Environmental Assessment for Atlantic White Cedar Restoration Project at Dare County Range, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.

摘要

Pursuant to provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 United States Code (USC) 4321 to 4370h, implementing Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations, 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1500-1508, and 32 CFR Part 989, Environmental Impact Analysis Process, the U.S. Air Force (Air Force) assessed the potential environmental consequences associated with the restoration of 83 acres of Atlantic white cedar at the Dare County Range, Dare County, North Carolina. The purpose of the proposed action is to regenerate Atlantic white cedar stands in degraded condition to ensure the stands are not replaced with hardwood stands. This project is needed because the results of forest inventories have indicated competition-induced mortality and declining conditions of the Atlantic white cedar stands on the Dare County Range. Atlantic white cedar is considered to be imperiled by NatureServe and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program. The Environmental Assessment (EA), incorporated by reference into this finding, analyzes the potential environmental consequences of activities associated with the regeneration of 83 acres of Atlantic white cedar, and provides environmental protection measures to avoid or reduce adverse environmental impacts. The EA considers all potential impacts of Alternative A (Proposed Action) and the No-Action Alternative. The EA also considers cumulative environmental impacts with other projects at the Dare County Range.