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

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F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment 3.0 Affected Environment Compliance Restoration Program sites (67 sites) and Military Munitions Response Program Sites (36 sites) (personal communication, Caristi 2011). 3.5.2 Training Airspace Existing Conditions Hazardous materials used by F-22s in the Alaskan airspace consist of various components and fluids of the aircraft itself. The plastic and other residual parts of chaff and flares after deployment are inert and non-hazardous. Under normal use, there would be no hazardous materials or waste management requirements associated with the F-22 plus-up under the airspace. See also Section 3.3.2 Airspace Safety. 3.6 Biological Resources Biological resources in this discussion refer to plants and animals and the habitats in which they occur on and within the environs of JBER. Assemblages of plant and animal species within a defined area that are linked by ecological processes are referred to as natural communities. The existence and preservation of these resources are intrinsically valuable; they also provide aesthetic, recreational, and socioeconomic values to society. This section focuses on plant and animal species or vegetation types associated with JBER that typify or are important to the function of the ecosystem, are of special societal importance, or are protected under federal or state law or statute. For purposes of the analysis, JBER and neighboring biological resources will be organized into three major categories: (1) vegetation and habitat, including wetlands; (2) fish and wildlife; and (3) special-status species. In this section the ROI for biological resources is JBER-Elmendorf and its immediate vicinity. Federal laws and regulations that apply to biological resources include: Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), CWA, NEPA, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, ESA, Sikes Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), state hunting regulations, and state laws protecting plants and nongame wildlife. Vegetation includes all existing terrestrial plant communities and does not include specialstatus plants, which are discussed under special-status species below. The composition of plant species within a given area defines ecological communities and determines the types of wildlife that may be present. Wetlands are a special category of sensitive habitats and are subject to regulatory authority under Section 404 of the CWA, EO 11990 Protection of Wetlands, and EO 19988 Floodplain Management. The USACE administers the CWA, and has jurisdiction over all waters of the U.S., including wetlands. Jurisdictional wetlands are those areas that meet all the criteria defined in the USACE’s Wetlands Delineation Manual (Environmental Laboratory 1987). Fish and wildlife includes all vertebrate animals, with the exception of special-status species, which are discussed separately below. Typical animals include vertebrate groups such as fish, amphibians, songbirds, waterfowl, hoofed animals, carnivores, bats, rodents and other small mammals. The attributes and quality of available habitats determine the composition, diversity, and abundance patterns of wildlife species assemblages, or communities. Each species has its own set of habitat requirements and interspecific interactions driving its observed distribution and abundance. Community structure is derived from the net effect of the diverse resource and habitat requirements of each species within a geographic setting. For this reason, an assessment Page 3-32
F-22 Plus-Up Environmental Assessment 3.0 Affected Environment of habitat types and area affected by the Proposed Action can serve as an overriding determinant in the assessment of impacts for wildlife populations. Special-status species are defined as those plant and animal species listed as threatened, endangered, candidate, or species of concern by the USFWS or the National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as those species with special-status designations by the State of Alaska. The ESA protects federally listed threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Candidate species are species that USFWS is considering for listing as threatened or endangered but for which a proposed rule has not yet been developed. Candidates do not benefit from legal protection under the ESA. In some instances, candidate species may be emergency listed if USFWS determines that the species population is at risk due to a potential or imminent impact. The USFWS encourages federal agencies to consider candidate species in their planning process because they may be listed in the future and, more importantly, because current actions may prevent future listing. Additionally, the USFWS maintains a list of Birds of Conservation Concern (USFWS 2008), which has a goal of accurately identifying the migratory and nonmigratory bird species (beyond those already federally designated as threatened or endangered) that represent the USFWS’ highest conservation priorities. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game also maintains a list of endangered species and species of special concern. 3.6.1 Base and Vicinity Existing Conditions Vegetation. JBER is situated across rolling upland plains near the head of Cook Inlet (Knik Arm) in south central Alaska within the Coastal Trough Humid Taiga Province (Bailey 1995). The area is characterized by spruce-hardwood forests, bottomlands of spruce-poplar forests along major drainages, and dense stands of alder and willow along riparian corridors. Wet tundra communities bracket the coast. The proposed F-22 plus-up of six primary aircraft would take place and operate from the portion of JBER formerly known as Elmendorf AFB. The biological discussion focuses on that portion of JBER referred to as JBER-Elmendorf. Approximately 4,038 acres of JBER-Elmendorf’s 13,455 acres are classified as improved (buildings, runways, pavement, lawns) and 1,118 acres are classified as semi-improved (open fields around flightline, roads, munitions areas, and antenna fields) areas used for base facilities (Air Force 2007a). No plant species that are listed or have been proposed as candidates for federal listing as threatened or endangered are known to occur at JBER-Elmendorf (Air Force 2007a). There are 1,534 acres of wetlands at JBER-Elmendorf (Air Force 2007a). Wetland types are varied and range from palustrine scrub-shrub and forested wetlands to lacustrine and estuarine wetlands. Fish and Wildlife. JBER-Elmendorf supports a diverse array of wildlife species, including large and small mammals, raptors, waterfowl, songbirds, and fish. Due to the northerly latitude of the base, no reptiles occur, while the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is the only amphibian species. Moose (Alces alces), black bears (Ursus americanus), brown bears (U. arctos), and wolves (Canis lupus) are prevalent on the base and are typical residents of the Alaskan environment. These species have large home ranges that include JBER and Chugach State Park. Between 20 and 70 Page 3-33
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Cover Sheet ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMEN
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Table 5.1-1. Past, Present, and Rea
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Appendix A Characteristics of Chaff
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APPENDIX A CHARACTERISTICS OF CHAFF
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Table 2. Characteristics of RR-188
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they demonstrate ejection of 98 per
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Appendix B Characteristics and Anal
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APPENDIX B CHARACTERISTICS AND ANAL
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Figure 1. MJU-10/B Flare F-22 Plus-
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Flare failure would occur if the fl
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4.2 Flare Strike Risk Residual flar
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and velocity. A slug is defined as
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The S&I device maximum momentum wou
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Appendix C Public and Agency Outrea
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Senator Lisa Murkowski ATTN: Karen
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New Koliganek Village Council ATTN:
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Alaska Department of Natural Resour
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Eklutna Native Village ATTN: Doroth
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Village of Stony River ATTN: Mary W
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Village of Stony River ATTN: Mary W
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Appendix D Aircraft Noise Analysis
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Appendix E Sec 7 (ESA) Compliance W
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SECTION 7 (ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT)
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not require additional construction
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Other diet items include cod, pollo
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1.5.6 Northern Sea Otter—Southwes
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Most sound is actually transmitted
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The visual experience of an F-22 ov
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Figure 2. Water Surface Area Below
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approached by projected sound level
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whale are considered to be possible
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_____. 2010c. Proposed Critical Hab
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APPENDIX 1. NOISE IMPACTS ASSESSMEN
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important in determining whether an
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SPL (dB) Frequency (Hz) Figure 2. U
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e 1 µPa, 125-130 dB re 1 µPa, and
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1.18 Appendix 1 References Blackwel
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APPENDIX 2. INFORMATION ON BELUGA W
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Delphinapterus leucas, after exposu
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F2.1 Ungulates Wild ungulates appea
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F2.2 Waterfowl and Other Waterbirds
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leaving an aircraft during training
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Cavedo, A. M., K. S. Latimer, H. L.
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Perry, E. A., D. J. Boness, and S.
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