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Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield Field Office UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT BAKERSFIELD FIELD OFFICE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT December 2020, Oil and Gas Lease Sale Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-CA-C060-2020-0120 Table of Contents ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................... V CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Conformance with BLM Land Use Plans ................................................................................................. 2 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations and Other Plans ............................................................................. 5 National Environmental Policy Act ...................................................................................................... 5 Oil and Gas Laws and Regulations ....................................................................................................... 5 Federal Land Policy and Management Act ........................................................................................... 6 Clean Air Act ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Endangered Species Act ....................................................................................................................... 6 National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended ..................................................................... 7 Scoping and Issues .................................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................................ 10 Alternative 1: Proposed Action ............................................................................................................... 10 Design Features ................................................................................................................................... 10 Alternative 2: No Action ......................................................................................................................... 10 Alternatives Considered And Eliminated From Detailed Analysis ........................................................ 10 Offering All Leases Subject to Standard Lease Terms and Conditions .............................................. 10 Offering All Leases Subject to NSO - General Stipulation ................................................................ 10 Leasing of Eighth EOI Parcel ............................................................................................................. 10 Removal of Buena Vista Unit due to Biological Resource Concerns ................................................. 11 CHAPTER 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................... 12 Social and Economic Considerations ...................................................................................................... 12 Social and Economic Conditions ........................................................................................................ 12 Environmental Justice ......................................................................................................................... 12 Visual Resource Management ................................................................................................................ 13 Recreation ............................................................................................................................................... 13 Air and Atmospheric Values ................................................................................................................... 13 Air Quality .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Climate and Meteorology ................................................................................................................... 16 Climate Change ................................................................................................................................... 17 Soil Resources ......................................................................................................................................... 19 Water Resources ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Biological Resources .............................................................................................................................. 22 Cienega Unit (Parcel 1-4) ................................................................................................................... 22 DOI-BLM-CA-C060-2020-0120-EA December 2020 Oil & Gas Lease Sale Page 2 Poso Unit (Parcel 5) ............................................................................................................................ 22 Crocker Flat Unit (Parcel 6) ................................................................................................................ 23 Buena Vista Unit (Parcel 7) ................................................................................................................ 23 Cultural Resources .................................................................................................................................. 24 Paleontological Resources ...................................................................................................................... 25 Livestock Grazing ................................................................................................................................... 27 Lands ....................................................................................................................................................... 27 Oil and Gas Resources ............................................................................................................................ 28 Exploration and Drilling ..................................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 4. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ......................................................................................... 30 Analysis Assumptions ............................................................................................................................. 30 Number of New Wells (Exploratory or Development) Assumption .................................................. 30 Associated Surface Disturbance Estimate Assumption ...................................................................... 30 Proposed Action Alternative – Impacts .................................................................................................. 31 Social and Economic Considerations .................................................................................................. 31 Visual Resources ................................................................................................................................. 32 Recreation ........................................................................................................................................... 32 Air and Atmospheric Values ............................................................................................................... 33 Soil Resources ..................................................................................................................................... 40 Water Resources ................................................................................................................................. 42 Biological Resources .......................................................................................................................... 46 Cultural Resources .............................................................................................................................. 54 Paleontological Resources .................................................................................................................. 55 Livestock Grazing ............................................................................................................................... 55 Lands ................................................................................................................................................... 56 Oil and Gas Resources ........................................................................................................................ 56 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .................................................................................................................... 57 Methods of Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 57 Proposed Action Alternative – Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................... 58 No Action Alternative – Direct, Indirect
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