Cedar City District in REPLY REFER to United States Department of the Interior
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Cedar City District IN REPLY REFER TO United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Cedar City District 1579 North Main Cedar City, Utah 84720 October 31, 1984 Dear Public Land User: Enclosed is the proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Environ- mental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Cedar, Beaver, Garfield, Antimony plan- ning units. The Cedar City District Bureau of Land Management has prepared this document in conformance with the requirements of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The proposed RMP and Final EIS is designed to be used in conjunction with the Draft RMP/EIS (DEIS) published in May 1984. This document contains the pro- posed plan and-its environmental consequences along with revisions and errata pertaining to the Draft EIS/RMP, public comments received, and BLM's responses to these comments. The State Director shall approve the proposed RMP no sooner' than 30 days after the Environmental Protection Agency's published notice of receipt of the FEIS in the Federal Register. Persons desiring to protest plan decisions must sub- mit written protests to the Director, Bureau of Land Management (Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, 18 and C NW, Washington, DC 20240) with- in 30 days of the filing of the document with the Environmental Protection Agency. All protests must be received within the time limit allowed and must conform to the requirements of 43 CFR 1610.5-2. The final resource management plan will be completed with the Record of Decision. I want to personally thank those who participated in the development of this plan. I hope your involvement will continue as we move into the imple- mentation and monitoring phases of the plan and as we develop activity plans in specific programs. Sincerely, Morgan Distri DEPARTMENTOF INTERIOR FINAL RESOURCEMANAGEMENT PLAN ENVIRONMENTALIMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE CEDARIBEAVERlGARFIELDlANTIMONY PLANNINGAREA CEDARCITY DISTRICT, UTAH PREPARED BY BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT OCTOBER 1984 . ROLANd ROBISON STATE DIRECTOR, UTAH RESOURCEMANAGEMENT PLAN/ ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ( ) DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (X) FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT U. S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management Type of Action: (X) Administrative ( ) Legislative Abstract: This proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Final Env i' ronmental Impact Statement (FEIS), when combined with the Draft Env i ronmental Impact Statement (DEIS) describes and analyzes four alternatives for management of public lands and resources in the Cedar, Beaver, Garfield, and Antimony planning units. The four alternatives addressed are: Alternative A, No Action; Alternative B, Planning; Alternative C, Production, and Alternative D, Protection. The Proposed Resource Management Plan is patterned after the Planning Alternative and focuses on resolving five planning issues. These issues addressed such topics as land disposal, oil, gas, and geothermal leasing, coal leasing, protection of sensitive resources, providing habitat and forage for domestic livestock and wildlife, and providing woodland products on a sustained basis. When the RMP is finalized, it will provide a comprehensive framework for management of public lands resources. For Further Information Contact: Sheridan Hansen George Peternel Rex Rowley Beaver River Area Manager Escalante Area Manager Kanab Area Manager 444 South Main Escalante, Utah 84726 301 N. 1st East Cedar City, Utah 84720 801-644-2672 Kanab, Utah 84741 801-586-2458 801-826-4291 Date Final Statement Made Available to EPA and the Public: November 2, 1984 Date by Which the Protests Must be Received by the Directo:r: December 7, 1984 iii of Csnfen fs Part I Page Number Summary I. Introduction S.l II. Public Input s.3 111. Major Actions s.4 Hok: to Use This Document X Cedar/Beaver/Garfield/Antimony Resource Management Plan 1. Introduction A. Organization of the Plan B. Planning Horizon C. Plan Monitoring D. Plan Implementation II. Program Directives A, Lands 4 B. Minerals 18 C. Recreation 50 D. Wildlife 56 :::: : ,‘. :j . -;. E. Soil, Water, Air 81 F. Forestry 88 6. Range 94 H. Wild Horses 132 1. Fire Management 138 3. Cultural Resources 141 K. Visual Resources 145 :i.: : iv i. Part II Cedar/Beaver/Garfield/Antimony Environmental Impact Statement - Final Chapter I - Introduction A. Purpose and Need 1.1 B. Planning Process Overview C. Location and Description of the Planning Area 1.4 D. Description of Issues, Planning Criteria, and How 1.6 the Proposed Plan Resolves the Planning Issues Chapter II - Public Comments and Responses A. Analysis and Review Procedures for Public Comments 2.1 B. Comment Letters and Responses 2.1 Chapter III - Alternatives A. Continuation of Present Management Alternative - No Action 3.1 B. Planning Alternative - Preferred Alternative 3.2 C. Production Alternative 3.3 D. Protection Alternative 3.4 E. Comparison Between the Proposed Plan and the 3.6 Preferred Alternative Chapter IV - Affected Environment (See Draft Environmental Impact 4.1 Statement) Chapter V - Environmental Consequences of the Proposed Plan A. Impacts of the Proposed Plan 5.1 1. Impacts to Lands 5.1 2. Impacts to Minerals Resources 5.2 3. Impacts to Recreation Resources 5.5 4. Impacts to Wildlife and Riparian/Fisheries 5.5 5. Impacts to Soil Resources 5.9 6. Impacts to Forestry Resources 5.10 V Part II (Continued) 7. Impacts to Range Resources 5.11 8. Impacts to Wild Horses 5.13 9. Impacts to Cultural Resources 5.13 10. Impacts to Other Resources From the Fire Program 5.13 11. Impacts to Visual Resources 5.13 I... : B. Short Term Use Vrs. Long Term Productivity 5.14 1. Lands 5.14 2. Minerals 5.15 3. Wildlife 5.15 4. Soil Resources 5.15 5. Forestry 5.15 6. Range 5.16 7. Visual Resources 5.16 C. Irreversible and Irretrievab le Commitment of Resources 5.16 1. Lands 5.16 2. Minerals 5.16 3. Wildlife/Riparian 5.16 _...._ 4. Forestry 5.17 :,:-t:. :.:,... 5. Range 5.17 Chapter VI - Consultation and Coordination A. Consistency With Other Plans 6.1 B. Public Involvement 6.2 C. Plan Distribution 6.3 List of Preparers P.l Glossary (See Draft Environmental Impact Statement) G.l RC.1 References i.:....:: :.::. vi Index I.1 Appendixes Appendix A - Riparian 1 - Riparian and Fisheries Habitat A.1 Condition and Conflicts Appenxix B - Errata B.l Appendix C -Appendices from Draft Environmental Statement c.1 (See DEIS) vii Part I Table Number Title - Page Number Lands Table 1 Lands Available for Disposal 14 Minerals Table 1 Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Leasing Categories 18 Minerals Table 2 Summary of Application of Coal Unsuitability 45 Criteria Wildlife Table 1 Wildlife Habitat Management P,lan Objectives, 63 Actions and Priorities Range Table 1 Allotments Identified for Intensive Management 102 Range Table 2 Allotments Identified to Maintain Current 104 Management Range Table 3 Allotments Identified for Custodial Management 105 Range Table 4 Resource Problems and Objectives for Intensive 107 Management Category Allotments Range Table 5 Objectives for Maintaining Current Management 124 Category Allotments Range Table 6 Priority of Allotments for AMP Development to 131 Resolve Resource Conflicts Table 3.1 Comparison Between Proposed Plan and Planning 3.7 Alternative ::. ::. :. : ;_ ;::: !: viii Map Number Page Number lands Map 1 Lands Available for Disposal Map Packet Lands Map 2 Corridors Map Packet Minerals Map 1 Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Leasing Categories Map Packet Minerals Map 2 Application of the Coal Unsuitability Map Packet Criteria Recreation Map 1 Off-Road Vehicle Designations Map Packet k'ildlife Map 1 Wildlife Habitat Areas and Grazing Map Packet Allotments Range Map 1 Grazing Allotments Map Packet Forestry Map 1 Woodland Management Areas Map Packet Wild Horse Map 1 Wild Horses 134 Visual Resource Visual Resource Management Classes Map Packet Map 1 ix How To us This Document This document consists of two major sections, the Proposed Resource Management Plan (RMP) and the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), consisting of a volume of narrative and a map addendum, was distributed earlier (May 1984). 7he proposed Resource Management Plan describes the management objectives and actions, ratimdecision imp=ntation, support needs and program coordination, program monitoring, and cost estimates. The proposed RMP is provided first to orient the reader to the management programs and provide a reference as to how the planning alternative has been modified from the DEIS, based upon public comment. The Final Environmental Impact Statement contains six chapters including: (1) the Introduction; (2) Public Comments and Responses; (3) Alternatives; (4) Affected Environment; (5) Environmental Consequences; and, (6) Consultation and Coordination. Most of the data and information found in the DEIS are considered part of the final and are not reproduced in this document. Only those portions of the draft which were changed or added to, as the result of public input or reevaluation, are addressed in the FEIS. Thie Evironmental Consequences of the proposed plan will be provided in full and not referenced to the DEIS. Finally, the section on Comments and Responses provides an easy reference as to how public comment affected the proposed decisions and how they have been incorporated into the FEIS. Together, the DEIS, the map addendum, and this document constitute the full Enviornmental Impact Statement documentation. The proposed RMP in this document is a modified version of the perferred alternative found in the DEIS. To aid in comparing the two documents, arrows ( ) > have been placed in the margins of this section on Program Directions indicating changes made on the DEIS. Maps represent proposed decisions. X I. INTRODUCTION The following summary briefly reviews the oevelopment of this document and its companion volume (the Cedar Beaver Garfield Antimony Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement Draft).