Edwards AFB News

EM keeps eye on Edwards resources during CITS project

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jason Hernandez
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  When the 95th Communications Group and the 95th Air Base Wing Environmental Management office began working together to install the Combat Information Transport System here, the environment was one of their main concerns.

Part of installing the system requires digging trenches in the ground, which sometimes run near or through natural resources and archeological sites that could be impacted.

"There are multiple locations throughout the base from one end to the other such as North Gate, South Gate and the Air Force Research Laboratory, where we are laying down new trench and installing new conduit systems and new fiber into the entire area," said Steve Swinehart, 95th CG information technology project manager for CITS. "We are also installing new switches in more than 500 buildings."

When crews prepare to dig, they must submit an Air Force Form 813, which requests permission to excavate at a specific location, he said.

"That request goes through Environmental Management," Mr. Swinehart said. "They will look at the location and verify what is out there, what type of area it is and if there are any environmental issues. They also give us instructions on what has to be done such as placing cordons or covering up holes. After we are done, environmental will inspect the area to ensure that everything has been restored to the state it was in before we started digging."

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 requires all federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of any project prior to implementation, said Keith Dyas, Environmental Management office environmental engineer.

Mr. Dyas is one of the individuals responsible for conducting the environmental impact analysis process after they receive an AF Form 813.

"Among the many environmental issues we have to consider are those impacts to archeological resources and biological resources," he said. "For that reason, we bring out specialists in archeology and biology to analyze the various impacts that a project might cause."

Environmental Management looks for various archeological and biological resources in different parts of the base.

"In some areas biologists may look for burrowing owls, while in more remote areas we may look for desert tortoises," said Amber Bruno, Environmental Management office biologist. "We want to look at the environment as a whole when trying to preserve it and prevent damage from occurring. There are certain species that are federally protected. Some laws protect migratory birds and endangered or threatened species."

If a project crosses a known tortoise habitat, biologists will perform clearance surveys outlined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, she said. The surveys help them determine what impact activities will have on a species.

Environmental Management also takes sensitive species in the area into consideration such as Mojave ground squirrels, desert cymopterus and the alkali mariposa lily, Ms. Bruno said. They are not federally protected, but Environmental Management wants to ensure protection isn't required in the future by taking measures now.

"When we look at where resources are in relation to the project, we must also consider the time of year," she said. "In spring, an owl or tortoise will be very active. In the winter, it's less likely to see activity and will be easier to monitor those plants or animals. If it looks like there will be a conflict with the project, we can put up barriers such as tortoise fencing."

Resources directly in conflict with a project can also be relocated to a safe place, Ms. Bruno said. A tortoise should only be moved by an authorized biologist. Biologists will sometimes dig a tortoise a new burrow and when the project has ended, move them back to their original home.

"The team has been very flexible," she said. "If there was a natural or cultural resource on one side of the road, they were able to reposition the line to the other side to avoid impact completely. From the very beginning this project was planned to put fiber on pre-existing corridors so they knew the potential for impacting natural and archeological resources was minimal."

Biologists use an assortment of tools to conduct surveys such as a compass and mirror, Ms. Bruno said. The mirror is used to direct sunlight into a burrow and the compass allows the biologist to confirm their direction and ensure they are surveying the right area. They also flag the perimeters of the area to mark what areas they are surveying.

Archeologists come into the picture to survey the planned layout for archeological sites and artifacts that may be of historical importance.

"As an archeologist, we do background research on the areas here," said Jim Johannesmeyer, Environmental Management archeologist,. "There are several prehistoric archeological sites that the cable ran through. We were able to know about this ahead of time and ensure that there was minimal ground disturbance caused by the cable plow. If we run into any artifacts in their way, we collect them to ensure they are safe. All of our artifacts are placed in our curation facility."

If archeologists find a site and it is within the project area, they will test it, he said. Testing the area may involve excavation with shovels and screens, which are used to retrieve artifacts. The artifacts are recorded on a Geographical Information System.

The GIS is one of the key tools archeologists and biologists use to survey areas. The system provides information found during past surveys.

"The GIS system has a map of the base," Mr. Johannesmeyer said. "We can input information such as archeological sites or biological resources, cables, phone lines and water lines. Once we can see that information, it enables the cable to be laid. I was here before we had it, and we had to draw our maps by hand. We can analyze sites much more quickly with this system."

Once proposed routes are put into the GIS, the biologists are able to put them in their Global Positioning System, Ms. Bruno said. The GPS allows them to access the route information in the field.

"It has gone really well," she said. "The CITS team and Environmental Management have been working together to make sure everyone knows where they are going to be. If there is an issue, Environmental Management is able to respond immediately."