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Proposed Northern & Eastern Colorado Desert Coordinated

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Proposed Northern & Eastern Colorado Desert Coordinated Proposed Northern & Eastern Colorado Desert Coordinated Management Plan an amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan 1980 and Sikes Act Plan with the California Department of Fish and Game and Final Environmental Impact Statement U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management California Desert District and California Department of Fish and Game Inland, Deserts, and Eastern Sierra Region Chapter 1 Introduction Changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS 1. Table 1-1 of Land Ownership in the Planning Area was added. 2. Discussion of Planning Issues and Criteria was split into Sections 1.5 and 1.6. 3. Re-titled and expanded Section 1.7 on consistency with other plans to include discussion of wild and scenic rivers and wilderness management. 4. Added Section 1.9 entitled Using this Document. Chapter 2 Alternatives Changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS 1. The Preferred Alternative in the DEIS was altered (see next paragraph) as a result of a consideration of public comments, discussions with other local, state, and federal agencies, and BLM internal review (including the need for consistency among the various concurrent plans which together amend the CDCA Plan). 2. Changes to the Preferred Alternative actions include the following (with rationale included): to most sections: several technical and editorial corrections and changes Section 2.1, Standards and Guidelines: minor technical (program consistency) Section 2.2, Recovery of Desert Tortoise, change in procedures for programmatic tiered biological opinion (discussion with USFWS) Section 2.2, Recovery of Desert Tortoise, Grazing Management: restriction period, utilization limit, temporary non-renewable authorization, (plan-plan consistency and BO for the Mojave National Preserve) Section 2.3, Management of Special Status Animal and Plants and Natural Communities: delete Milpitas HMP from CDCA Plan, clarify authorization of artificial waters in wilderness areas for bighorn sheep/deer, clarify the construction of exclosures in bighorn sheep WHMAs (HMP: technical oversight. waters: public comments, NEPA analysis. exclosures: technical oversight) Section 2.4, Wild Horses and Burros: do not combine Herd Areas (technical oversight, by law cannot combine Herd Areas and change names); made technical change to Chocolate-Mule Mountains herd area for all alternatives (technical oversight) Section 2.5, Motorized Vehicle Access/Routes of Travel/Recreation: inventory and designation changes (refer to text, tables, and maps) for a number of routes; change in application of cultural program responsibilities (public comments, internal review) 3. The Preferred Alternative with the changes identified above is now called the “Proposed Plan” in this Final EIS, which is the shortened version of “Proposed Northern and Eastern Colorado Desert Coordinated Management Plan.” 4. A new introductory section is added: Alternatives considered but not carried forward. 5. In the Proposed Plan one new Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WHMA) is added to the sixteen contained in the DEIS Preferred Alternative. This addition is made at the suggestion of the USFWS so that, when added to other existing and previously proposed conservation elements, it better provides connectivity for the desert tortoise between the Chemehuevi and Chuckwalla DWMAs (a stated goal in the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan). The suggestion came late in the development of the FEIS as part of the consultation on NECO between BLM and USFWS and is not reflected in most tables in chapters and appendices throughout the FEIS except here and in the following two additional locations: 1) Section 2.3.3.2, first action under Objective a, and 2) on Map 2-21 Appendix A. The area of this new WHMA is 18,538 acres and is incorporated into the acreage total for the 17 WHMAs addressed in the first action under Section 2.3.3.2. On Map 2-21 Appendix A, the new area is distinguished from other WHMAs to better note the change. This new area is not a DWMA, but a WHMA with management emphasis for geographic connectivity for the desert tortoise and does not change other emphases or proposals or multiple uses - e.g., routes of travel designations, I-10 utility corridor, and multiple use class. Chapter 3 Affected Environment Changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS 1. Added Section 3.4.1 on biological resources management tools. 2. Updated listing status of species and made editorial corrections. 3. Added information to Table 3-9 relating Characteristics of Herd Management Areas. 4. Added Table 3-10 to show Age Composition of Burros in Herd Management Areas. 5. Added Section 3.7.8 on burro population viability and Section 3.7.9 that relates herd management areas throughout the California Desert Conservation Area. 6. Added Section 3.8.7 on California Back Country Discovery Trails and Section 3.8.8 on Rockhounding. Chapter 4 Environmental Consequences Changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS 1. This chapter has extensive changes to improve the discussion of environmental consequences as a result of public comments and internal review. Reasons, facts and analysis are related throughout this chapter and numerous literature citations have been added. The context of impacts is presented. 2. A summary table that compares and contrasts the impacts by alternatives is near the end of the chapter, just prior to a new section that relates cumulative impacts. Chapter 5 Monitoring Changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS 1. The chapter has been revised to relate the purpose and scope of plan monitoring, the frequency of monitoring and collaboration in monitoring. 2. Plan monitoring elements have been combined into Table 5-1. Chapter 6 Implementation No changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS Chapter 7 Consultation and Coordination Changes to this chapter in developing the FEIS 1. Added section numbering and added Sections 7.1.5 and 7.1.7 for consultation with State Historic Preservation Office and Other Consultations. 2. Updated current members of the California Desert Advisory Council. 3. Included new information since publishing the Draft EIS in Section 7.1.3 regarding DEIS and FEIS: Consultations, Distribution, Public Review, Protest of Decisions and in Section 7.3 Public Comments and Responses. References Changes to references in developing the FEIS 1. Many new references were added due to changes in Chapter 4 and throughout the text. Glossary Acronyms and Abbreviations Appendix A Maps Changes to this appendix in developing the FEIS 1. Added Map 4-1 for wild horse and burro management areas in the CDCA and Map 4-2 to show popular rock hounding areas with routes of travel designations. 2. Edited several maps to improve clarity, make minor changes consistent with public comments, internal review and narratives in Chapters 2 and 4. 3. Added geographical index overlay for 7.5 minute quadrangle maps to Map 2-32. Appendix B Standards and Guidelines Appendix C Livestock Grazing Prescriptions Changes to this appendix in developing the FEIS 1. This appendix has been changed in the following topics related to cattle grazing: utilization, temporary, non-renewable perennial forage authorization, ephemeral forage authorization outside of DWMAs, grazing curtailment during severe or prolonged drought, and construction of range improvements. Appendix D Desert Tortoise Mitigation Measures Appendix E Desert Restoration Appendix F Public Education Program from the California Statewide Desert Tortoise Management Policy Appendix G Limitation on Cumulative New Surface Disturbance Appendix H Species and Habitats Modeling and Development of Management Areas Appendix I Science Panel Reports Changes to this appendix in developing the FEIS 1. A second Science Panel Review Report from November 2001 has been added. Appendix J Guidelines for Domestic Sheep Management in Bighorn Sheep Habitats Appendix K Johnson Valley to Parker Motorcycle Race EIS (1980) Appendix L Route Inventory Process Appendix M Artificial Water Sources for Bighorn Sheep, Deer, and other Wildlife Changes to this appendix in developing the FEIS 1. Edited Table M-1 to reflect clarification in number of new waters in wilderness areas. Appendix N Wildlife History and Wildlife and Plant Distribution Tables Changes to this appendix in developing the FEIS 1. Updated listing status of species and made editorial corrections. Appendix O Perspectives on Proposals for and Changes to Management Areas Appendix P Boundaries of DWMAs and WHMAs and Boundaries of Washes Open Zones Appendix Q Photographs Appendix R Routes of Travel Designations New appendix Appendix S Response to Comments New appendix California Desert District Office 6221 Box Springs Boulevard Riverside, California 92507-0714 6780 NECP (CA-610) June 30, 2002 Dear Reviewer: Enclosed for your review is the Northern and Eastern Colorado Desert Proposed Plan (NECO) and Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). NECO will update the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 1980 California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan for the southeastern part of the CDCA. BLM prepared this document in partial fulfillment of its responsibilities under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Federal Endangered Species (ESA) Act of 1973. NECO is designed to stand alone from the Draft Plan/EIS (DEIS) issued in February, 2001. However, to gain the full management picture as NECO applies to the CDCA, the reader is referred to the CDCA Plan. NECO will amend some aspects of the CDCA Plan. Others elements - e.g., Cultural, Utilities, Minerals, and Recreation - remain largely unchanged. NECO is a two-volume set. The second volume contains only appendices. The public devoted substantial effort to providing in-depth review and input on the DEIS. BLM received over 1600 comment submissions (about 1400 of which were various form letters), which express over 450 separate comments. BLM has assessed these comments and utilized them in making substantive changes in the document, strengthening the EIS, and ensuring consistency with other concurrently developing plans (also amendments to the CDCA Plan). BLM appreciates those of you who took the time to provide comments.
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