Environmental Assessment Conveyance to the Nevada System of Higher Education for the Great Basin College
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B L U.S. Department of the Interior M Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment Conveyance to the Nevada System of Higher Education for the Great Basin College DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2015-0073-EA N-78324-02, N-92818, N-84246 PREPARING OFFICE U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Pahrump Field Office Las Vegas, Nevada Environmental Assessment Conveyance to the Nevada System of Higher Education for the Great Basin College Prepared by U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Las Vegas, Nevada DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2015-0073-EA This page intentionally left blank Environmental Assessment iii Table of Contents _1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 _1.1. Identifying Information: ................................................................................................. 1 1.1.1. Title, EA number, and type of project: .................................................................. 1 1.1.2. Location of Proposed Action: ................................................................................ 1 1.1.3. Name and Location of Preparing Office: ............................................................... 1 1.1.4. Identify the subject function code, lease, serial, or case file number: ................... 1 1.1.5. Applicant Name: .................................................................................................... 1 _1.2. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 2 _1.3. Background ..................................................................................................................... 2 _1.4. Purpose and Need for Action .......................................................................................... 3 _1.5. Scoping, Public Involvement and Issues ........................................................................ 4 _2. Proposed Action and Alternatives .......................................................................................... 5 _2.1. Description of the Proposed Action ................................................................................ 7 _2.2. Description of the No Action Alternative ....................................................................... 7 _2.3. Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail for Conveyance of a Parcel of Public Land for the Great Basin College: .................................................................... 8 _2.4. Conformance ................................................................................................................... 8 _3. Affected Environment: .......................................................................................................... 11 _4. Affected Environment ........................................................................................................... 17 _4.1. Affected Environment Descriptions ............................................................................. 19 4.1.1. Fish and Wildlife Excluding Federally Listed Species ........................................ 19 4.1.2. Migratory Birds .................................................................................................... 20 4.1.3. Fuels/Fire Management ....................................................................................... 21 4.1.4. Invasive Species/Noxious Weeds ......................................................................... 22 4.1.5. Hydrologic Conditions ......................................................................................... 22 4.1.6. Soils ...................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.7. Water Resources/Quality (drinking/surface/ground) ........................................... 23 4.1.8. Threatened, Endangered Animal Species ............................................................ 23 4.1.9. Woodland/Forestry ............................................................................................... 24 4.1.10. Vegetation .......................................................................................................... 25 4.1.11. Wild Horses and Burros ..................................................................................... 26 _5. Environmental Effects ........................................................................................................... 27 _5.1. Environmental Effects Analysis ................................................................................... 29 5.1.1. Fish and Wildlife Excluding Federally Listed Species ........................................ 29 5.1.2. Migratory Birds .................................................................................................... 29 5.1.3. Fuels/Fire Management ....................................................................................... 29 5.1.4. Invasive Species/Noxious Weeds ......................................................................... 30 DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2015-0073-EA Table of Contents iv Environmental Assessment 5.1.5. Hydrologic Conditions ......................................................................................... 31 5.1.6. Soils ...................................................................................................................... 31 5.1.7. Water Resources/Quality (drinking/surface/ground) ........................................... 32 5.1.8. Threatened, Endangered Animal Species ............................................................ 32 5.1.9. Woodland/Forestry ............................................................................................... 32 5.1.10. Vegetation .......................................................................................................... 33 5.1.11. Wild Horses and Burros ..................................................................................... 33 _6. Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................................... 35 _6.1. Cumulative Impacts by Resource ................................................................................. 37 6.1.1. Cumulative Effects on Fish and Wildlife Excluding Federally Listed Species ... 37 6.1.2. Cumulative Effects on Migratory Birds ............................................................... 37 6.1.3. Cumulative Effects on Fuels/Fire Management .................................................. 37 6.1.4. Cumulative Effects on Invasive Species/Noxious Weeds .................................... 39 6.1.5. Cumulative Effects on Hydrologic Conditions .................................................... 40 6.1.6. Cumulative Effects on Soils ................................................................................. 40 6.1.7. Cumulative Effects on Water Resources/Quality (drinking/surface/ground) ...... 40 6.1.8. Cumulative Effects on Threatened, Endangered Animal Species ....................... 41 6.1.9. Cumulative Effects on Woodland/Forestry .......................................................... 41 6.1.10. Cumulative Effects on Vegetation ..................................................................... 41 6.1.11. Cumulative Effects on Wild Horses and Burros ................................................ 41 _6.2. Cumulative Impacts on General Area ........................................................................... 41 _7. Tribes, Individuals, Organizations, or Agencies Consulted ............................................... 45 _8. List of Preparers ..................................................................................................................... 49 Table of Contents DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2015-0073-EA Environmental Assessment v List of Tables Table 3.1. Affected Resources ....................................................................................................... 13 Table 7.1. List of Persons, Agencies and Organizations Consulted .............................................. 47 Table 8.1. List of Preparers ............................................................................................................ 51 DOI-BLM-NV-S010-2015-0073-EA List of Tables This page intentionally left blank Chapter 1. Introduction This page intentionally left blank Environmental Assessment 1 1.1. Identifying Information: 1.1.1. Title, EA number, and type of project: Conveyance of Public Land to the Nevada System of Higher Education (System) for the Great Basin College (N-78324–02). Carpenter Canyon Road (N-84246) Fire Station and Helipad (N-92818) 1.1.2. Location of Proposed Action: Public lands located Southeast of Pahrump, Nevada Legal Description for the conveyance action: Proposed Conveyance (N-78324–02): Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada, T. 21 S., R. 54 E, sec. 2, lots 1, 2 and 5, S½NW¼, and S½NE¼. Legal Description for Proposed ROW actions: Proposed ROW (N-92818): Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada, T. 20 S., R. 54 E., sec. 35, SW¼SW¼, NW¼SE¼SW¼, W½NE¼SE¼SW¼, and W½SE¼SE¼SW¼. Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada, T. 21 S., R. 54 E, sec. 2, lots 5–8, N½SW¼NW¼, NW¼SE¼NW¼, and W½NE¼SE¼NW¼. Proposed ROW (N-84246): Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada, T. 21 S., R. 54 E, sec. 2, lots 1, 2, 5, N½SW¼NW¼, and N½SE¼NW¼. 1.1.3. Name and Location of Preparing Office: Bureau of Land Management Pahrump Field Office, Pahrump, Nevada , LLNVS0300 1.1.4. Identify the subject function code, lease, serial,