to meet the purpose and need.

Identifying Information

Cahuilla Ranger Station Reconstruction Project

DOI-BLM-CA-D070-2020-0022-EA

Location of Proposed Action

The Project Area is located on BLM-administered public lands in Imperial County, California. The Cahuilla Ranger Station is located on BLM-administered public lands in the northwestern portion of the Imperial Sand Dunes, south of SR-78 at 4500 Gecko Road, Brawley, California.

Consistency with Land Use Plans, Laws, Regulations, and Policies

The Proposed Action and alternatives are in conformance with the ISDRA Recreation Area Management Plan(RAMP)/Record of Decision (ROD) (2013). The ISDRA RAMP/ROD allows visitation and development within the ISDRA, while ensuring the resource protection is not compromised, in accordance with the principals of multiple use and sustained yield as mandated by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).

Relevant ISDRA RAMP Goals and Objectives and Management Actions include:

REC-04 Develop or retrofit facilities to accommodate visitation and meet agency requirements.

REC-05 Design all new facilities to meet the social needs of the visitors and the management needs of the

BLM.

REC-06 Provide a minimum number of recreational facilities. Those facilities should emphasize resource protection and visitor safety.

REC-07 Determine if existing facilities meet accessibility standards, management objectives, and desired future conditions. Existing facilities deemed critical will be maintained and/or modified to be accessible, to the extent possible, and safe for visitor use. Facilities not meeting management objectives and accessibility standards will be considered for removal.

Selected Alternative

The selected alternative is the Proposed Action Alternative. The Proposed Action consists of construction of a new Cahuilla Ranger Station adjacent to and within the existing ranger station, which would be demolished. The reconstructed ranger station would be approximately 12,000 square feet in size with a parking lot and other features covering approximately 120,000 square feet. Construction would be done by a contractor and would occur within previously graded and disturbed areas. The ranger station areas/rooms would include:

• Visitor services reception area with lobby/entry vestibule.

• BLM recreation/administrative workspace, workshop, staff area, and breakroom.

• BLM EMS unit/staff area (various functions).

• BLM LE area (various functions), workshop, and emergency vehicle storage area.

• Maintenance workshop and storage (general repair and light fabrication).

• Staff restrooms/showers/lockers.

• Staff sleeping rooms.

• Break/kitchen area that can flex as large meeting space.

• Administrative meeting space.

• Above and below ground fuel tanks (existing)

• Recreational vehicle parking

• Vault toilet (existing)

• Office copy space and supply storage; and

• Janitor closet, washer/dryer room, mechanical room, telecommunications room, and circulation space.

In addition to building and workshop/garage areas, there would be a visitor parking area in front of the building and an enclosed staff parking and vehicle storage area behind the building.

Stipulations and design features found in Appendix C of the EA would be implemented to protect resources during removal, campground improvement, and water supply upgrade work.

During demolition and construction, the BLM intends to continue to serve public needs in the recreation area. Since this site is the main command post for all visitor service operations, the BLM intends to set up temporary trailers to serve as work areas for the staff, and as a place for visitors to seek assistance and information.

Finding of No Significant Impact

The El Centro Field Office interdisciplinary review and analysis determined that the Proposed Action described in the DOI-BLM-CA-D070-2020-0022-EA would not trigger significant impacts on the environment based on criteria established by regulations, policy, and analysis.

Based on the findings discussed herein, I conclude that the Proposed Action is not a major Federal action and will result in no significant impacts to the environment, individually or cumulatively with other actions in the general area. No environmental effects meet the definition of significance in context or intensity as defined in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1508.27 and do not exceed those effects described in applicable land use plans. Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to further analyze possible impacts is not required pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

This determination is based on the rationale that the significance criteria, as defined by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) (40 CFR 1508.27) have not been met. “Significantly” as used in NEPA requires considerations of both context and intensity. In making this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), the following criteria have been considered, in accordance with the CEQ, 40 CFR 1508.27.

Context: This means that the significance of an action must be analyzed in several contexts such as society as a whole (human, national), the affected region, the affected interests, and the locality.

Significance varies with the setting of the Proposed Action. For instance, in the case of a site-specific action, significance would usually depend upon the effects in the locale rather than in the world as a whole. Both short- and long-term effects are relevant.

Environmental impacts associated with the Proposed Action and No Action Alternative have been assessed by an interdisciplinary team and are described in DOI-BLM-CA-D070-2020-0022-EA. The context of the EA analysis was determined to be at a local and regional scale in Imperial County, California. The effects of the action are not applicable on a national scale since no nationally significant values were involved.

Intensity: This refers to the severity of impact. The following discussion is organized around the Ten Significance Criteria described in 40 CFR 1508.27 and supplemental Instruction Memorandum, Acts, Regulations, and Executive Orders. The following have been considered in evaluating intensity for this proposal:

1) Impacts can be both beneficial and adverse and a significant effect may exist regardless of the perceived balance of effects.

Potential beneficial and adverse impacts have been disclosed in the EA. Beneficial impacts on recreation have been noted throughout the EA. Measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts on soils and biological resources have been incorporated into the design features of the Proposed Action.

2) The degree to which the selected alternative will affect public health or safety.

Project Design Features would be implemented to minimize and avoid potential adverse impacts related to hazardous wastes and risks to public health and safety. Beneficial impacts to visitor health and safety would result from the redeveloped ranger station which will improve visitor services and include improved emergency medical services and law enforcement facilities.

3) Unique characteristics of the geographic area such as proximity to historic or cultural resources, park lands, prime farmlands, wetlands, wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, or ecologically critical areas.

Based on a review by the BLM, there are no cultural resources within the Cahuilla Ranger Station Project Area. The Proposed Action will not adversely affect cultural resources, parklands, prime farmlands, wetlands, wild and scenic rivers, or ecologically critical areas, as these resources are not present within the Project Area.

4) The degree to which the effects on the quality of the human environment are likely to be highly controversial.

The Proposed Action is anticipated to improve the safety and well-being of all visitors by providing improved ranger station facilities. No anticipated controversial effects have been identified.

5) The degree to which the possible effects on the human environment are highly uncertain or involve unique or unknown risks.

The Proposed Action ranger station demolition and reconstruction activities are common with predictable effects on the human environment and would not involve unique or unknown risks.

6) The degree to which the action may establish a precedent for future actions with significant effects or represents a decision in principle about a future consideration.

The Proposed Action is not likely to establish a precedent for future actions with significant effects nor represents a decision in principal on future actions. Any future improvements or modifications to the Cahuilla Ranger Station beyond the scope analyzed within the EA would be subject to additional site-specific NEPA analysis and documentation.

7) Whether the action is related to other actions with individually insignificant but cumulatively significant impacts – which include connected actions regardless of land ownership.

Cumulative impacts of the Proposed Action are discussed in Chapter 3 of the EA and within the effects analysis for specific resource areas. No cumulative significant impacts were identified in the

EA. The Proposed Action is not a component or segment of other projects, and the cumulative effects of the EA disclosed all known foreseeable future projects when determining cumulative impacts.

8) The degree to which the action may adversely affect districts, sites, highways, structures, or objects listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or may cause loss or degradation of significant scientific, cultural, or historical resources.

The Proposed Action will have no adverse effect on districts, highways, structures, or objects listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places due to the implementation of Project Design Features.

9) The degree to which the action may adversely affect an endangered or threatened species or its habitat that has been determined to be critical under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, or the degree to which the action may adversely affect: (1) a proposed to be listed endangered or threatened species or its habitat, or (2) a species on BLM’s sensitive species list.

The Proposed Action would have no adverse impact on flat-tailed horned lizard or Colorado Desert fringe-toed lizard. The Proposed Action would not likely adversely affect the Peirson’s milk-vetch or Mojave Desert Tortoise. Consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was initiated on September 2, 2020 and concurrence with this determination was received on November 19, 2020. The Proposed Action would have no adverse impact on proposed threatened and endangered species or BLM sensitive species. Project Design Features for biological resources have been included to avoid and minimize potential impacts.

10) Whether the action threatens a violation of Federal, state, or local law or requirements imposed for the protection of the environment.

The Proposed Action is in full compliance with all Federal, state, and local law requirements imposed for environmental protection. The Proposed Action is consistent with applicable land management plans, policies, and programs.

Approval

Reviewed by:_____________________________ Date:_____________________ Alexia Williams, BLM Project Manager

Reviewed by:_____________________________ Date:_____________________ Carrie Sahagun, BLM Assistant Field Manager

Approved by:_____________________________ Date:_____________________ Ryan Chatterton, BLM Field Manager