The Council on Environmental Quality defines cumulative effects as: The impacts on the environment which results from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency (Federal or non-Federal) or person undertakes such other actions. Cumulative effects can result from individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over a period of time (40 CFR 1508.7). The NEPA cumulative effects analysis is focused on defining the incremental effects of this project in context with the effects from:
Past actions with relevance to the current resource conditions.
Present actions of relevance, but not part of the Proposed Action or action alternatives.
Reasonably foreseeable future actions of relevance, but not part of the Proposed Action or action alternatives.
To analyze the implications of cumulative effects, this analysis considers background levels of effects, past project contributions, ongoing project contributions, effects from this project’s proposals, as well as the effects anticipated from reasonably foreseeable actions (future actions). Additionally, these effects will be collectively evaluated against legal or administrative thresholds to further judge significance of the effects. The geographic scope for cumulative effects analysis varies by resource. Each resource described in the following sections will indicate the geographic analysis area relevant for that resource.
Public scoping comments, local trend analyses (demographic and recreational), and consultation with various agencies or entities, such as TNC , NPS , USFS, USFWS , municipalities, and other project stakeholders, were used to develop an inventory of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable projects pertinent to this cumulative effects analysis.
The effects of various past, present, or future actions (regardless of the entity pursuing the action) and natural processes have the potential to coincide either in time or space with the effects of the Walking Box Ranch DCP project. The nexus of these effects will be discussed by resource throughout the remainder of this chapter. Identifying past and present activities is especially important to understanding the environmental baseline of resources within the analysis area. Furthermore, the following list of projects provides context for the Walking Box Ranch DCP activities:
Urban Development / Population Growth – In recent years, Clark County has been among the fastest growing counties in the United States. The county’s population increased from 277,000 in 1970 to more than 1.7 million in 2004. Electric meter hookups, another indicator of population growth, exceeded national and regional averages for the same period. Steady in-migration is a cornerstone of the modern Southern Nevada economy; most observers believe it will continue, however, at a more modest pace due to the 2008-2009 recession, into the foreseeable future.
Regional Protected Area Conservation – In addition to the recent and rapid urbanization trends in the greater Las Vegas Valley, local, county, state, and federal agencies have also been proactive in identifying lands suitable for conservation or protected status. The Regional Open Space Plan (approved by the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition in 2006) and the Las Vegas Valley Perimeter Open Space Plan (approved by the same body in 2009) set ambitious goals for conserving open space to create appropriate transitions and connectivity to Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA), Red Rock Canyon NCA , and other regional protected areas.
Cattle Grazing – Until recently, cattle grazing was an active practice in the Piute- Eldorado Valley. Remnant effects of previous grazing activities are still evident in the landscape. Grazing activities have contributed to noxious weed infestations in the valley.
Searchlight Wind Energy Farm – In 2008, the BLM began the environmental review process for a large wind farm proposed east of the Town of Searchlight. The wind farm would include approximately 90 turbines and, likely, a series of transmission lines.