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

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationwould maintain a small, locally uncommon, pine barren community that supports sickle-leaved golden aster, astate-listed plant species of special concern and a state threatened insect, the pine barrens tiger beetle.5.12.4.2 Alternative B2The following section outlines the direct and indirect impacts to fish, wildlife, and plants associated withAlternative B2.Direct ImpactsRunway 16-34Safety enhancements associated with Alternative B2 would not affect aquatic habitats supporting fish orshellfish as impacts to Buckeye Brook are avoided. On the Runway 34 End, 510 linear feet of a high gradientintermittent stream (Tributary A11) that does not provide fish or shellfish habitat would be impacted. Thisstream was created as a diversion channel to direct flows around the end of Runway 34 when Runway 16-34was lengthened to 6,081 feet in 1967. A recent study of biodiversity in the Buckeye Brook watershedcommissioned by the RIDEM reported that the lowest macroinvertebrate species diversity observed withinsampled portions of the watershed was within Tributary A. 420 Approximately 340 linear feet of this streamwould be placed in one of two culverts, a 90-linear foot culvert would be installed under the relocated PerimeterRoad near the ATC and a 250-linear foot long culvert would be installed near the southern limit of Taxiway C.The remaining 170-linear feet of channel would be relocated. There are no aquatic habitats at theRunway 16 End.Alternative B2 would avoid impact to habitat of two state-listed species, the pine barrens tiger beetle andsickle-leaved golden aster. Potential habitat for Greatest Conservation Need grassland bird species south ofRunway 34 is avoided. A small (1.4 acres) remnant of a locally uncommon plant community, Atlantic white cedarforested wetland, south of Runway 34 and east of Buckeye Brook would not be impacted by Alternative B2.Runway 5-23Efficiency enhancements under Alternative B2 would relocate approximately 112 linear feet of Buckeye Brook,along a perennial stream segment, which supports a river herring spawning run into Spring Green Pond.Alternative B2 would also add an additional 30-foot extension onto the existing 70-foot long Lakeshore Driveculvert for Buckeye Brook. The existing culvert restricts fish passage and extending this culvert could furtherimpair the river herring run into Spring Green Pond.Most of the forested wetland impact (1.5 acres) that would be caused by extending Runway 5-23 would occursouth of existing Airport Road in Wetland A5, a 14.5-acre wetland, along with a smaller area of upland forestadjacent to Wetland A5. This impact would occur close to the culvert under Airport Road where black-crownednight-heron, a state species of special concern, has been observed feeding during river herring runs. This actioncould potentially affect foraging opportunities for this state-listed species.420 Buckeye Brook Biodiversity Impairment Data Report, 2008, ESS Group, 2009.Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-228 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc