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Buzzard Complex Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plans

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Buzzard Complex Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plans The Buzzard Complex Fire Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Plans ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI-BLM-OR-B050-2014-0032-EA DOI-BLM-OR-V040-2014-076-EA Bureau of Land Management Burns District Office 28910 Hwy 20 West Hines, Oregon 97738 Vale District Office 100 Oregon Street Vale, Oregon 97918 October 2014 CONTENTS CHAPTER I: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION ...................................................................... 1 A. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 B. Purpose and Need for Action ............................................................................................... 3 C. Resource Objectives............................................................................................................. 7 D. Decision to be Made ............................................................................................................ 9 E. Conformance with Land Use Plans.................................................................................... 10 F. Consistency with Other Laws, Regulations, and Policies .................................................. 10 G. Public Involvement/Scoping .............................................................................................. 11 H. Issues Considered but not Analyzed Further ..................................................................... 12 CHAPTER II: Alternatives Including the Proposed Action ............................................................. 13 A. Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ...................................... 13 B. Project Design Features ..................................................................................................... 14 C. Alternative A: No Action ................................................................................................... 15 D. Alternative B (Proposed Action): Implementation of the Buzzard Complex ESR Plans .. 16 CHAPTER III: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT CONSEQUENCES ...... 30 A. Affected Resources ............................................................................................................ 32 1) American Indian Traditional Practices .............................................................................. 32 2) Cultural Heritage ................................................................................................................ 33 3) Grazing Management and Rangelands .............................................................................. 37 4) Migratory Birds .................................................................................................................. 52 5) Noxious Weeds .................................................................................................................. 57 6) Areas of Critical Environmental Concern/Research Natural Areas .................................. 65 7) Riparian Zones, Wetlands, Fisheries, Water Quality, and T&E Aquatic Species ............. 67 8) Social and Economic Values ............................................................................................. 73 9) Soils and Biological Soil Crusts ........................................................................................ 77 10) Special Status Wildlife Species ......................................................................................... 86 11) Upland Vegetation ............................................................................................................. 96 12) Special Status Plant Species............................................................................................. 105 13) Wilderness Inventory Units and Wilderness Study Area ................................................ 106 14) Wild Horses ..................................................................................................................... 112 15) Wildlife ............................................................................................................................ 116 CHAPTER IV: CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ...................................................... 121 CHAPTER V: REFERENCES ....................................................................................................... 123 i Appendix A – Maps ........................................................................................................................ 136 Appendix B – Tables ...................................................................................................................... 165 Appendix C – Standard Operating Procedures and Mitigation Measures (Excerpted from the Vegetation Treatments Using Herbicides on BLM Lands in Oregon, FEIS/ROD (2010); pp. 457- 467) ................................................................................................................................................. 199 TABLES IN THE DOCUMENT Table 1: Summary of Proposed Actions by ESR Planning Area ..................................................... 16 Table 2: Herbicide Treatments ......................................................................................................... 23 Table 3: Burns District Road Stabilization and Maintenance .......................................................... 27 Table 4: Elements Affecting the Human Environment .................................................................... 30 Table 5: Previous Cultural Sites within the APE. ............................................................................ 34 Table 6:Noxious Weeds in Buzzard Complex ................................................................................. 58 Table 7: Burns District Weed Treatments (inside the fire perimeter and within 4 miles of the fire)60 Table 8: Vale District Weed Treatments (inside the fire perimeter and *within 4 miles of the fire)61 Table 9: PFC Assessment for Burns and Vale District BLM reaches of streams within the Riparian/Fish/Water Quality CEAA ................................................................................................. 69 Table 10: Summary of WSA and LWC Units within Saddle Draw Fire Perimeter ....................... 107 Table 11: Summary of Acres Burned within WSA and LWC Units .............................................. 107 Table 12: Proposed Action - Effects Common to all WSAs .......................................................... 111 APPENDIX B - TABLES Appendix B - Table 1: Burns District Managed Allotment and Pasture Acreages within Buzzard Complex.......................................................................................................................................... 166 Appendix B - Table 2: Vale District Managed Allotment and Pasture acreages within Buzzard Complex.......................................................................................................................................... 167 Appendix B - Table 3:Percentage of Burn Severity by Burns and Vale Managed Allotments ..... 169 Appendix B - Table 4: Burns District – Forage Utilization in Fire Affected Pastures (2004-2013) ........................................................................................................................................................ 174 Appendix B - Table 5: Vale District – Forage Utilization in Fire Affected Pastures (2004-2013) 177 Appendix B - Table 6: Potential Herbicides and Application Rates By Weed Species ................. 178 Appendix B - Table 7: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Chlorsulfuron ................... 179 Appendix B - Table 8: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Clopyralid ........................ 181 Appendix B - Table 9: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Imazapic ........................... 183 Appendix B - Table 10: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Sulfometuron Methyl ..... 185 Appendix B - Table 11: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Bromacil ........................ 187 Appendix B - Table 12: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Diuron ............................ 189 Appendix B - Table 13: Summary of Environmental Effects of Use of Tebuthiuron.................... 191 Appendix B - Table 14: Major ecological sites found within the Burns portion of the Buzzard Complex Fire .................................................................................................................................. 193 Appendix B - Table 15: Buzzard Complex Hydrology and Fish Bearing Streams – Vale District 196 ii Buzzard Complex Emergency Stabilization and Burned Area Rehabilitation (ESR) Plans Environmental Assessment (EA) DOI- BLM-OR-B050-2014-0032-EA DOI-BLM-OR-V040-2014-076-EA CHAPTER I: PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION A. Introduction The Burns District and Vale District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to implement emergency stabilization and burned area rehabilitation (ESR) actions on the Buzzard Complex fires located on the shared boundary between the two districts (See Map 1). Stabilization and rehabilitation actions would include treatments of invasive species, seeding of native and desirable non-native grass species, construction of temporary fences, repair of management fences and planting of shrub seedlings on key portions of the Buzzard Complex burned area. The Buzzard Complex consisted of the Buzzard Fire, the Riley Field Fire, the Bartlett Mountain Fire, the Beaver Creek Fire and the Saddle Draw Fire. Emergency stabilization and rehabilitation plans have
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