Final FONSI and EA for hot cargo pad on Kirtland AFB - Kirtland Air ...

<strong>Final</strong> <strong>EA</strong> Addressing Construction, Operation, <strong>and</strong> Maintenance of a Hot Cargo Pad
3.7.2.5 Wetl<strong>and</strong>s
Wetl<strong>and</strong>s provide an important function in recharging aquifers <strong>and</strong> buffering streams by filtering
sediment <strong>and</strong> nutrients. Wetl<strong>and</strong>s have been defined by agencies responsible <strong>for</strong> their management. The
term “wetl<strong>and</strong>” used herein, is defined using USACE conventions. The USACE has jurisdiction to
protect wetl<strong>and</strong>s under Section 404 of the CWA using the following definition:
. . . areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency <strong>and</strong>
duration sufficient to support, <strong>and</strong> that under normal circumstances do support, a
prevalence of vegetation typically adapted <strong>for</strong> life in saturated soil conditions (33 CFR
328.3[b]). Wetl<strong>and</strong>s generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, <strong>and</strong> similar areas.
Wetl<strong>and</strong>s have three diagnostic characteristics that include: (1) over 50 percent of the
dominant species present must be classified as obligate, facultative wetl<strong>and</strong>, or
facultative, (2) the soils must be classified as hydric, <strong>and</strong> (3) the area is either
permanently or seasonally inundated, or saturated to the surface at some time during the
growing season of the prevalent vegetation (USACE 1987).
Wetl<strong>and</strong>s are considered waters of the United States if they are determined to be jurisdictional by the
USACE <strong>and</strong> USEPA. See Section 3.7.1 <strong>for</strong> further details regarding jurisdiction by these agencies.
There are several wetl<strong>and</strong>s on Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB; however there are no wetl<strong>and</strong>s at or near the proposed <strong>hot</strong>
<strong>cargo</strong> <strong>pad</strong> site (see Figure 3-7).
3.8 Cultural Resources
3.8.1 Definition of the Resource
Cultural resources include prehistoric <strong>and</strong> historic archaeological sites, structures, districts, or areas
containing physical evidence of human activity. These resources are protected <strong>and</strong> identified under
several Federal laws <strong>and</strong> EOs. The Federal Laws include the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
(1966), the Archaeological <strong>and</strong> Historic Preservation Act (1974), the American Indian Religious Freedom
Act (1978), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (1979), <strong>and</strong> the Native American Graves
Protection <strong>and</strong> Repatriation Act (1990).
The NHPA requires that Federal agencies assume the responsibility <strong>for</strong> the preservation of historic <strong>and</strong>
prehistoric resources located on l<strong>and</strong>s owned or controlled by that agency. Section 110 (a)(2) of the
NHPA requires that “...each Federal agency shall establish a program to locate, inventory, <strong>and</strong> nominate
to the Secretary all properties under the agency’s ownership or control...that appear to qualify <strong>for</strong>
inclusion on the National Register….” Section 110 (a)(2) further requires that “Each agency shall
exercise caution to assure that any property that might qualify <strong>for</strong> inclusion is not inadvertently
transferred, sold, demolished, substantially altered, or allowed to deteriorate significantly.” These
requirements are also included in DOD Directive 4710.1.
Under NHPA guidelines, cultural resources, including building, structures, objects, sites, <strong>and</strong> districts, are
to be evaluated <strong>for</strong> National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility using the NRHP Criteria <strong>for</strong>
Evaluation, as listed in 36 CFR 60.4. To be listed in, or considered eligible <strong>for</strong> the NRHP, a cultural
resource must be 50 years or older <strong>and</strong> possess at least one of the four following criteria:
The resource is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
pattern of history (criterion A).
Kirtl<strong>and</strong> AFB, NM January 2011
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