Bureau of Land Management's Decision Record and Environmental

Jersey Valley Geothermal Development Project
Environmental Assessment: NV063-EAO8-091
effects could result from general human activity, which could displace individuals or reduce
breeding success of species that are sensitive to human activity. The indirect effects would be
temporary and short-term for the proposed construction and drilling operations, but would
continue over the life of the Project for power plant operations. Wildlife would be able to
re-occupy the disturbed areas upon completion of the Project and site reclamation. There should
be no residual impacts to wildlife resources.
Threatened and Endangered Species
There would be no impacts to threatened and endangered species as none are known to exist
within the surveyed portions of the Jersey Valley Unit Area and proposed transmission line
corridor.
Special Status Species
Sage- Grouse
No impacts to sage-grouse are expected within the Jersey Valley Unit Area as sage-grouse
habitat is marginal and no sage-grouse were observed during the biological survey. Within the
transmission line corridor, sage-grouse may use the sagebrush in the valley floor as winter
habitat on the rare occasions when the snow accumulation in the Fish Creek Mountains or the
Tobin Range is sufficiently deep to cover the sagebrush. To reduce the potential impacts to
wintering concentrations of sage-grouse, Ormat has committed to adopt protection measures
which would reduce potential impacts to sage-grouse (see Section 2.1.11).
Pygmy Rabbit
No impacts to pygmy rabbits are expected within the Jersey Valley Unit as pygmy rabbit habitat
is marginal and no pygmy rabbits were observed during the biological survey. As some of the
sagebrush associated with a few of the drainages crossed by the transmission line corridor were
suitable habitat for pygmy rabbits, potential impacts to pygmy rabbits exist during construction
of the transmission line. However, transmission line poles could be located outside of, and
“span,” the existing drainages. As no surface disturbing activities associated with construction of
the transmission line are proposed within any pygmy rabbit habitat, direct impacts to pygmy
rabbits are minimal.
The additional traffic resulting from the construction crew traffic will increase the amount of
dust in the area and will increase the probability of running over a pygmy rabbit. However, the
rough roads will limit the speed of the vehicles. Ormat has also proposed to apply water to the
ground during the construction and utilization of the drill pads and access roads as necessary to
control dust (see Section 2.1.11). Therefore, the proposed Project may impact individuals, but
would not likely contribute to a trend towards Federal listing or cause a loss of viability to the
population or species.
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