Palisade Plunge EA
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United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management and United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Environmental Assessment for the Palisade Plunge Trail DOI-BLM-CO-S080-2017-0030-EA JUNE 2018 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Forest Service Bureau of Reclamation Grand Junction Field Office Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison Western Colorado Area Office 2815 H Road National Forests 445 West Gunnison Ave., Suite 221 Grand Junction, Colorado 81506 2777 Crossroads Blvd Grand Junction, CO 81501-5711 Grand Junction, CO 81506 The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the stewardship of our public lands. It is committed to manage, protect, and improve these lands in a manner to serve the needs of the American people for all times. Management is based on the principles of multiple-use and sustained yield of our nation’s resources within a framework of environmental responsibility and scientific technology. These resources include recreation, rangelands, timber, minerals, watershed, fish and wildlife, wilderness, air, and scenic, scientific, and cultural values. Palisade Plunge Trail Environmental Assessment Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 1 1.1 IDENTIFYING INFORMATION .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PROJECT LOCATION AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION................................................................ 1 1.3 PURPOSE AND NEED .................................................................................................................. 4 1.4 LEAD AND COOPERATING AGENCIES .................................................................................. 4 1.5 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ........................................................................................................... 6 1.5.1 Scoping .................................................................................................................................... 6 1.5.2 Public Comment Period .......................................................................................................... 7 1.6 FEDERAL DECISIONS TO BE MADE ....................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2 – PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................................ 9 2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.2 ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED IN DETAIL ............................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Alternative A – No Action Alternative ................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action ............................................................................................ 9 2.3 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT ANALYZED IN DETAIL ................................. 32 2.3.1 BOR Alternative .................................................................................................................... 32 2.3.2 Motorized Use Alternative .................................................................................................... 32 2.4 PLAN CONFORMANCE REVIEW ............................................................................................ 33 2.5 STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC LAND HEALTH ......................................................................... 36 CHAPTER 3 – AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES .......... 37 3.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 37 3.1.1 Elements Not Present or Not Affected .................................................................................. 38 3.1.2 Past, Present, Reasonably Foreseeable Actions .................................................................... 38 3.2 PHYSICAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................................... 38 3.2.1 Soils (includes a finding on Standard 1) ............................................................................... 38 3.2.2 Water (surface and groundwater, floodplains) (includes a finding on Standard 5) ............... 41 3.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................................... 45 3.3.1 Invasive, Non-native Species ................................................................................................ 45 3.3.2 Vegetation (includes a finding on Standard 3) ...................................................................... 46 3.3.3 Wetlands and Riparian Zones (includes a finding on Standard 2) ........................................ 51 3.3.4 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species (includes a finding on Standard 4) ............ 53 3.3.5 Wildlife (includes fish, aquatic and terrestrial) (includes a finding on Standard 3) .............. 69 3.4 HERITAGE RESOURCES AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT .................................................. 77 3.4.1 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................ 77 3.4.2 Paleontological Resources..................................................................................................... 80 3.4.3 Tribal and Native American Religious Concerns .................................................................. 81 3.4.4 Visual Resources ................................................................................................................... 83 3.4.5 Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice ...................................................................... 84 3.4.6 Transportation and Access .................................................................................................... 87 3.4.7 Wastes, Hazardous or Solid .................................................................................................. 91 3.5 LAND RESOURCES ................................................................................................................... 92 3.5.1 Recreation ............................................................................................................................. 92 3.5.2 Wilderness and Wilderness Characteristics .......................................................................... 96 3.5.3 Range Management ............................................................................................................... 97 3.5.4 Land Tenure, Rights of Way and other Uses ...................................................................... 100 3.5.5 Fire and Fuels ...................................................................................................................... 101 CHAPTER 4 - CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION .................................................................. 103 4.1 LIST OF PREPARERS AND PARTICIPANTS ........................................................................ 103 4.2 TRIBES, INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, OR AGENCIES CONSULTED ................... 105 CHAPTER 5 - REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 106 i Palisade Plunge Trail Environmental Assessment List of Maps Map 1 General Project Location ........................................................................................ 3 Map 2 Route Designation Changes .................................................................................. 10 Map 3 Social Trail Rehabilitation & Resource Protection Fencing ................................. 15 Map 4 Orchard Mesa Power Canal and Highway 6 & 24 Crossing ................................ 19 Map 5 Construction Timing Limitations .......................................................................... 31 Map 6 Roadless Areas ...................................................................................................... 89 Map 7 Grazing Allotments ............................................................................................... 98 List of Tables Table 1 Required Permits, Approvals, and Authorizing Actions ........................................ 5 Table 2 Land Ownership by Milepost ................................................................................ 12 Table 3 Miles Crossed by Landowner ............................................................................... 13 Table 4 Waterbodies Crossed by Proposed Trail ............................................................... 17 Table 5 Roads Crossed by Proposed Trail ......................................................................... 17 Table 6 Fences Crossed by Proposed Trail ........................................................................ 17 Table 7 Potentially Impacted Resources ............................................................................ 37 Table 8 Whitewater Creek Peak Flows at Trail Crossing .................................................. 41 Table 9 Protected Beneficial Uses for Stream Segments Crossed or within One Mile of the Proposed Trail Alignment........................................................................... 42 Table