UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT KINGMAN FIELD OFFICE OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI-BLM-AZ-CO10-2012-0014-EA TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 – Introduction 5 1.1 Project Name and Location 5 1.2 Purpose and Need for the Action 6 1.3 Lease Stipulations 6 1.4 Conformance with Land Use Plan 7 Chapter 2 – Proposed Action and Alternatives 8 2.1 Proposed Action 8 2.2 No Action Alternative 13 Chapter 3 – Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences 13 3.1 Introduction 13 3.2 Air Quality 14 3.3 Climate 15 3.4 Soil Resources 19 3.5 Water Quality, Surface and Ground 20 3.6 Vegetation Resources 21 3.7 Invasive, Non-Native Species 22 3.8 Special Status Species 23 3.9 Wildlife Resources and Migratory Birds 24 3.10 Range Management 27 3.11 Visual Resources 28 3.12 Geology and Minerals 28 3.13 Cultural Resources 29 3.14 Native American Religious Concerns 30 3.15 Lands and Realty 30 3.16 Cumulative Impacts 32 3.17 Reasonably Foreseeable Development 33 Chapter 4 – Consultation and Coordination _33 4.1 Tribes, Individuals, Organizations and Agencies Consulted 33 4.2 Preparers 34 Chapter 5 – References_ 35 1 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Kingman Field Office 2755 Mission Blvd. Kingman, Arizona 86401 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Environmental Assessment Number: DOI-BLM-AZ-CO10-2012-0014-EA 1.1 Project Name and Location KINGMAN FIELD OFFICE OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE Approximately 20 miles south of Kingman, Mohave County, Arizona (see Map 1). It is the policy of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to make mineral resources available for use and to encourage development of mineral resources to meet national, regional, and local needs. This policy is based on various laws, including the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. The Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 Sec. 5102(a)(b)(1)(A) directs the BLM to conduct quarterly oil and gas lease sales in each state whenever eligible lands are available for leasing. The BLM State Office conducts mineral estate lease auctions for lands managed by the federal government, whether the surface is managed by the Department of the Interior (BLM or Bureau of Reclamation), United States Forest Service, or other Departments and agencies. In some cases the BLM holds subsurface mineral rights on split estate lands where the surface estate is owned by another party other than the federal government. Mineral leases can be sold on such lands as well. The Arizona State Office does not have the staffing to hold such a sale, so the BLM Colorado State Office will host the sale for the BLM Arizona State Office. Oil and gas companies file Expressions of Interest (EOI) to nominate parcels for leasing by the BLM. From these EOIs, the Arizona State Office provides draft parcel lists to the appropriate field offices for review. BLM field offices then review legal descriptions of nominated parcels to determine: if they are in areas open to leasing; if new information has come to light which might change previous analyses conducted during the land use planning process; if there are special resource conditions of which potential bidders should be made aware; and which stipulations should be identified and included as part of a lease. Ultimately, all of the lands in proposed lease sales (including those covered by this EA) are nominated by the oil and gas industry, and therefore represent areas of high interest. This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to disclose and analyze the environmental consequences of leasing and development of parcels located in the Kingman Field Office (KFO), to be included as part of a competitive oil and gas lease sale tentatively scheduled for May, 2013. The project area covers the area of the proposed lease parcels in central Mohave County in northwestern Arizona. The area is mostly open rangeland with US-owned surface and mineral estates; although there are some split-estate parcels (privately-owned surface and U.S- owned mineral estate or U.S.-owned surface estate and privately-owned mineral estate). 2 The original nomination was for leasing Sections 6, 7 and 18, Township 18 North, Range 17 West; and Sections 19, 30 and 31, Township 19 North, Range 17 West, Gila & Salt River Meridian, Mohave County, Arizona. Land status research determined that the U.S. federal government did not own the mineral estate underlying Section 7, Township 18 North, Range 17 West; and Sections 19 and 31, Township 19 North, Range 17 West; therefore the oil and gas lease sale could not include them. There are two parcels offered for oil and gas leasing: Sections 6 and 18, Township 18 North, Range 17 West, containing 1095.97 and 1109.76 acres respectively, and Section 30, Township 19 North, Range 17 West, containing 1123.64 acres, Gila & Salt River Meridian, Mohave County, Arizona. Both the surface and mineral estates of these parcels are U.S.-owned. 1.2 Purpose and Need for Action Measures would need to be taken to avoid disturbance to or impacting the four existing rights-of-way on federal surface on parcels MTM-97300-MC, MF, DZ, and MQ in the event of any exploration and development activities on the leased parcels. Any new “off-lease” or third party rights-of-way required across federal surface for future exploration and/or development of the 29 parcels would be subject to stipulations to protect other resources as determined by environmental analyses which would be completed on a case-by-case basis. The purpose of offering parcels for competitive oil and gas leasing is to allow private individuals or companies to explore for and develop oil and gas resources for sale on public markets. This action is needed to help meet the energy needs of the people of the United States. By conducting lease sales, the BLM provides for the potential increase of energy reserves for the U.S., a steady source of significant income, and at the same time meets the requirement identified in the Energy Policy Act, Sec. 362(2), Federal Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987, and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, Sec. 17. The decision to be made is whether to sell oil and gas leases on the parcels in question, and, if so, what stipulations would be identified as required for specific parcels at the time of lease sale. 1.3 Lease Stipulations Leasing of Federal oil and gas mineral estate in Parcels AZ020911-01 and AZ020911-02 would carry with it protective stipulations summarized in Table 1. The stipulations are specific to the Kingman Field Office, under the current land use plan (BLM 1995). Table 1. Lease Stipulations Applicable to all Parcels Where Number Stipulation Title and Synopsis Applicable Cultural Resources Standard Stipulation: Any cultural and/or paleontological resource (historic or prehistoric site or object) discovered by the holder, or any person working KFO-1 All lands on his behalf, on public or Federal land shall be immediately reported to the Bureau of Land Management authorized officer. The holder shall suspend all operations in the immediate area of such discovery until 3 written authorization to proceed is issued by the authorized officer to determine appropriate actions to prevent the loss of significant cultural or scientific values. Vegetation Stipulation: A salvage and reclamation plan would be developed by the proponent and KFO-2 All lands submitted to the BLM authorized officer for approval prior to the approval of application for permit to drill. Invasive, Non-Native Species: A weed control COA (conditions of approval) would be applied to the authorization for any surface KFO-3 All lands disturbance activities associated with any development of the nominated parcels. Special Status Species: A special status species COA would be applied to the authorization for any surface KFO-4 All lands disturbance activities associated with any development of the nominated parcels. Wildlife Resources and Migratory Birds: A wildlife resources and migratory birds COA would be applied KFO-5 All lands to the authorization for any surface disturbance activities associated with any development of the nominated parcels. 1.4 Conformance with Land Use Plans This EA is tiered to the decisions, information, and analysis contained in the Kingman Resource Area Resource Management Plan (RMP), March 1995, which states, unless otherwise restricted, all Federal mineral estates administered by BLM within the Planning Area are available for orderly and efficient development of mineral resources. Lease applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and will be issued with needed restrictions to protect resources. Special stipulations would be incorporated into any lease agreement after the results of site-specific environmental assessments become known. 4 At the time of this review it is unknown whether a particular parcel will be sold and a lease issued. It is unknown when, where, or if future well sites, roads, and facilities might be proposed. Assessment of projected activities and impacts was based on potential well densities discerned from the Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario developed in May 2012. Detailed site-specific analysis of activities associated with any particular parcel would occur when a lease holder submits an application for permit to drill (APD). The proposed project would not be in conflict with any local, county, or state laws or plans. The proposed action is in conformance with the applicable land use plans because it is specifically provided for in the following land use plan decision: Kingman Resource Area Resource Management Plan, approved March 7, 1995, p.