Monticello Resource Management Plan (USDI-BLM 2008)
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BLM Bureau of Land Management MONTICELLO FIELD OFFICE Record of Decision AND Approved Resource Management Plan NOVEMBER 2008 BLM Mission To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Bureau of Land Management BLM-UT-PL-09-004-1610 UT-090-2007-40 MONTICELLO FIELD OFFICE RECORD OF DECISION AND APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN November 2008 Prepared by: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Monticello Field Office Monticello, Utah Cooperating Agencies: State of Utah San Juan County Monticello Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan - Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS RECORD OF DECISION 1 A. INTRODUCTION 1 Purpose and Need for the Plan 1 Monticello Planning Area 2 B. OVERVIEW OF THE ALTERNATIVES 3 Alternative A 4 Alternative B 4 Alternative C 6 Alternative D 6 Alternative E 8 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated From Analysis 10 C. RESULTS OF PROTEST PERIOD 13 D. THE DECISION 14 What the Decision/RMP Provides 15 What the Decision/RMP Does Not Provide 17 Implementation Decisions 18 Travel Management 18 Livestock Grazing 19 E. NOTICE OF MODIFICATIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS 20 Minor Modifications 20 Clarifications 21 Errata to the Proposed RMP/Final EIS 23 F. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING THE APPROVED RMP 23 All Surface Disturbing Activities 24 Air Quality 24 Cultural Resources 24 Fire Management 25 Lands and Realty 25 Livestock Grazing 27 Mineral Resources 27 Recreation 29 Riparian 30 Soil and Water 30 Special Designations - Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 31 Special Designations - Wild and Scenic Rivers 34 Special Designations – Historic Trails 37 Non-WSA Lands with Wilderness Characteristics 37 Travel Management 38 Vegetation 39 Visual Resource Management 39 Wildlife and Fisheries 40 Special Status Species 40 Woodlands 41 i Monticello Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan - Table of Contents G. CONSISTENCY AND CONSULTATION REVIEW 42 Governor’s Consistency 42 NHPA Section 106 Consultation 42 Native American Consultation 42 Section 7 Consultation Under the Endangered Species Act 43 H. MITIGATION MEASURES 43 I. PLAN MONITORING AND EVALUATION 43 J. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 44 K. AVAILABILITY OF THE PLAN 45 APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 47 A. INTRODUCTION 47 B. CONSIDERATION OF OTHER BLM PLANS AND POLICIES 47 C. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 51 General Implementation Schedule of “One-Time” Actions 52 Maintaining the Plan 52 Changing the Plan 53 D. PLAN EVALUATION 53 E. MANAGEMENT DECISIONS 54 Management Common To All Resources (MCA) 55 Air Quality (AQ) 57 Cultural Resources (CUL) 59 Fire Management (FIRE) 62 Health and Safety (HAZ) 67 Lands and Realty (LAR) 69 Livestock Grazing (GRA) 75 Mineral Resources (MIN) 79 Non-WSA Lands with Wilderness Characteristics (WC) 85 Paleontology (PAL) 86 Recreation (REC) 88 Riparian Resources (RIP) 113 Soil and Water Resources (SOLW) 116 Special Designations: Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) 118 Special Designations: Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSR) 128 Special Designations: Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) 133 Special Designations: Historic Trails (HT) 135 Special Status Species (SSP) 136 Travel Management (TM) 141 Vegetation (VEG) 146 Visual Resource Management (VRM) 149 Wildlife And Fisheries Resources (FWL) 152 Woodlands (FOR) 157 REFERENCES 161 GLOSSARY 164 ii Monticello Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan - Table of Contents LIST OF PREPARERS 181 LIST OF APPENDICES 182 iii Monticello Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan - List of Acronyms LIST OF ACRONYMS ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern AMP Allotment Management Plan APD Application for Permit to Drill (an oil or gas well) APHIS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA) ARPA Archeological Resource Protection Act (of 1979) ATV All-Terrain Vehicle AUM Animal unit month BA Biological Assessment BCC Birds of Conservation Concern BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs BLM Bureau of Land Management BMP Best Management Practice BO Biological Opinion CAA Clean Air Act (of 1970) CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (of 1980) CFR Code of Federal Regulations COA Conditions of Approval CRMP Cultural Resource Management Plan CSU Controlled Surface Use DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement DFC Desired Future Condition DPC Desired Plant Community EIS Environmental Impact Statement EPCA Energy Policy and Conservation Act (of 1975) ERMA Extended Recreation Management Area ESA Endangered Species Act (of 1973) ESR Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation FEIS Final Environmental Impact Statement FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act (of 1976) FMP Fire Management Plan FMZ Fire Management Zone FO Field Office FR Federal Register GIS Geographic Information Systems HMP Habitat Management Plan IBLA Interior Board of Land Appeals IMP Interim Management Policy LTA Land Tenure Agreement LUP Land Use Plan LWCF Land and Water Conservation Fund MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act (of 1918) MOU Memorandum of Understanding iv Monticello Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan - List of Acronyms MFO Monticello Field Office MPA Monticello Planning Area MZ Management Zone NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (of 1990) NEPA National Environmental Policy Act (of 1969) NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NOA Notice of Availability (published in the Federal Register) NOI Notice of Intent (published in the Federal Register) NPS National Park Service NRA National Recreation Area NRHP National Register of Historic Places NSO No Surface Occupancy (a stipulation on an oil and gas lease) NW&SR system National Wild and Scenic River System OHV Off-Highway Vehicle ORV Off Road Vehicle (an older acronym, replaced by OHV) P Primitive Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Class PFC Proper Functioning Condition (of riparian/wetland areas) PM Particulate Matter R&I Relevant and Important R&PP Recreation and Public Purposes (Act of 1926) RAMP Recreation Area Management Plan RDCC (Utah) Resource Development and Coordinating Committee RFD Reasonably Foreseeable Development RHS Rangeland Health Standards RMIS Recreation Management Information System RMZ Recreation Management Zone ROD Record of Decision ROS Recreation Opportunity Spectrum ROW Right of Way S&G Standards & Guidelines SHPO State Historic Preservation Officer SITLA (Utah) School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration SPM Semiprimitive Motorized Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Class SPNM Semiprimitive Nonmotorized Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Class SRMA Special Recreation Management Area SRP Special Recreation Permit T&E Threatened and/or Endangered (species as per ESA of 1973) UAAQS Utah Ambient Air Quality Standards UAC Utah Administrative Code UDEQ Utah Division of Environmental Quality UDWR Utah Division of Wildlife Resources USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service USDA United States Department of Agriculture USFS United States Forest Service VRM Visual Resource Management v Monticello Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan - List of Acronyms WAFWA Western Association for Fish and Wildlife Agencies WFIP Wildland Fire Implementation Plan WSA Wilderness Study Area WSR Wild and Scenic River(s) (Act of 1973) WUI Wildland Urban Interface vi Monticello Approved Resource Management Plan - Record of Decision RECORD OF DECISION A. INTRODUCTION This Record of Decision (ROD) approves the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) proposal to manage the public lands within the Monticello Field Office (FO) as presented in the attached Approved Resource Management Plan (RMP). The Approved RMP was described as the Proposed Plan in the September 2008 Monticello Proposed RMP and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (USDI-BLM 2008) with minor adjustments and clarifications which are explained later in this ROD. This ROD provides the background on development of the plan and rationale for approving the decisions contained in the Proposed Plan, and describes the clarification and/or modifications made to address protests received on the plan. The attached Monticello Field Office RMP (also referred to as the Approved RMP) includes the decisions themselves. Purpose and Need for the Plan Purpose The Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) requires that the BLM "develop, maintain, and when appropriate, revise land use plans" (43 United States Code [U.S.C.] 1712 [a]). The BLM has determined it is necessary to revise the existing land-use plan (LUP) (1991 San Juan Resource Management Plan) and prepare a new RMP for the Monticello Planning Area (PA) based on a number of new issues that have arisen since preparation of the existing plan. In general, the purpose of this Approved RMP is to provide a comprehensive framework for BLM's management of the public lands within the Monticello PA and its allocation of resources pursuant to the multiple-use and sustained-yield mandate of FLPMA. In addition, the purpose of this plan revision was to: Re-evaluate, with public involvement, existing conditions, resources, and uses, and reconsider the mix of resource allocations and management decisions designed to balance uses and the protection of resources pursuant to FLPMA and applicable law. Resolve multiple-use conflicts or issues between resource values and resource uses. The resulting Monticello RMP will establish consolidated