Bakersfield Area National Cemetery Tejon Ranch, Kern County, California. Final Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

摘要

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) of the potential environmental consequences of constructing and operating a new national cemetery in the Bakersfield, California, area. Purpose and Need for Action The National Cemetery Expansion Act (Public Law (PL) 108-109) requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish six national cemeteries in specific areas of the United States. Bakersfield, California, was designated as one of the six areas to receive a national cemetery. Construction of the Bakersfield cemetery is needed to fulfill VAs obligations under PL 108-109, as well as to meet VA NCAs goal to provide all eligible United States veterans with reasonable access to VA burial options. Reasonable access is considered to mean that an open national or state veterans cemetery is located within 75 miles of a veterans place of residence. It is estimated that nearly 187,000 veterans reside in the 75-mile radius surrounding Bakersfield, California. Currently, the veterans in this area do not have reasonable access to a national or state veterans cemetery. Alternatives Considered VA NCA identified the proposed action, the construction and operation of a new national veterans cemetery in the Bakersfield area, as the best way to meet the purpose and need for action. Under the Proposed Action, a new national cemetery for eligible veterans and their family members would be constructed in phases on about 500 acres of land donated by the Tejon Ranch Company in Kern County, California. The site for the new national cemetery will be selected from a 2,000-acre project area in the northern portion of the Tejon Ranch located on a lower plateau of the Tehachapi Mountain foothills. Site 1 consists of an approximately 502-acre parcel in the northern portion of the Tejon Ranch, south of the intersection of SR 223 and SR 58 on the northwest side of SR 223. Site 2 consists of an approximately 496-acre parcel in the northern portion of the Tejon Ranch, south of the intersection of SR 223 and SR 58 on the southeast side of SR 223. VA would prepare a master plan to guide the development of the proposed cemetery. Development of the cemetery would occur in 10-year phases, with each phase designed to provide sufficient burial space for the 10-year period. VA has selected Site 1 for construction of the Bakersfield Area National Cemetery. The No Action Alternative is also evaluated in this EA. Under the No Action Alternative, construction of the Bakersfield Area National Cemetery would not occur on the donated Tejon Ranch parcel. VA would have to acquire another site for construction of the cemetery to comply with PL 108-109 and provide burial services to eligible veterans and their family members in the Bakersfield area.