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DOE/EIS-0332; McNary-John Day Transmission Line Project Draft ...

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3<br />

3-50<br />

Affected Environment, Environmental<br />

Consequences, and Mitigation<br />

Loss of the cryptogamic crusts could result in an increase in soil erosion and decreased<br />

soil nutrient and water retention. Reestablishment of the cryptogamic crust component in<br />

higher quality shrub-steppe is a long-term process, and can take from 7 to 100 years,<br />

depending on the complexity of the species association within a given area of<br />

cryptogamic crust (PALS 1997).<br />

Removal or disturbance of higher quality shrub-steppe communities along the project<br />

corridor would be a notable impact for the following reasons.<br />

� Disturbance of these areas would provide an opportunity for invasion by cheatgrass<br />

and other nonnative species. Adjacent grasslands provide a seed source for<br />

cheatgrass invasion. Moreover, cheatgrass has a competitive advantage over native<br />

bunchgrasses, which are an important component of shrub-steppe associations in the<br />

project area.<br />

� Restoration of native shrub-steppe communities would require long-term intensive<br />

maintenance to control invasive species.<br />

� Restoring the native shrub and grass component of the higher quality shrub-steppe<br />

would be only one component of recovering these communities. Restoration of the<br />

cryptogamic crust component and support for the animals that utilize shrub-steppe<br />

communities would be long-term processes tied to reestablishment of the shrubsteppe.<br />

Environmental Consequences—Short-<strong>Line</strong> Routing Alternatives<br />

Table 3-16 summarizes the vegetation impacts associated with the short-line routing<br />

alternatives.<br />

Table 3-16: Impacts of Short-<strong>Line</strong> Routing Alternatives:<br />

Vegetation<br />

Alternative Impacts<br />

<strong>McNary</strong> Substation Alternatives<br />

A. Relocate administration<br />

building presently located<br />

on north side of substation<br />

adjacent to Wildlife Natural<br />

Area<br />

B. Cross Wildlife Natural<br />

Area; circumvent<br />

administration building on<br />

north side<br />

Approximately 2 acres of permanent impact to grassland<br />

communities for the new location of building.<br />

Cottonwood trees and some vegetation would be removed for tower<br />

sites and conductor clearance. These cottonwoods are somewhat<br />

unique given the dry conditions that prevail over most of the route.<br />

The are supported by a local seep. Since the seep will not be altered,<br />

similar moisture-dependent woody species will likely regenerate in<br />

the areas where cottonwoods are cut.<br />

BPA <strong>McNary</strong>-<strong>John</strong> <strong>Day</strong> <strong>Transmission</strong> <strong>Project</strong><br />

<strong>Draft</strong> <strong>EIS</strong><br />

February 2002

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