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2.5 Regional Mitigation Goals
2.5.1 Background on
Regional Goals
The regional mitigation
described in this strategy is focused
on recommending appropriate
compensation for the unavoidable
impacts of developing the Dry Lake
SEZ (i.e., those impacts that cannot
be either avoided or minimized
onsite and are likely to exacerbate
problematic regional trends).
For impacts recommended for
regional mitigation, the mitigation
goal, at the broadest level, is to
offset the unavoidable adverse
impacts that are expected to
occur onsite with actions that
improve or protect the impacted
resource elsewhere in the region.
As detailed in the “Procedural
Guidance for Developing Solar
Regional Mitigation Strategies”
(BLM forthcoming), regional
mitigation goals should include
consideration of the effectiveness,
feasibility, durability, and risk of
mitigation locations and actions
for compensating for unavoidable
impacts in the SEZ.
The unavoidable impacts that
may warrant regional mitigation
for the Dry Lake SEZ (identified
in previous steps in this strategy
process) are as follows:
• The loss of desert tortoise
habitat and the potential loss
of individual desert tortoises.
The desert tortoise is listed as
a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act.
• The loss of habitat and the
potential loss of individual
animals for the following
BLM special status species:
Gila monster, Mojave Desert
sidewinder, ferruginous hawk,
golden eagle, loggerhead shrike,
and Le Conte’s thrasher.
• The loss of rosy two-toned
penstemon (also known as
pinto beardtongue) habitat and
the potential loss of individual
plants. The rosy two-toned
penstemon is a BLM special
status species plant.
• The loss of ecosystem services
and the human uses depending
on them, as a result of
development and until the lease
expires and the site is restored.
The primary components of
an ecological system are: soils,
vegetation, water, air, and
wildlife.
• The visual impacts that will
occur that exceed the allowable
level within the portion of the
SEZ located within the area
designated as visual resource
management (VRM) Class III in
the Las Vegas RMP (BLM 1998).
In addition, the following
unavoidable impacts were
identified as having the potential
to occur, depending on the way
the area is developed, the success
of onsite mitigation activities,
data gaps, and/or the discovery of
unanticipated resources:
• Introduction and spread of
invasive/noxious weeds.
• Alterations to surface hydrology.
• Loss of cultural resources.
• Increased density of desert
tortoise in the Coyote Springs
ACEC (established for tortoise
recovery).
• Visual resources as seen from
nearby specially designated
areas.
• Certain Native American
concerns (e.g., loss of habitat and
spiritual value).
While no regional mitigation
objectives are proposed for these
potential impacts, they will be
the focus of an elevated level of
monitoring so as to facilitate the
timely detection of unanticipated
impacts and conditional
stipulations to be included in the
grant to afford prompt and effective
remediation.
2.5.2 Las Vegas Resource
Management Plan Goals
and Objectives
The Las Vegas RMP (BLM
1998) guides BLM project-specific
decisions in the region in which
the Dry Lake SEZ is located. The
Las Vegas RMP established the
following management goals
and objectives related to the
unavoidable impacts identified in
2.5.1 for the Dry Lake SEZ:
Desert Tortoise
• Manage habitat to further
sustain the populations of
federally listed species so they
no longer need protection under
the Endangered Species Act.
24 • REGIONAL MITIGATION STRATEGY FOR THE DRY LAKE SOLAR ENERGY ZONE • TECHNICAL NOTE 444