U.S. Department of Agriculturewy-ESC-41, Part 1

U.S. Department of Agriculturewy-ESC-41, Part 1

U.S. Department of AgricultureWY-ESC-41, Part 1

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICERevised January 2002

ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION DATA SHEET [1]

(Complies with NEPA as printed in NRCS General Manual)

Cooperator or Project Name______

Location (County or Legal Description)______

Land Treatment Practice(s) and Land Area Being Evaluated:______

______

______

______

(For the case file one data sheet will generally be adequate for each land category that receives the application of land treatment practices, i.e., 40 acres of hay land is recipient of ditch lining, land leveling, and irrigation water management. The note column below can be used to identify any practices that causes a long term adverse effect.)

Prepared by:______Field Office:______Date:______

______

Approved by:______

District Conservationist

Environmental Factors
Code the following items:
+ Beneficial effect - Downgrading effect
 No significant effect / Check if
Applicable / Effects [2]
Short Long
Term Term / If neg. - will mitigation occur? [2]
Y =Yes
N = No
P = Possible / Notes
Quality Consideration - Water/Land/Air Resources
Changes In:
  1. Air Quality

  1. Appearance of Landscape (visual quality)[3]

  1. Archaeological & Historical Resource [5] (See Part 2)

  1. Land Use Changes (Yes or No)

  1. Erosion/Sedimentation Rates (USLE/WEE)

  1. Floodplain Resources

  1. Prime & Unique Farmlands

  1. Water Quality (appearance) [4]

  1. Water Quantity (Conservation = + Depletion = -)

  1. Energy (Conservation = + Depletion = -)

BIOLOGICAL RESOUCES & SELECTED ECOSYSTEMS
  1. Perennial Stream System (flow regime/channel characteristics, see NRCS Cold Water Stream Appraisal Guide)

  1. Intermittent Stream System (flow regime/channel characteristics)

  1. Big Game Migration Routes[3]

  1. Fisheries Habitat

  1. Upland Wildlife Habitat

  1. Wetland Resources

  1. Threatened or Endangered Species Habitat (plant/animals)

Other: Social & Economic Factors [6] (describe at footnote)

1

[1]FOOTNOTES

1 Environmental evaluations and assessments are described in Section 190, part 410, of the NRCS General Manual. This section is also included in the NEPA section of the NRCS Environmental Evaluation Reference (EER).

[2] Short term is considered to be the installation period. Long term is considered to be after the installation period to the end of the project (practice) life. A long term downgrading effect will occur when mitigation is not adequate or if mitigation is not desired by the landowner/land user.

Mitigation includes:

a) Avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of an action.

b) Minimizing impacts by limiting the degree or magnitude of the action and its implementation.

c) Rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitating, or restoring the affected environment.

d) Reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation and maintenance operations during the life of the action.

e) Compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments.

Long term effects significantly downgrading the environment should be described and brought to the attention of the State Resource Conservationist prior to proceeding. "Significantly" is defined in the NEPA section of the EER.

[2]

[3] Refer to the EER for resource and other data. Additional fish and wildlife data can be obtained from regional offices of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

[5]

[4] If irrigated land, the Wyoming NRCS Water Quality impairments Analysis applies.

[3]5 Documentation of the Cultural Resources Survey *See Part 2, WY-ESC-41.

[6] Social & Economic Factors

Degree of Public Interest -

Potential Controversary -

Setting - Urban or Rural -

Economic Impact-

Social Impact -

Other -

Wetlands Documentation/Permitting, etc. ( Write In Yes/No/NA)

_____Practices as planned have no significant adverse impacts.

_____All U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permitting requirements have been initiated or complete.

_____All Food Security Act (FSA) wetland requirements have been initiated or complete.

_____All state, county, & local requirements have been initiated or complete.

Recommendations: (check one)

_____Initiate environmental assessment (EA).

_____Not a federal action significantly affecting the quality of human environment.

_____Other (list)

Additional Remarks: