environmental assessment for the hog lake road improvement project

Ramona Hog Lake Road Improvement Project August 2011
Introduction
The Reservation Transportation Authority (RTA) is a consortium of 19 Southern
California Indian tribes whose purpose is to plan, design and build roads on its
members' reservations and to advocate for tribal transportation needs. The RTA
proposes to implement the Hog Lake Road Improvement Project (Project) with
funding assistance from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA). The proposed Project will pave the surface of the Hog Lake Road, upgrade
drainage structures, correct road structure deficiencies, provide better emergency
vehicle access to the Ramona Reservation, and improve safety through the
installation of signs and striping on U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service
(Forest Service), National Forest System lands and privately held lands owned by
the Ramona Band of Cahuilla Indians (Ramona Tribe) and another private individual.
Initially formed in 1998, the RTA is a joint, subordinate branch of its member tribal
governments and is recognized by the federal government as the equivalent of a
tribal government agency. Each member tribal government appoints one Director to
represent it on the RTA Board of Directors. The Board of Directors elects five
Directors who serve as the RTA Executive Board, which is responsible for RTA
management. RTA funding is made available through Public Law 93-638 federal
contracts to carry out the BIA Tribal Roads Construction as well as grants and
contracts for other transportation-related activities and projects from local, state, and
federal agencies.
The Hog Lake Road Improvement Project has been designated a “high priority
project” by the RTA and BIA. The Forest Service has previously granted the Ramona
Tribe a temporary road use permit for Hog Lake Road; however this permit expired.
Pursuant to 16 USC 551 and 36 CFR 261.50(a) and (b), and to protect natural
resources and provide for public safety, National Forest roads are subject to closure
by Forest Order for a variety of reasons. The Reservation’s “isolated in-holding”
status warrants a year around long term access authorization.
In conjunction with proposed road improvements, several easements are proposed
through federal, private and reservation lands in order to provide reasonable public
and tribal access as well as to assign road maintenance responsibilities to the
appropriate parties (see Figure 3).
The BIA will serve as lead Federal agency for compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act (ESA), and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA), with the Forest Service participating as a Cooperating Agency. The BIA and
Forest Service will use this EA to determine whether the proposed Project will result
in significant impacts to the environment and whether a Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI) should be issued or an EIS should be prepared.
Frank Springer & Associates, Inc. Page 2 of 79 Environmental Assessment