3.2.1.1 Geographic Scope

minor but collectively significant actions taking place over time, including hydropower and other land and water development activities.

The environment that would be affected by the Project reflects the natural processes, human influences, and other innumerable activities occurring over thousands of years. CEQ, in a memorandum regarding analysis of past actions issued on June 24, 2005, stated: “agencies can conduct an adequate cumulative effects analysis by focusing on the current aggregate effects of past actions without delving into the historical details of individual past actions.” (CEQ 2005). In this analysis, the impacts of past projects are considered to have become part of the affected environment, which is described and evaluated in Sections 3.3 to 3.16; however, ongoing effects of past actions that are relevant to the analysis were also considered.

Resources that that are subject to our cumulative analysis review include: geology and soils, water resources, fish and aquatic resources, botanical resources, wildlife resources, recreation, land use, cultural resources, paleontological resources, aesthetic resources, socioeconomic resources, environmental justice, air quality, and noise. No environmental justice communities were identified within 5 miles from the Footprint of Potential Disturbance that would be affected by the Project. Therefore, the Project would not contribute to cumulative effects on environmental justice.

3.2.1.1 Geographic Scope

For a cumulative effect to occur, another project must impact the same resource(s) as the Project. The geographic scope of the analysis defines the physical limits or boundaries of the proposed action’s effects on environmental resources. Within each geographic scope, other projects’ effects, when combined with those of the Project, could result in a cumulative effect. Projects located outside of the geographic scope for an individual resource were not evaluated because their potential to contribute to a cumulative effect diminishes with increasing distance from the Project.

Because the proposed action may affect each resource differently, the geographic scope for each resource area varies as shown in Table 3.2-1.

Table 3.2-1. Geographic Scope by Resource for Cumulative Effects Associated with the Seminoe Pumped Storage Project

Resource Geographic Scope Justification

Geology and Soils Construction workspaces Effects on soils and surficial geology would be highly localized and are not expected to extend beyond the area of direct disturbance associated with the Project.

Water Resources HUC-8 Watersheds Watersheds are natural, well-defined boundaries for surface water flow, and commonly contribute to the recharge of groundwater resources. Impacts on water resources could extend throughout a HUC-8 watershed.

Resource Geographic Scope Justification

Fish and Aquatic Resources

Botanical Resources

Wildlife Resources HUC-8 Watersheds Consideration of effects within a HUC-8 watershed sufficiently accounts for effects on fish and aquatic resources that would be directly affected by construction activities and for indirect impacts such as changes in habitat availability and displacement of transient species. HUC-8 Watersheds Consideration of effects within a HUC-8 watershed sufficiently accounts for impacts on vegetation (including special status species) that would be directly affected by construction activities and for indirect impacts such as changes in habitat availability and displacement of transient species. HUC-8 Watersheds Consideration of effects within a HUC-8watershed sufficiently accounts for effects on wildlife (including special status species) that would be directly affected by construction activities and for indirect effects such as changes in habitat availability and displacement of transient species.

Recreation Within 2 miles of the Footprint of Potential Disturbance

Land Use Within 1 mile of Footprint of Potential Disturbance Effects on public recreational areas would be restricted to the construction workspaces and the adjacent landscape up to 2 miles. Effects on general land uses, including public recreational areas, would be restricted to the construction workspaces and the adjacent landscape up to 1 mile.

Cultural Resources

Paleontological Resources Proposed APE The proposed APE for direct effects (physical) includes areas subject to ground disturbance, while indirect effects (visual or audible) include project elements that are visible from historic properties in which the setting contributes to their NRHP eligibility.

Within 200 feet of Footprint of Potential Disturbance Areas subject to ground disturbance and in associated proximity to these disturbance areas.

Aesthetic Resources

Socioeconomic Resources

Within 0.5 mile of Footprint of Potential Disturbance Allows for consideration of viewshed-level effects visual resources.

Carbon County, WY The area where workers are expected to reside during construction and operation of the Project, with associated effects on employment, housing, public services, transportation, traffic, property values, economy, and taxes.