FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Q-Line Road Segment Reroute Grays Harbor County, Washington FEMA-4056-DR-WA The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has applied, through the Washington State Emergency Management Division (EMD), to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for Public Assistance (PA) funding to relocate a damaged segment of Q-Line Road in the Lower Chehalis State Forest. The purpose of the PA program is to award financial grants to assist state and local governments, federally recognized Tribal governments, and certain private nonprofit entities with the response to and recovery from disasters. A severe winter storm event in January of 2012 and subsequent melt and runoff in the Caddis Creek drainage caused the Q-Line Road prism to slough. The damaged road section provides mainline access throughout the Lower Chehalis State Forest and is located in Section 5 of Township 16 North, Range 5 East, of the Willamette Meridian at Latitude 46.90425 North, Longitude -123.3427 in Grays Harbor County, Washington. The DNRs is proposing to decommission the damaged section of the road and relocate the segment approximately 250 feet to the east on a flatter, more stable area. This Proposed Action includes the construction of approximately 550 linear feet of new roadway, and abandonment of 500 feet of the Q- Line Road that was damaged during the disaster, which would be bypassed by the new route. The new road alignment will be a total of approximately 50 feet in width, with a 16-foot wide gravel driving surface. Construction of the new road segment shall be consistent with WA State Habitat Conservation Plans (WDNR 1997, WDNR 2005) and Forest Practices Guidelines for Forest Roads (Section 3 Forest Practices Board Manual, Title 222 WAC). A re-vegetation Plan and Erosion Control Plan will be completed prior to construction, and non-invasive planting will occur in the decommissioned road. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Part 1500 through 1508), and FEMA’s implementing regulations (44 CFR 10.9), FEMA prepared a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to identify and evaluate potential environmental impacts resulting from the alternatives presented in the EA, and to determine whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Draft EA was available for public comment for 30 days on November 14, 2012; no substantive comments were received. As required by NEPA, several alternatives were considered by the. Alternatives evaluated in the EA include: (1) the No Action Alternative, and (2) the Preferred Alternative (which is the Proposed Action) toward which FEMA would contribute funding. Other alternatives were considered but not carried forward. The Preferred Alternative of rerouting the road is the least expensive and avoids construction on steep slopes and the potential for shallow rapid slides and soil erosion at the damaged site. Accordingly the Preferred Alternative is selected. The resources evaluated in the Draft EA included: Physical, Water, Biological, Historical and Cultural and Socioeconomic and Environmental Justice. PROJECT CONDITIONS The proposed project includes numerous Best Management Practices (BMPs) and mitigation measures. In addition, the following conditions apply, and failure to comply with these conditions may jeopardize the receipt of Federal funds: 1. Failure to obtain and comply with all appropriate local, state, and federal permits and authorizations may jeopardize federal funding. 2. Construction of the new road segment shall be consistent with WA State Habitat Conservation Plans (WDNR 1997, WDNR 2005) and Forest Practices Guidelines for Forest Roads (Section 3 Forest Practices Board Manual, Title 222 WAC). 3. The DNR is responsible for selecting, implementing, monitoring, and maintaining appropriate BMPs to control erosion and sediment, reduce spills and pollution, and provide habitat protection. Areas of disturbed soil need to be properly compacted to eliminate settling and erosion issues. Access roads and work areas must use existing access ways whenever possible and minimize soil disturbance and compaction. Re-vegetation of both Proposed Action sites should use species native to the project area or region. Noxious or invasive species may not be used. 4. In the event historically or archaeologically significant materials or sites (or evidence thereof) are discovered during the implementation of the project or should any cultural material (e.g., prehistoric stone tools or flaking, human remains, historic material caches) be encountered during construction, the project shall be halted in the immediate area where materials are found and all reasonable measures taken to avoid or minimize harm to property until such time as the applicant and FEMA, in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Tribes, and Washington EMD, determines appropriate measures have been taken to ensure that the project is in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act. 5. Any change to the approved scope of work will require re-evaluation for compliance with NEPA and other laws and Executive Orders prior to implementation. FINDING Based upon the PA grant application and Final EA; and in accordance with FEMA’s regulations in 44 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 10 for environmental consideration, including Executive Orders (EO) addressing floodplains (EO 11988), wetlands (EO 11990), and environmental justice (EO 12898), FEMA determined the proposed project will not significantly affect the quality of the natural and human environment. As a result of this FONSI, an EIS will not be prepared (44 CFR Part 10.8) and the project as described in the PA grant application and Final EA may proceed. APPROVALS __________________________________________________________________ Mark G. Eberlein Date Regional Environmental Officer FEMA Region 10 FONSI, Q-Line Road Segment Reroute 12/20/2012 Page 3 of 3