October 2020

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan

• Environmental Assessment
• DOI-BLM-NM-L0000-2021-0004-EA

Las Cruces District Office
1800 Marquess Street
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005
575-525-4300

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• CHAPTER 1.
• INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 1

1.1. Purpose and Need........................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Decision to Be Made....................................................................................................... 1 1.3. RAMP Planning Process................................................................................................ 3 1.4. Plan Conformance and Relationship to Statutes and Regulations............................ 3

1.4.1. Plan Conformance..................................................................................................... 3 1.4.2. Relationship to Statutes and Regulations.................................................................. 5

1.5. Scoping and Issues.......................................................................................................... 6

1.5.1. Internal Scoping........................................................................................................ 6 1.5.2. Internal and External Scoping................................................................................... 7 1.5.3. Issues......................................................................................................................... 7

• CHAPTER 2.
• PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ....................................................... 14

2.1. Management Common to All Alternatives ................................................................ 14

2.1.1. Management Goals, Objectives, and Actions......................................................... 14 2.1.2. Administration ........................................................................................................ 14 2.1.3. Education and Interpretation................................................................................... 15 2.1.4. Monitoring .............................................................................................................. 15

2.2. Proposed Action............................................................................................................ 16

2.2.1. Management Actions .............................................................................................. 16 2.2.2. Project Design Features .......................................................................................... 24

2.3. No Action Alternative .................................................................................................. 28 2.4. Alternatives Considered but Dismissed...................................................................... 28

• CHAPTER 3.
• AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ........................ 29

3.1. Cumulative Actions...................................................................................................... 29

3.1.1. Past and Present Actions......................................................................................... 29 3.1.2. Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions................................................................. 29

3.2. Issue 1: Paleontological Resources.............................................................................. 29

3.2.1. Affected Environment............................................................................................. 30 3.2.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 32

3.3. Issue 2: Soils and Water Resources ............................................................................ 41

3.3.1. Affected Environment............................................................................................. 41 3.3.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 43

3.4. Issue 3: Public Health and Safety ............................................................................... 45

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment

i

3.4.1. Affected Environment............................................................................................. 45 3.4.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 46

3.5. Issue 4: Recreational Activities and Opportunities and Trails and Travel Management............................................................................................................................ 47

3.5.1. Affected Environment............................................................................................. 47 3.5.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 47

3.6. Issue 5: Cultural Resources and Native American Tribal or Religious Concerns. 48

3.6.1. Affected Environment............................................................................................. 49 3.6.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 49

CHAPTER 4. CHAPTER 5.
LIST OF PREPARERS........................................................................................ 52 LITERATURE CITED ........................................................................................ 53

APPENDIX A. SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES LISTED FOR DOÑA ANA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO.... A-1

APPENDIX B. COMPATIBILITY ANALYSIS AND DETERMINATION ............................................. B-1 APPENDIX C. DRAFT RECREATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN.............................................. C-1

Figures

Figure 1-1. Project vicinity map. .................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2-1. Project area map (overview). ..................................................................................... 19 Figure 2-2. Project area map (Map 1 of 3).................................................................................... 20 Figure 2-3. Project area map (Map 2 of 3).................................................................................... 21 Figure 2-4. Project area map (Map 3 of 3).................................................................................... 22 Figure 2-5. Project area map with Visitor Contact Station........................................................... 23 Figure 3-1. PFYC within PTNM. ................................................................................................. 31

Tables

Table 1-1. Issues Identified for Detailed Analysis.......................................................................... 8 Table 1-2. Issues Not Included in Further Detail in the EA ........................................................... 9 Table 2-1. Camping Areas............................................................................................................ 17 Table 2-2. Proposed Trails Analysis Areas................................................................................... 17 Table 2-3. Project Elements and Disturbance Acreage Summary................................................ 18 Table 3-1. PFYC within PTNM.................................................................................................... 30 Table 3-2. Geologic Units and PFYC within Analysis Area* Following Seager et al. (2008) .... 33 Table 3-3. Paleontological Features in Proximity to Proposed Project Area ............................... 35 Table 3-4. Soils Within Proposed Analysis Area ......................................................................... 41 Table 3-5. Slope Within Proposed Analysis Area for Trails ........................................................ 43 Table 3-6. Cultural Resources in Proximity to the Proposed Analysis Area................................ 50 Table 4-1. List of EA Preparers .................................................................................................... 52

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment

ii

Acronyms and Abbreviations

ACEC amsl
Area of Critical Environmental Concern above mean sea level
ARMS BISON-M BLM
Archaeological Resources Management System Biota Information System of New Mexico Bureau of Land Management

• BMP
• best management practice

• CFR
• Code of Federal Regulations

CTTM EA
Comprehensive Trails and Travel Management environmental assessment

• EPA
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Extensive Recreation Management Area Endangered Species Act of 1973 Finding of No Significant Impact Hydrologic Unit Code
ERMA ESA FONSI HUC

• IM
• Instruction Memoranda

• IPaC
• Information for Planning and Consultation

• Las Cruces District Office
• LCDO

NEPA NMED NPDES NRCS OHV
National Environmental Policy Act New Mexico Environment Department National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Natural Resources Conservation Service off-highway vehicle
PFYC PTNM RAMP RMP
Potential Fossil Yield Classification Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Resource Management Plan

• ROD
• Record of Decision

• SRP
• Special Recreation Permit

SWCA SWPPP USC
SWCA Environmental Consultants Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan United States Code

• USDA
• U.S. Department of Agriculture

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment

iii

• USFS
• U.S. Forest Service

USFWS VRM
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Visual Resource Management

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment

iv

• CHAPTER 1.
• INTRODUCTION

The Prehistoric Trackways National Monument (PTNM) is located in the southern third of the Robledo Mountains, within Doña Ana County, New Mexico, approximately 10 miles northwest of the city of Las Cruces (Figure 1-1). The PTNM was designated in 2009 as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act that designated 5,255 acres to be administered by the BLM and is home to the most scientifically significant early Permian fossil tracksites recorded. The diversity, abundance, and quality of the tracks are far greater than at any other known tracksites or aggregation of tracksites for this time period in the world. The 2015 PTNM Resource Management Plan (RMP) affirms the value of recreation activities through the following vision statement: “BLM will maintain the rugged and scenic setting while providing opportunities for recreationists to enjoy these lands now, and for future generations, while ensuring the sustainability and protection of the paleontological resources” (Bureau of Land Management [BLM] 2015). The PTNM RMP designated the entire PTNM as an Extensive Recreation Management Area (ERMA) to support and sustain paleontological resources (BLM 2015).

The BLM Las Cruces District Office (LCDO) is preparing a Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) for the area. The RAMP would provide direction for the management of recreation use and resources within the ERMA. A major component of the proposed RAMP is the construction of a new visitor contact station; mechanized and non-mechanized trails; and primitive camping sites. Additionally, the BLM would seek establishment of supplementary rules regarding camping in the visitor contact station parking lot, which would be undertaken through publication in the Federal Register, in accordance with 43 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 8365.1-6. Each of these actions (collectively referred to as the Proposed Action) was identified as a potential future decision in the 2015 PTNM RMP or the PTNM Comprehensive Trails and Travel Management (CTTM) Plan (BLM 2015, Appendix D). The current management and specific actions of the proposed alternative are incorporated into one discussion and are presented in Appendix C as the Draft PTNM RAMP. The BLM will utilize information contained in this environmental assessment (EA) to formulate a Final PTNM RAMP.

• 1.1.
• Purpose and Need

The need for the BLM’s action is to provide recreational opportunities to enable or enhance visitor experience (BLM 2015) and protect sensitive paleontological resources and special-status plants species, while protecting the recreational opportunity values as identified by the 2015 PTNM RMP and Record of Decision (ROD).

The BLM’s purpose is to implement the land use decisions to accomplish the goals and objectives, including allowable uses and management actions set out by the CTTM and RMP. In this case, the BLM’s purpose for the development of the RAMP is to provide visitors with safe and enjoyable mechanized and nonmotorized trails, primitive camping areas, educational opportunities, and facilities, as well as to protect paleontological resources, the primary resources identified in the PTNM RMP.

• 1.2.
• Decision to Be Made

In making its decision, the BLM must determine and consider the environmental impact of all on-theground activities as a result of approving the proposed project across BLM-administered public land. In its decision to approve the proposed project, the BLM must also consider existing RMPs and other BLM plans in terms of how the authorizations and actions conform to existing BLM land use plans.

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment

1

Figure 1-1. Project vicinity map.

Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment

2

This EA analyzes the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative. This EA analyzes site-specific impacts associated with the implementation of each alternative, identifies mitigation measures to potentially reduce or eliminate those impacts, and provides the BLM with detailed analyses with which to inform its decision. The deciding Authorized Officer for the proposed project is the Las Cruces Monument Manager. Based on the information provided in this EA, the Monument Manager will decide whether to select the Proposed Action; select the Proposed Action with modifications; or deny the Proposed Action.

• 1.3.
• RAMP Planning Process

The BLM followed a six-step planning process in developing a RAMP and associated EA. The results of these steps have been incorporated throughout the proposed RAMP and EA, and are as follows: