Was hing t on C ros s ing A udubon S oc iet y C om m ent s on t he PennEas t draft EIS T he PennEas t draft Env ironment al Impac t S t at ement ( EIS ) is t oo dat a defic ient t o s upport t he Federal Energ y Reg ulat ory C ommis s ion’s ( FERC ’s ) c onc lus ion t hat t he PennEas t pipeline projec t will do no s ig nific ant harm t o t he env ironment . T he Unit ed S t at es Fis h and Wildlife S erv ic e ( US FWS ) g uidelines s t at e t hat projec t s s hould “av oid permanent habit at alt erat ions in areas where birds are hig hly c onc ent rat ed” and c it e A udubon Import ant Bird A reas ( IBA ’s ) as examples of hig h c onc ent rat ion areas . T he propos ed PennEas t pipeline t rans v ers es s ev en IBA ’s . T he draft EIS does not adequat ely addres s t he impac t s t o t hes e IBA ’s . In prev ious c omment s on t he PennEas t pipeline projec t , WC A S urg ed a t horoug h ons it e s urv ey of eac h of t hes e areas t o as s es s what s pec ies were pres ent and when t hey were pres ent t o adequat ely ev aluat e t he impac t of t his projec t on birds and ot her wildlife in t hes e IBA ’s . Y et only a g eneral and inc omplet e lis t of birds affec t ed is c it ed in t he report . A c omparis on of t he draft EIS lis t s and t he eBird lis t s for t hes e IBA ’s s hows t hat many more mig rat ory and breeding birds are pres ent in t he area t han c it ed in t he draft EIS . T he Baldpat e Mount ain IBA is bot h t he bes t s t udied IBA affec t ed and t he mos t frag ile. A n out lier of t he Great er S ourland Mount ain IBA , Baldpat e has t he s ec ond larg es t expans e of c ont ig uous fores t in c ent ral New J ers ey and t he larg es t area of hig h qualit y unders t ory but is at t he low end of t he s iz e required for int erior fores t s pec ies and is es pec ially s us c ept ible t o edg e effec t and habit at deg radat ion due t o it s long , narrow s hape. A ny dec reas e in t he widt h of fores t would hav e a neg at iv e effec t on bird habit at . Of t he 1 7 1 bird s pec ies report ed on eBird as of Marc h 7 , 2 0 1 7 , fort y -­‐t hree s pec ies are breeding Neot ropic al mig rant s and eig ht y -­‐one are mig rat ory Neot ropic al mig rant s . Breeding Neot ropic al mig rant s inc lude New J ers ey ( NJ ) s pec ial c onc ern breeding s pec ies V eery , Wood T hrus h, Hooded Warbler, Worm-­‐eat ing Warbler and K ent uc ky Warbler in t he int erior fores t habit at . A C erulean Warbler breeding t errit ory was dis c ov ered in May 2 0 1 7 on a fores t ed s lope. T he Y ellow-­‐breas t ed C hat , an NJ breeding Neot ropic al mig rant of c ons erv at ion c onc ern breeds in t he powerline ROW. Golden-­‐wing ed Warbler and Gray -­‐c heeked T hrus h are NJ s pec ial c onc ern non-­‐breeding Neot ropic al s pec ies t hat mig rat e t hroug h Baldpat e. Res ident birds of c ons erv at ion c onc ern doc ument ed during breeding s eas on are C ooper’s hawk, NJ s pec ial c onc ern breeding ; Red-­‐s houldered Hawk, NJ endang ered breeding and s pec ial c onc ern non-­‐breeding ; Barred Owl, NJ t hreat ened breeding and non-­‐breeding ; and Red-­‐headed Woodpec ker, NJ t hreat ened breeding and non-­‐breeding . NJ T hreat ened L ong -­‐eared Owl roos t s were doc ument ed from pellet s under roos t ing t rees in t he wint er of 2 0 1 3 -­‐
2 0 1 4 and s pring of 2 0 1 6 and s een in Dec ember 2 0 1 6 . NJ breeding s pec ial c onc ern s hort dis t anc e mig rant Brown T hras her breeds at Baldpat e in edg e habit at . NJ t hreat ened A meric an K es t rel and NJ s pec ial c onc ern breeding Broad-­‐
wing ed Hawk als o hav e mult iple Baldpat e rec ords . A ddit ional bird s pec ies ment ioned in t he draft EIS US FWS Trust Resource List inc lude breeding Neot ropic al mig rant s s pec ies Blac k-­‐billed C uc koo, Blue-­‐wing ed Warbler, and Prairie Warbler, whic h breed in edg e habit at s at Baldpat e; L ouis iana Wat ert hrus h, whic h breeds in t he maz e of s mall s t reams on t he nort h s ide of Baldpat e and along t he adjac ent Fiddler’s and Moore’s c reeks ; t he Neot ropic al mig rat ing s pec ies C anada Warbler; and s hort -­‐t erm mig rant and wint er res ident Fox S parrow. A ddit ional A udubon/ A BC Wat c hlis t 2 0 1 4 s pec ies t hat mig rat e t hroug h Baldpat e are Prot honot ary and C onnec t ic ut Warblers . T he eBird lis t c ont ain many more s pec ies t han are lis t ed in t he draft EIS . WC A S has c onduc t ed breeding s t udies on Baldpat e. A c ens us of s ing ing males from 2 0 0 8 t o 2 0 1 6 s hows t he hig hes t doc ument ed dens it y of breeding Neot ropic al mig rant s in New J ers ey . Wit h c ont ig uous fores t and four areas of h ig h qualit y s pic ebus h unders t ory , Baldpat e is s at urat ed wit h breeding Neot ropic al birds . T he fiv e int erior fores t breeding s pec ies t hat are des ig nat ed New J ers ey s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern need a healt hy unders t ory t o s uc c es s fully breed. A t Baldpat e Hooded Warblers and Wood T hrus h breed in t he s hrub lay er, V eeries and K ent uc ky Warblers nes t on or near t he g round in dens e s c rub, and Worm-­‐eat ing Warblers nes t on or near t he g round in dens e s c rub on a s lope. Graph # 1 & # 2 s how t he number of breeding t errit ories for t hes e s pec ies along approximat ely eig ht mile of t rails s ampled in t wo rout es . If t he PennEas t pipeline is built , one area of hig h qualit y S pic ebus h unders t ory would be c onv ert ed from int erior fores t habit at t o edg e habit at . In t he firs t .5 mile along t he Whit e T rail from t he Pleas ant V alley parking lot , eig ht Wood T hrus h t errit ories , t hree V eery t errit ories and one Hooded Warbler t errit ory would be affec t ed by t he pipeline c ons t ruc t ion. T he Wood T hrus h is s ing led out in t he S t at e of the Birds 2016 r eport as one of t he s pec ies in s t eepes t dec line in Nort h A meric a. A los s of eig ht breeding t errit ories is a c lear v iolat ion of US FWS g uidelines . Ot her fores t int erior s pec ialis t t hat nes t at Baldpat e are t he c anopy nes t ing Y ellow-­‐t hroat ed V ireo, S c arlet T anag er, and Eas t ern Wood Peewee. T able # 1 s hows t he int erior fores t breeding Neot ropic al mig rant s found at Baldpat e. T able # 2 s hows all breeding Neot ropic al s pec ies at Baldpat e, inc luding edg e breeding bird and birds t hat breed bot h on t he edg e and in fores t g aps wit h dens er unders t ory . C ont ig uous fores t wit h healt hy unders t ory is rare in c ent ral New J ers ey due t o des t ruc t ion of t he unders t ory in mos t areas by ov erabundant whit e-­‐t ailed deer. S inc e breeding t errit ories in s uit able habit at in t he S ourland Mount ain IBA are already t aken and ot her areas s urrounding Baldpat e are t oo s mall or t oo deg raded t o s upport t hes e s pec ies , t here is no plac e for t hes e birds t o es t ablis h breeding t errit ories if t he Baldpat e t errit ories are los t or deg raded. Wood Thrush and Veery 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Wood Thrush 2013 2014 2015 2016 Veery Graph # 1 : Num ber of Wood T hrus h and V eery breeding t errit ories 2 0 0 8 -­‐2 0 1 6 . Hooded, Worm-­‐ea�ng, and Kentucky Warblers 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2008 2009 2010 2011 Worm-­‐ea�ng Warbler 2012 2013 Kentucky Warbler 2014 2015 2016 Hooded Warbler Graph # 2 : Num ber of Hooded, Worm -­‐eat ing , and K ent uc ky Warblers breeding t errit ories 2 0 0 8 -­‐2 0 1 6 Note: Graphs show number of breeding territories along two routes from 2008 to 2016. Each route was appraised six times per breeding season. 2008-­‐2016 breeding study Baldpate Route #1: Straight trail from Pleasant Valley parking lot to connector trail to North-­‐east paths. Return to White Trail. Ridge Trail (White Trail) from Pleasant Valley Road parking lot to intersection at low point in the trail. Right trail to connector trail to power line. Return to Ridge Trail. Ridge Trail to old logging trail /horse trail going from tenant farm to power line & return by Northwest Trail (new white trail 2008); Red Trail (North-­‐west loop); return on Ridge Trail (White Trail) from pine windrow to parking lot. Approximately 6 miles loop including three high quality spicebush thicket areas. 2008-­‐2016 breeding study Baldpate Route #2: Summit Trail from Fiddler’s Creek parking lot; loop around summit; return by road. Approximately 2.3 miles loop including high quality spicebush thicket adjacent to trail and road. T able # 1 : Num ber of T errit ories of Int erior F ores t B reeding Neot ropic al Mig rant s at B aldpat e Species 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Yellow-­‐billed Cuckoo 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 Eastern Wood-­‐Pewee 32 16 27 33 28 18 18 13 16 Great-­‐crested Flycatcher 2 3 1 1 2 0 1 0 3 Red-­‐eyed Vireo 14 10 18 21 17 27 24 12 16 Yellow-­‐throated Vireo 1 4 6 2 7 5 4 7 14 Wood Thrush 34 34 58 58 60 54 68 67 67 Veery 57 41 57 68 54 44 60 42 47 Worm-­‐eating Warbler 4 5 11 7 7 8 5 7 6 Black-­‐and-­‐white Warbler 5 6 9 14 16 14 17 27 13 American Redstart 2 2 4 5 5 6 8 10 7 Ovenbird 107 116 130 133 115 129 132 130 168 Louisiana Waterthrush 1 1 1 1 1 Kentucky Warbler 4 7 10 10 3 3 2 1 3 Hooded warbler 32 29 38 30 29 19 30 21 26 Scarlet Tanager 15 15 24 29 26 25 32 17 27 Waterthrushes nest earlier than most other species and have a specialized habitat within the re censused separately. . The Cerulean territory found in 2016 was not on the breeding bird survey trail that opened later than the study started. It was not in the core interior forest but on a steep orest edge. Table #2: Num ber of T errit ories of B reeding Neot ropic al Mig rant s at B aldpat e Note: Yellow-­‐breasted Chat found in powerline ROW during breeding season in 2016 outside of study route but within Baldpate IBA. The Cerulean territory found in 2016 was not on the breeding bird survey routes but off a trail that opened later than the study started. Non-­‐av ian s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern are als o found on Baldpat e. T wo rept iles of c ons erv at ion c onc ern in New J ers ey , Eas t ern Box t urt le and Nort hern C opperhead, breed at Baldpat e. Eig ht Eas t ern Box T urt les were found at Baldpat e in t he s ummer of 2 0 1 6 , t wo of t hem in t he ROW, indic at ing a low dens it y breeding populat ion in t he area affec t ed by PennEas t . A 2 0 1 6 s t udy by Friends of Hopewell V alley Open S pac e ( FoHV OS ) found a breeding populat ion of nort hern c opperheads on Baldpat e. C opperheads were not ment ioned in t he draft EIS . A healt hy populat ion of S hag bark Hic kory is found on Baldpat e, wit h s ome t rees s lat ed t o be c lear c ut for t he c ons t ruc t ion of t he propos ed PennEas t pipeline. T he t ree s pec ies is prot ec t ed as it is t he preferred roos t ing s it e of t he federally endang ered Indiana Bat . T he draft EIS s t at es t hat no c rit ic al habit at s are affec t ed but s inc e t here has not been a t horoug h s earc h for t he bat at Baldpat e, t his s t at ement c annot be v erified. S ev eral plant s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern t hat hav e been doc ument ed at Baldpat e by FoHV OS were als o not ment ioned in t he draft EIS . T he rout e of t he propos ed PennEas t pipeline c ut s t hroug h t he edg e of t he S ourland Mount ain Reg ion IBA . T he int erior fores t breeding Neot ropic al mig rant s are t he s ame as at t he Baldpat e Mount ain IBA . While t he area of t he S ourland Mount ain IBA adjac ent t o t he PennEas t rout e, t he D&R Greenway Roc k Hopper Pres erv e, has not been t horoug hly s t udied, eBird rec ords s how t he pres enc e of s ev eral New J ers ey lis t ed s pec ies , NJ t hreat ened Red-­‐headed Woodpec ker and New J ers ey s pec ial c onc ern s pec ies Wood T hrus h, V eery , Hooded Warbler, K ent uc ky Warbler, and Worm-­‐eat ing Warbler. T he pres erv e c ont ains areas of hig h qualit y S pic ebus h t hic ket s . L ouis iana Wat ert hrus h breed in t he maz e of s mall s t reams in t he pres erv e. T he s t reams c ros s ed by t he Y ellow T rail are v ulnerable t o blas t ing from t he PennEas t pipeline c ons t ruc t ion. A more t horoug h breeding s urv ey of t his area is needed t o det ermine t he number of breeding pairs of Wat ert hrus h. T he US FWS T rus t lis t s pec ies Fox S parrow wint ers in t he Roc k Hopper Pres erv e. Barred Owls breed in low dens it y in t he S ourland Mount ain IBA . One area of t he Roc k Hopper Pres erv e has g ood pot ent ial habit at for Barred Owl and s hould be s urv ey ed. T he Roc k Hopper Pres erv e is a hig h qualit y habit at area of t he S ourland Mount ain IBA whic h needs t horoug h boot s -­‐on-­‐t he-­‐g round s t udies , inc luding det ailed mapping of breeding birds and mig rat ion us e. T he propos ed PennEas t pipeline rout e als o c ros s es t he Pole Farm IBA . Gras s land s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern t hat nes t at t he Pole Farm are NJ t hreat ened A meric an K es t rel; NJ t hreat ened breeding Gras s hopper S parrow and Bobolink; and NJ s pec ial c onc ern breeding Eas t ern Meadowlark, Brown T hras her, and Y ellow-­‐breas t ed C hat . US FWS T rus t Res ourc e L is t s pec ies Blue-­‐wing ed and Prairie Warblers als o breed at t he Pole Farm. Breeding bird mapping s urv ey s are needed t o det ermine if breeding t errit ories us ed by t hes e s pec ies are affec t ed by t he propos ed pipeline rout e. N J s pec ial c onc ern s pec ies Nort hern Harrier and S hort -­‐eared Owl hav e wint er roos t s at t he Pole Farm. Wint er s urv ey s are needed t o det ermine if t he areas us ed by t hes e s pec ies are affec t ed by t he pipeline and it s c ons t ruc t ion. NJ s pec ial c onc ern s pec ies V es per S parrow has been report ed during fall mig rat ion, rais ing c onc erns about t he pipeline effec t s on mig rat ing s pec ies . New J ers ey endang ered breeding and non-­‐breeding t hreat ened Bald Eag les hav e been report ed at t he Pole Farm t hroug hout t he y ear. T h eir us e of t he Pole Farm need t o be bet t er doc ument ed. T he Ev erit t s t own Gras s lands IBA eBird bar g raph lis t s t h e following s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern: T he NJ t hreat ened breeding Red-­‐headed Woodpec ker ( wint er rec ords ) ; NJ t hreat ened breeding A meric an K es t rel and Gras s hopper S parrow ( older rec ords ) during t he breeding s eas on; NJ t hreat ened breeding and s pec ial c onc ern non-­‐breeding Bobolink during mig rat ion; NJ s pec ial c onc ern Eas t ern Meadowlark; and NJ S pec ial c onc ern breeding Brown T hras her during breeding s eas on. Not e t hat eBird c ov erag e of t he area is s pars e s o t his lis t is inc omplet e. A c omplet e, up t o dat e breeding and mig rat ion s urv ey is needed. T he Mus c onet c ong Gorg e IBA eBird bar g raph lis t s 2 1 2 bird s pec ies us ing t he IBA , inc luding eig ht y -­‐t wo Neot ropic al mig rant s , and lis t s t he following s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern: NJ endang ered breeding and t hreat ened non-­‐breeding Bald Eag le during breeding s eas on; NJ endang ered breeding and non-­‐breeding s pec ial c onc ern Red-­‐s houldered Hawk; NJ breeding s pec ial c onc ern C opper’s Hawk during breeding s eas on; NJ t hreat ened breeding and non-­‐breeding s pec ial c onc ern Bobolink during breeding s eas on; NJ t hreat ened breeding Red-­‐headed Woodpec ker, Os prey , and A meric an K es t rel during breeding s eas on; NJ s pec ial c onc ern breeding V eery , Wood T hrus h, Brown T hras her, Hooded Warbler, K ent uc ky Warbler, Worm-­‐eat ing Warbler, C erulean Warbler, Y ellow-­‐breas t ed C hat , and Gras s hopper S parrow during breeding s eas on; NJ s pec ial c onc ern Eas t ern Meadowlark; US FWS T rus t Res ourc e L is t L ouis iana Wat ert hrus h, Blue-­‐
wing ed Warbler, Prairie Warbler, and Blac k-­‐billed C uc koo during breeding s eas on; and US FWS T rus t L is t Rus t y Blac kbird, Fox S parrow, and Pied-­‐billed Grebe during ov erwint ering s eas on. A c omparis on of WC A S ’s Baldpat e breeding s t udy and t he Baldpat e eBird lis t s hows a hig h c orrelat ion bet ween eBird lis t s and breeding . Bas ed on t his , mos t , if not all, of t he birds lis t ed in eBird during t he breeding s eas on are breeding at t he Mus c onet c ong Gorg e IBA . Mapping of breeding birds is needed t o ac c urat ely as s es s t he damag e PennEas t will do t o breeding habit at s . In Penns y lv ania, t he propos ed PennEas t pipeline c ros s es t he Hic kory Run S t at e Park IBA and t he g lobally ranked K it t at inny Ridg e IBA , a g lobally import ant rapt or mig rat ion c orridor. eBird rec ords for Hic kory Run S t at e Park s how 1 3 6 s pec ies inc luding t he following US FWS T rus t L is t S pec ies : t he y ear-­‐round c onc ern lis t ed Bald Eag le and breeding s eas on c onc ern lis t ed Blac k-­‐billed c uc koo, C anada Warbler, C erulean Warbler, L ouis iana Wat ert hrus h, Prairie Warbler, Worm-­‐eat ing Warbler, and Wood T hrus h. eBird rec ords for t he K it t at inny Ridg e IBA s how 2 8 4 s pec ies inc luding t h e following US FWS T rus t L is t s pec ies : y ear-­‐round c onc ern lis t ed Bald Eag le and Pied Billed Grebe; breeding s eas on c onc ern lis t ed Red-­‐headed Woodpec ker, Blac k-­‐billed C uc koo, C erulean Warbler, Blue-­‐wing ed Warbler, C anada Warbler, Golden-­‐wing ed Warbler, K ent uc ky Warbler, L ouis iana Wat ert hrus h, Prairie Warbler, Worm-­‐eat ing Warbler, and Wood T hrus h; and ov erwint ering c onc ern Fox S parrow and Rus t y Blac kbird. A ddit ional A udubon/ A BC Wat c hlis t s pec ies t hat hav e been report ed are Bic knell’s T h rus h , Prot honot ary Warbler, and C onnec t ic ut Warbler. T his lis t jus t ifies a t horoug h boot s –on t he –g round s t udy , inc luding mapping of breeding t errit ories . T he State of the Birds 2016 report lis t s 3 7 % of Nort h A meric an birds at hig h ris k of ext inc t ion wit hout s ig nific ant ac t ion, Red lis t ed s pec ies , and 4 9 % at moderat e ris k, Y ellow lis t ed s pec ies . In Eas t ern t emperat e fores t 1 9 % of 1 4 4 bird s pec ies are Red lis t ed; in g ras s lands 2 7 % of 4 5 s pec ies are Red lis t ed. Import ant Bird A reas ( IBA ) are areas ident ified as s ig nific ant t o birds bec aus e of numbers of birds us ing t hem, endang ered habit at s , or rare s pec ies . Habit at los s , deg radat ion, and frag ment at ion is t he major c aus e of bird los s . IBA ’s are what remains of s ig nific ant habit at for many t hreat ened s pec ies . Pres erv ing t he int eg rit y of IBA ’s is a c rit ic al firs t s t ep t o rev ers e t he c urrent ly uns us t ainable los s of bird populat ions . T he t arg et ing of IBA ’s for pipeline c ons t ruc t ion whic h will res ult in t he furt her los s , deg radat ion, and frag ment at ion of habit at . T he rout e of t he propos ed PennEas t pipeline c ros s es s ev en IBA ’s wit h ov er 4 0 % of t he rout e in New J ers ey g oing t hroug h IBA ’s . T his is in c lear v iolat ion of t he US FWS g uideline t o av oid areas “av oid permanent habit at alt erat ions in areas where birds are hig hly c onc ent rat ed”. Int erior fores t breeding s pec ies and t he fores t t hey depend upon are es pec ially at ris k as it t akes 1 0 0 y ears t o res t ore fores t habit at , as s uming long t erm Whit e-­‐t ailed deer c ont rol or exc lus ion. T he draft EIS is c learly dat a defic ient as a perus al of t he eBird rec ords for t hes e IBA ’s will s how. A t horoug h y ear-­‐round s urv ey of bird populat ions in t he areas affec t ed by t he PennEas t pipeline is needed t o det ermine whic h s pec ies are pres ent at what t imes , wit h mapping of breeding t errit ories of s pec ies of c ons erv at ion c onc ern es pec ially needed. T he dat a defic ient draft EIS does not beg in t o addres s t he env ironment al damag e t hat will oc c ur if t he PennEas t pipeline is built .