F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment - Joint Base Elmendorf ...

F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment
4.0 Environmental Consequences
Appendix E, Section 7 (Endangered Species Act) Compliance Wildlife Analysis for F-22 Plus Up
Environmental Assessment, discusses the CIBW and other wildlife species which could occur on
or near JBER. .
Impacts on marine mammals are regulated under the MMPA. The MMPA prohibits the
unauthorized take or harassment of marine mammals. In the context of military aircraft noise
examined here, the MMPA defines harassment as “any act that injures or has the significant
potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild [Level A
harassment]”, or “any act that disturbs or is likely to disturb a marine mammal or marine
mammal stock in the wild by causing disruption of natural behavioral patterns, including, but
not limited to, migration, surfacing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering, to a point where
such behavioral patterns are abandoned or significantly altered” (16 USC 1362(18). In addition,
the ESA also prohibits the unpermitted take of listed species, thereby providing additional legal
protection to the CIBW. The ESA’s definition of take includes actions that would harass, harm,
or kill a listed species.
Potential effects to CIBW include behavioral response to the overflight of F-22s. Animals may
react to the sound of the jet aircraft or the visual stimulus of the aircraft being overhead by
avoiding the area or altering their natural behavior patterns, which could constitute behavioral
harassment. Exposure to the F-22 aircraft noise would be brief (seconds) as an aircraft passes
overhead. The F-22’s closest approach to the water surface ranges from 653 to 4,295 feet MSL,
depending on the flight procedure being conducted. Because of the F-22’s altitude and small
size, as well as the rapidity of its overflight, adverse visual behavioral reactions by beluga
whales in the Knik Arm cannot be predicted.
A noise impact assessment for potential behavior effects of CIBW associated with the proposed
increase in F-22 aircraft operations at JBER-Elmendorf is presented in Appendix E. This
Appendix demonstrates that approximately 0.04 CIBW individuals per year (four individuals in
100 years) would be behaviorally harassed annually from proposed additional F-22 flying
operations. The National Marine Fisheries Service determined that this level of behavior response
would mean that the F-22 plus-up may affect but is unlikely to adversely affect the CIBW (NMFS
2011; see Appendix C). Additionally, the USFWS has indicated that there are no federally listed
or proposed species and/or designated or proposed critical habitat for which the USFWS is
responsible within the action area of the project (USFWS 2011; see Appendix C). No further
action is required regarding the ESA. The plus-up of F-22 aircraft would not be expected to have
a significant effect upon the CIBW or any federally listed or proposed species and/or designated
or proposed critical habitat.
4.6.2 Training Airspace Environmental Consequences
There would be no construction or ground-disturbing activities and no consequences associated
with the training airspace for the Proposed Action. Therefore, no impacts would occur to
vegetation and no wildlife habitat would be impacted under the training airspace.
No changes to the existing training airspace would occur under the Proposed Action. The
additional F-22s would use the training airspace associated with JBER in a manner similar to the
F-22s currently based there. By completion of the plus-up, the JBER F-22 operational wing
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