Federal: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for most grazing regulations.
The project should have no impact on wild horses or burros. The main impact on grazing livestock is the loss of grazing habitat. 6.4 acres (0.03 km2) in the long-term and 33.6 acres (0.14 km2) in the short-term would be lost due to disturbances during construction. However, these numbers are small compared to the total grazing habitat, which is around 21,000 acres (84.98 km2). The project affects less than 0.002% of the total grazing habitat, and is therefore considered to have no impact on this criterion. Further, the impact of pipelines that could present a barrier is mitigated by the construction of road under-crossings at every quarter-mile (0.40 km).
Cumulative Effects
None mentioned.
Mitigation
The mitigation measures for this section include the review of the affected grazing habitat and the potential recommendation of appropriate locations for additional under-crossings. Also, the USFS may seek reimbursement for the land that will be permanently lost to the power plant.
Residual Impacts
Grazing land will be permanently lost despite the mitigation measures.
No project design measures have been established to mitigate impacts on the grazing livestock, yet the report states that if the construction coincides with the grazing period, the animals may become lost in the construction area, and construction noise and traffic could lead to difficult livestock management. The livestock may even be injured or killed. The report mentions that these outcomes could be avoided if the project is planned accordingly, but no plan was made. The proponent does not seem to be concerned by this issue, and the report fails to raise the issue in the residual impacts or the cumulative impacts.