Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:

Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service

Description:

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) is responsible for planning, designing, building and operation of the first high-speed rail (HSR) system in the nation. California HSR System will connect the mega-regions of the state, contribute to economic development and a cleaner environment, create jobs, and preserve agricultural and protected lands. The system will run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles Basin in under three hours at speeds capable of over 200 miles per hour. The system will eventually extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations. In addition, the Authority is working with regional partners to implement a state-wide rail modernization plan that will invest billions of dollars in local and regional rail lines to meet the state’s 21st century transportation needs.

The Bakersfield to Palmdale Project Section is part of the first phase of the California high-speed rail system and connects the Central Valley to the Antelope Valley and the rest of the state.  The approximately 80-mile HSR rail line will travel through or near the cities of Edison, Tehachapi, Rosamond, Lancaster, and Palmdale with proposed stations in Bakersfield and at the Palmdale Transportation Center.  The project section will span the Tehachapi Mountains with a new modern rail line that closes the current passenger rail gap between Central and Southern California.

Due to the potential significant environmental impacts of the project section, a NEPA environmental impact statement is being prepared.  The Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on September 4, 2009, to begin the Tier 2 project-level environmental review process. The NOI stated the purpose of the project section, the project limits, a description of alternatives to be considered, the need for public and agency input, potential environmental impacts of the project, points of contact for additional information, and the dates and locations of the scoping meetings.

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by the State of California, working through the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority), pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated July 23, 2019, and executed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the State of California. As specified in the MOU, under the NEPA Assignment Program the FRA has assigned its federal environmental review responsibilities to the Authority. However, the FRA retains responsibility for certain activities including performing Clean Air Act conformity determinations and conducting formal government-to-government tribal consultations. Otherwise, the Authority is the federal lead agency for the Bakersfield to Palmdale Project Section, in addition to being the project sponsor.

Three cooperating agencies are included in the NEPA review process: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) agreed by letter, dated December 30, 2009, to be a cooperating agency under NEPA; the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) agreed by letter, dated September 25, 2013, to be a cooperating agency under NEPA; and the Surface Transportation Board (STB), per their letter dated May 2, 2013, is also a cooperating agency under NEPA based on its role in approving rail line construction. Multiple other federal agencies have been involved and have contributed to the NEPA process including the following: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Park Service (NPS), the National Forest Service (NFS), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The Authority is also the state lead agency under CEQA and more information about the project section and required federal, state, and regional approvals can be found on our website at www.hsr.ca.gov.