8 Summary of Impacts - Proposed Action, Routine Operations: Biological Resources

Impacts on Terrestrial Vegetation, Wetlands, Birds, and Mammals

Impacts, including variations in vegetation types compared with types outside the ROW and disturbance to vegetation (with subsequent restoration) from excavation, dust shadow, or spills, would be small and local.

Impacts generally are anticipated to be local, affect only individual animals, and have no adverse impacts to populations. Population level impacts are considered very unlikely. They only would be anticipated from a very large spill or a spill that contaminated a crucial habitat in which a large number of animals were concentrated.

Impacts on Fish Habitat, Populations, and Movement

With the exception of the occurrence of a large oil spill under unfavorable circumstances, impacts to fish would be small and temporary, with no population-level effects. A major spill into a waterway could be severe and possibly long term, depending on the size of the receiving waterbody, the affected fish community, and the season of the year.

Impacts on Threatened and Endangered Species

Impacts are not expected to produce population-level effects that are distinguishable from natural variation in numbers, unless a low-probability, high-volume spill reached marine waters such as Prince William Sound. In the latter case, impacts may be moderate on the population level.

For More Information

More information about the impacts to the biological resources from routine operations under the proposed action is available in the FEIS Volume 3, Sections 4.1 - 4.6, Proposed Action Alternative Analysis - Routine Operations.

	Section 4.0 - 4.2 (828 KB, 74 pgs.)
	Section 4.3 (703 KB, 106 pgs.)
	Section 4.4 (967 KB, 146 pgs.)
	Section 4.5 - 4.6 (781 KB, 108 pgs.)

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