T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluation• Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance includes farmlands of statewide or local importance andlands also potentially used for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, and oil seed crops. Generally,additional farmlands of statewide or local importance include those that nearly meet the definition of primefarmland and that economically produce high yields of crops when treated and managed according toacceptable farming methods.4.15.2 Affected EnvironmentThe soils within the Project Area that are classified as Prime Farmland or Additional Farmland of StatewideImportance are shown on Figure 4-33 and listed in Table 4-36.Table 4-36Regulated Farmland Soils within the Project Area (Baseline Condition)Prime Farmland 1Area (acres)Merrimac sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes 14.2Merrimac sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes 1.9Sudbury sandy loam 17.8Additional Farmland of Statewide ImportanceWalpole sandy loam 2 69.8Hinckley gravelly sandy loam, 0 to 3 percent slopes 169.4Hinckley gravelly sandy loam, rolling 83.11 All the Prime Farmland soil map units are also designated as Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance.2 Refers to artificial drainage installed in agricultural fields.Scattered pockets of both Prime Farmland and Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance soil mappingunits occur throughout the northern and southeastern portions of the Project Area (Figure 4-33). Regulatedfarmland soils at the southeastern corner of the Project Area are primarily within undrained wetland areas, orare developed. Within the Project Area, most Prime Farmland and Additional Farmland of StatewideImportance units are undeveloped and consist of woodland and shrubland or undrained wetlands.Most undeveloped farmland soils occur north of Airport Road, extending from Post Road to Spring Green Pond(Figure 4-33). A 55-acre tract of cultivated Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance is locatedapproximately one-quarter mile north of Airport Road (the Confreda Farm). The 38.8-acre Fain Farm (37.8 acresof which are Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance) is also just north of Airport Road and BuckeyeBrook. These are the only areas of active farmland within the Project Area.Most of the Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance units closest to the eastern portions of the Airportproperty boundary are mapped as poorly drained Walpole soils according to the Soil Survey of Rhode Island. 251Walpole soils are hydric and are only considered Additional Farmland of Statewide Importance when drained.Because these soils are not presently drained, they are excluded from consideration as Additional Farmlands ofStatewide Importance. Small pockets of both Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance soil251 Soil Survey of Rhode Island, Rector, Dean. USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service). 1981.Chapter 4 – Affected Environment 4-72 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH04_Affected_Env_JUL_2011.doc