SCC Emission-Free and Treaty Resources Protection Clean Energy Initiative Award Number: DE-IE0000036 CX(s) Applied: A9, B5.16 Office of Indian Energy Date: 10/21/2016 Location(s): WI Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
November 2, 2016
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SCC Emission-Free and Treaty Resources Protection Clean Energy Initiative
Award Number: DE-IE0000036
CX(s) Applied: A9, B5.16
Office of Indian Energy
Date: 10/21/2016
Location(s): WI
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide funding to the Sokaogon Chippewa Community for the installation of approximately 600 kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities (18 installations) on its Reservation that would service 17 Tribal buildings in Forest County, Wisconsin. Of the 18 installations, 16 would be roof-mounted and two would be ground-mounted. Individual installations range from approximately 7 kW to 100 kW in size. This project includes contracting, design, permitting, construction, commission, monitoring, verification, and project management/reporting activities for the solar PV installations.
All proposed structures for the roof-mount installations have been evaluated by the recipient and determined to be structurally sound. Wetlands would not be affected by project activities. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists three special status species (Canada Lynx, Gray Wolf, and Northern Long-eared Bat) and 16 migratory bird species (including Bald Eagle) as possibly occurring within the project area. Because ground-mounted systems would require no vegetation clearing or tree removal and would occur within actively maintained areas and roof-mounted systems would not be expected to affect species or habitat, DOE has determined that there would no effect to either special status species or migratory birds (including eagles) as a result of project activities. None of the Tribal buildings where installations would occur are listed as historic or eligible for listing as historic on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) but there is a NRHP listed property, the Dinesen-Motzfeldt-Hettinger Log House (Ref. #04001486), across State Highway 55 from the ground-mounted PV system proposed at the C-store location. Three other roof-mounted installations (Youth Center, Elderly/Senior Center, and Food Distribution) may be visible from the NRHP property. The criteria qualifying the property for the National Register listing was Criteria C (Design/Construction) with Criteria Consideration b (Moved Property). Even though the property has been removed from its original location, it retains enough historic features to convey its architectural values and retain integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The solar installations that would occur near the Dinesen-Motzfeldt-Hettinger Log House could not alter the characteristics of the property that qualified it for inclusion in the National Register (architecture), therefore DOE has determined that the proposed project would have no potential to cause effects on historic properties and has no further obligations under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. There were no other resources of concern found during review of the proposed project.