Tri-State Cascade-to-Silverton Transmission Line

Permit Transfer and Fiber Optic Installation

Project Information

T39N-T40N, R8W-R9W, N.M.P.M.

Columbine Ranger District, San Juan National Forest,

La Plata and San Juan Counties, Colorado February 2014

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Background and Location

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) is a wholesale electric power producer/supplier that serves 44 rural electric cooperatives and public power districts in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Tri-State’s member distribution systems serve over 1.4 million consumers. Tri-State’s mission is to provide efficient, cost-effective power to its members

Tri-State owns and operates the 115kV overhead electric transmission line that extends from the Cascade Substation near the Durango Mountain Ski Resort to the Silverton tap within the Town of Silverton. The transmission line also provides a radial feed for electrical power to the Molas Lake Campground owned by the Town of Silverton. This transmission line is part of a 115-kV network of electrical power that extends from Cascade Substation north to Silverton, Burro Bridge, Sunshine and Telluride. South from Cascade, the 115-kV system continues on a transmission line owned and operated by La Plata Electric Association.

The subject transmission line was originally constructed by the Colorado Ute Electric Association for San Miguel Power Association, and was electrified in 1993. The current Forest Service (FS) Special Use Permit (SUP), which expires on December 30, 2020, was issued in the name of San Miguel Power; the line has since been acquired by Tri-State. The entire transmission line includes a total of 17 miles, with 15.4 miles on the San Juan National Forest. Figure 1 shows the location of the subject transmission line. The portion of the line located on Forest Service Lands is in La Plata and San Juan Counties, Colorado, and in T39N-T40N, R8W-R9W, N.M.P.M.

The Town of Silverton, which includes the County Seat for San Juan County, Colorado, has been attempting to obtain reliable internet service for over 12 years. It is the only County Seat in the state without a fiber optics connection. The community has been operating on a series of microwave towers, which have inadequate bandwidth, resulting in slow and unreliable internet service. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding was obtained statewide to install high-speed internet to many underserved communities, including Silverton. This project is part of that larger state-wide effort.

Need for the Project

The need for the project is to re-issue the SUP in the name of the current owner of the transmission line, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. Additionally, a permit amendment for installation of fiber optic lines, or optical Ground Wire (OPGW), is needed in order to provide better broad band internet service to Silverton and surrounding areas.

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Figure 1. Project Location.

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Project Description

Re-issuance of the permit in the name of Tri-State for the existing facilities is a paperwork exercise. The permit will maintain the same terms and conditions as those found in the existing permit, including ROW widths, access routes, and maintenance operations. The FS authorizes only those parts of the project that occur on FS lands.

Installation of the OPGW is the part of this project that will result in new activities on the ground, an amendment to the newly re-issued permit, and will involve the following components:

Scheduled Outage

A scheduled power outage is necessary for wire replacement. Outages must be scheduled in advance to insure that electric power is provided to customers by using alternative routes or pathways, or provided by a temporary generator. Turning off the power makes the line safe for men to climb and work on the structure.

Access

Existing access to the transmission line is via Highway 550 to FS land via existing gravel roads, overland access, or down trails and with All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), and down the ROW underneath the powerline with ATVs or on foot. Activity will primarily occur within the authorized ROW and on existing roads, but less than 1 acre off-ROW overland access will be needed to drive equipment to the pull sites. For this project, overland access routes do not need improvement for use by construction equipment. No new roads or any overland grading is planned. If overland access is found not to be adequate to reach the ROW, Tri-State would coordinate with the FS to make improvements for equipment.

Pull Sites, Stringing, and Tensioning

For installation of the OPGW fiber cable, Tri-State has selected pull sites, a type of staging area, with access from existing roads. Pull sites are needed to position the equipment needed for installing the cable including: boom-trucks, hydraulic tensioning machines, wire pullers, reel trailers, helicopter (optional), pickup trucks, and bobcats. Each pull site requires a small area for pulling/tensioning equipment and reels (about the size of a camper truck) and additional space for the cable to move safely between the structure and the ground. OPGW cable must be pulled at the correct angle to prevent glass fiber optic cables inside the insulated wire from breaking. Cable is pulled above the ground and little ground disturbance occurs under the cable. The cable may be installed with the assistance of a helicopter; however, on-ground pulling sites are still needed. Two cleared areas adjacent to Highway 550 have been identified for possible use as helicopter landing zones or equipment staging areas. The old wire must be wound up and removed, and the new wire strung through pulleys and reattached to the structures. Currently, Tri-State proposes to remove one overhead shield wire and replace it with OPGW cable. The wire to be replaced is ‘un-clipped’ and removed from the tops of the poles and placed on a pulley. Clipping wire is done by men who either climb the poles or sit on special seats on the outside

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of helicopters that hover near the wires. A wire is attached to the old wire and used to thread or lead the new wire through the pulleys and wound up on the ground in reels. The new cable is then pulled through the pulleys in a similar manner. The new OPGW cable will be thicker than the existing OHS wire but will not be visually discernible as larger.

Cable segments must be joined at pull sites where cable ends meet. The cable ends are joined on the ground by being brought into specially equipped vehicles or trailers. Inside the trailer, glass fibers are fused and then X-rayed to ensure that light will flow through the joined fiber. Each individual fiber must be fused. The joined fiber is taped and insulated for protection and returned to the cable box. Cable boxes are small, similar in size to a small transformer and are attached to one pole below the conductors.

Four pull sites have been located on the San Juan Forest between the Cascade Substation and the northern forest boundary. Additional pull sites will be located one on BLM managed lands, one on private land adjacent to the cascade Substation, and one within the Town of Silverton. Pull sites are located about every three (3) miles to accommodate the standard amount of cable wound on individual spools.

Pull sites on FS land are located next to pole structures 59, 103, 118, and 153. See Table 1 and Figure 1. A small area on one or both sides of the pole structure may be used. The area requested for each pull site ranges from about 0.27 to 0.75 acres. Additionally, minimal acreage outside of the ROW would be disturbed for driving equipment overland to reach the locations. A total of approximately 2.27 acres of Forest Service land will have ground disturbance. No grading or leveling is needed for pull sites because locations were chosen partially based on existing level ground surface.

Detailed Description of Activity by Forest Service Pull Site:

Structure 59 – The site is accessed from Highway 550 and the existing road to Little Molas Campground. Off-ROW access is needed to place a reel and tensioner at least 180 to 210 feet north of the structure. The structure is a two pole H-frame structure with a height of 61 feet. The northern pull site is 210 feet by 50 feet, 0.24 ac, and would be accessed off-ROW by using the path used to construct the pole in 1993 and currently used for routine inspection. The path comes off the campground road and proceeds about 200 feet to the ROW. Depending on seasonal conditions, the area may be wet. The road is mostly upland but is surrounded by a wetland meadow and may require wetland matting to cross wet soils. A route across the wetland will be selected to use upland areas to the greatest extent possible. Tri-State will work with the FS wetland specialist to flag or otherwise mark the best routes to the structure and north end of the polygon.

A reel and tensioner is also needed south of the structure at least 210 feet away. Pulling the fiber at Structure 59 will take around three to six days. Fiber will be pulled from structure 26 on the north end of the site, and from structure 103 on the south end of the site. Staging of the southern reel and tensioner will be within the ROW on the small bluff above the road at least 180-210 feet from the structure. Placing equipment in this location would require driving down the ROW from structure 59. It is possible that the southern site in this location could utilize the existing road to the campground in order to lessen impacts to the wetlands; if this is the case, a temporary road closure would be needed. All travel routes will be evaluated to determine the upland areas and locations where wetland matting is needed before construction begins.

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Structure 103 - is located off of Old Lime Creek Road near the northern end. Three pull sites are needed for equipment at this location. Structure 118 is a single pole with a height of 74.5 feet. The sites are located above the road cut; the side slopes are too steep to access the pull site directly from the road. The pull site is accessed along a path from Old Lime Creek Road along an overland access path to the ROW. This path was used to construct structures 102 and 103. The distance between the road and the ROW is about 6o feet (20 feet by 60 feet or 0.03 ac). The eastern site (50 feet by 122 feet or 0.14 ac) would use the Lime Creek Road surface to stage a reel and tensioner for pulling fiber staged at structure 118. Using the road for pulling equipment may require a short-term road closure.

In order to have a 3:1 angle for pulling the cable, the cable would be pulled very low on the structure and then raised to the top by hand. If the angles for this location cannot be made to work an alternative site may be needed and is proposed. This site is to the north extending 252 feet from structure 103 (50 foot by 252 feet or 0.28 ac). Access to this location and to the structure would be along the same path described above. A reel and tensioner could be located here and meet the 3:1 angle. The reel and tensioner would be placed at the north end of this site and could be placed on upland areas except for a small wet area adjacent to the road. This site, if used, may need wetland matting depending on seasonal conditions. However, the site is mostly dry through the cut in the willows visible from the Lime Creek Road edge. A path to this location would be flagged to keep equipment out of wet areas. Finally, a puller will be placed in the southern site to pull fiber from the reel staged at structure 59. The puller will use the road surface and possibly a temporary pole in the ROW to create the necessary pulling angle. This pull site is 50 feet by 140 feet or 0.16 ac.

Structure 118 - is located near the Coal Bank Rest Area off Highway 550. This structure is a two pole H-frame structure 56.5 feet in height. Two pull sites are need at this location, both located on the east side of the highway. The site extending due west from the structure (50 feet by 190 feet or 0.22 acre) it is partially off-ROW and would be on disturbed ground near the parking lot. This puller would pull fiber off the reel staged at structure 103. The second pull site is along the ROW and extends 50 feet by 190 feet or 0.22 acre, and would have a puller located at the southern end to pull cable staged at structure 153. A temporary pole would be located on the other side of the highway, on the ROW, to facilitate pulling over the highway. It would be removed following construction. This pole would be in addition to the guard structures placed by the contractor to prevent to fiber from falling on to the traffic lanes.

Structure 153 - is located off the southern end of Old Lime Creek Road. Structure 153 is a two-pole H-frame structure and is 60 feet tall. This site is an old gravel pit, now a large rocky meadow with a cattle pond. The pull site is north of the structure along the ROW and is 50 feet by 210 feet or 0.24 acre in size. A reel and tensioner would be placed at both the north and south end of the site. The north reel will be pulled from structure 153, and the south reel would be pulled from structure 169 at the Cascade Substation.

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Table 1. Acreage Required for OPGW Installation

Structure Nos. /Access

Ownership Structure Type

Dimensions Disturbance (ft)

New Acres* Disturbed

1 - Silverton Total City

Private (City)

Mono-pole Pull site=50 X 250

0.28

25 on ROW 26 on ROW Total BLM

BLM Mono-pole Pull site=50 X 260 Pull Site=50 X 275

0.30 0.32 0.62

59 Little Molas Lake Road off ROW from road to pole Total Site

FS H-frame Pull site 50 X 210 Pull site 50 X 354 off-ROW =20 X 200

0.24 0.41 0.10 0.75

103 Lime Creek Rd. N end off ROW from road to pole Total Site

FS H-frame Pull site 50 X 140 Pull site 50 X 122 Pull site Alt. Pull Site 50 X 252 off ROW= 20 X 75

0.16 0.14 0.14 0.28 0.03 0.75

118 Coal Bank Pass off ROW for partial pull site Total Site

FS H-frame Pull site=50 X 190 Pull site=50 X 190 Temp Pole 50 X 50

0.22 0.22 0.06 0.5

153 Lime Creek Rd Gravel Pit off ROW road to pole Total Site

FS H-frame Pull site=50 X 210 off ROW

0.24 0.03

0.27

169 Cascade Substation Total Private

Private

H-frame Pull site=50 X 95

0.23

0.23 Total Private+City 0.51* Total BLM 0.62* Total Forest Service 2.27* Total Project 3.4*

*Existing roads and helicopter pads are not included in the acres of new disturbance

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Reclamation and Revegetation

Following installation of the OPGW, pull sites will be inspected for ground damage. No burial or disposal of waste material is allowed on the ROW; therefore, all waste material would be removed. Bare areas of new disturbance will be reseeded and mulched to encourage revegetation. Some vegetation and ground disturbance may occur where equipment is set and where trucks access the site. Tension on the cable can move the equipment back and forth on the ground surface and cause some disturbance.

Operation

Cable would be inspected once a year, usually by ATV, as part of routine inspection done for the transmission line. Maintenance and operation activity for OPGW cable would occur rarely and would usually be associated with repair of broken cable resulting from storm damage. Repair would require climbing of the pole, removal of broken sections of fiber cable and replacement with new cable. Replaced cable would be reconnected to the existing cable using cable splicing equipment contained in small trucks similar to those used during construction.

Figures 2 through 4 show examples of different OPGW installation activity. Please note that the actual type of equipment and technique used is at the discretion of the contractor. Tri-State will require the contractor to use the pull sites identified for the project, but will not dictate how each pull site is used or how construction is completed.

Construction is currently planned to occur in summer 2014 and would be completed within 12-16 weeks. Small crews consisting of three to five men are likely for each crew. The contractor would determine the number of crews needed to complete construction in the construction window.

Figure 2. Pulling cable, spool reels on flatbed truck.

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Figure 3. Cable and pulley.

Figure 4. Workers arriving at the structure via helicopter.

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Environmental Considerations and Protection Measures

The following environmental issues and protection measures have been identified for this project.

Cultural Resources – Cultural resource surveys for both the transmission line and the specific pole sites have been completed and concurrence sought from the Colorado State Historic Protection Office by the FS. Specific recommendations made by the SHPO and FS will be incorporated into the construction contract document. No effects to cultural resources will occur.

Threatened and Endangered Species – Construction will occur primarily within disturbed habitats of the existing ROW. Tri-State would reclaim any ground disturbance as directed by the FS. A Biological Assessment is being conducted; because no changes to existing habitats are expected, there would be no affects, or inconsequential effects, to Threatened or Endangered federally listed plant or animal species. Also because there will be no changes to habitats, there will be no impacts to FS Sensitive species populations. Construction is scheduled for summer 2014 and would be outside of most migratory bird nesting activity.

Sensitive Habitats – Wetland habitat occurs at one pull site location, at structure 59 near the Little Molas Lake Campground. The site will be tested in early summer to confirm saturated soils and presence of wetland dependent vegetation. Careful construction, limited access, flagging or protective fencing, and monitoring will be needed to protect habitat at this location. Dry areas are present within the habitat and vehicle routes and equipment set-up will be done to utilize dry ground as much as possible. Wetland mats or wood log corduroy may be needed to cross wet saturated soils. Wetland disturbance is expected to be less than 0.1 of an acre. Actual square footage of disturbance will be calculated in early summer when snow has melted. Tri-State will work with the FS and contractor to determine appropriate mitigation measures for protecting this site.

Traffic – The contractor will be required to coordinate traffic and road closures with the FS. Road closures would be limited to 3-6 days depending on the time needed to pull the cable. Traffic plans or road closures are expected to be needed at up to three pull sites: The pull site at structure 118 near Coal Bank Pass on Highway 550 will need a traffic plan and permit from the Colorado Department of Transportation; the pull site at structure 103 will require a closure on the northern end of the Old Lime Creek Road; and the pull site at structure 59 at the entrance to Little Molas Lake Campground could possibly require a closure depending on the specific equipment sites selected to minimize impacts to the wetland habitat.

Colorado Roadless Areas – Approximately 6,200 feet of the transmission line cross through Upper Tier Colorado Roadless Areas (CRA), and about 10,900 feet cross through Non-Upper Tier CRA. None of the pull sites or access routes to the pull sites are within CRA. The only activities that will occur within CRA will be helicopter stringing of OPGW cable onto existing poles, and use of ATVs within the powerline ROW. ATV usage is allowed under existing maintenance requirements and is an allowed usage within CRA. The nine characteristics of roadless areas will not be affected. These characteristics are: 1. High quality or undisturbed soil, water, or air; 2. Sources of public drinking water; 3. Diversity of plant and animal communities; 4. Habitat for TES and those species dependent on large, undisturbed areas of land; 5. Primitive, semi-primitive motorized, and semi-primitive non-motorized recreation; 6. Reference

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landscapes; 7. Naturally appearing landscapes with high scenic quality; 8. Traditional cultural properties and sacred sites; 9. Other locally identified unique landscapes.

How To Comment

Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted for 30 days following the date of publication of a legal notice announcing the comment period in the Durango Herald. The estimated date of publication is March 5, 2014. The publication date of the legal notice is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period. Those wishing to comment should not rely on dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the responsibility of persons providing comments to submit them by the close of the comment period. Only those who provide comments during this period are eligible to appeal the decision.

Written comments must be submitted to: Cam Hooley, Environmental Coordinator, Columbine Ranger District, P.O. Box 439/367 S. Pearl Street, Bayfield, CO 81122. Comments may be faxed to: Attn: Cam Hooley @ (970) 884-2428. Hand delivered comments may be submitted to the Columbine Ranger District (address above) between the hours of 8:00am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, excluding holidays.

Electronic comments must be submitted to: comments-rocky-mountain-san-juan-columbine@fs.fed.us. For electronically mailed comments the sender should normally receive an automated acknowledgement from the agency as a confirmation of receipt. If the sender does not receive an automated acknowledgement receipt of comments, it is the sender’s responsibility to ensure timely receipt by other means. For appeal eligibility, comments must have an identifiable name attached or verification of identity may be required. A scanned signature may serve as verification on electronic comments. Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to appeal must provide the following information (36 CFR 215.6(3)):

1. Name and address 2. Title of the proposed action 3. Specific comments on the proposed action along with supporting reasons that the

Responsible Official should consider in reaching a decision 4. Signature or other verification of the identity upon request; identification of the

individual or organization who authored the comments is necessary for appeal eligibility 5. For multiple names or multiple organizations, a signature must be provided for the

individual authorized to represent each organization, or for each individual that wishes to have appeal eligibility.

Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment will be considered part of the public record on this proposed action and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not be eligible to appeal the subsequent decision.

Contact Person

For additional information concerning this project, contact Lynn Wodell, Realty Specialist, Columbine Ranger District, POB 439/367 S. Pearl Street, Bayfield, CO 81122, 970-884-1433.