Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Preliminary Environmental Assessment
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US. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Restoration Project Preliminary Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-L060-2019-0014-EA August 2019 702 N. Industrial Way Ely, Nevada 89301 (775) 289-1934 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction/Purpose and Need ............................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Location of Project ........................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Purpose and Need for Action ........................................................................................... 2 1.5 Relationship to Planning .................................................................................................. 3 1.6 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or other Plans ...................................................... 3 1.7 Tiering .............................................................................................................................. 4 1.8 Scoping, Public Involvement, and Issues ........................................................................ 4 Chapter 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives ......................................................................... 6 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Adaptive Management ..................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Description of the Proposed Action ................................................................................. 6 2.4 No Action Alternative ...................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ............................... 14 3.1 Project Area Description ................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Resources/Concerns Considered for Analysis ............................................................... 14 3.3 Fish and Wildlife............................................................................................................ 15 3.4 Fish and Wildlife - Special Status Species .................................................................... 19 3.5 Fire Management ........................................................................................................... 21 3.6 Soil Resources ................................................................................................................ 24 3.7 Vegetation and Rangeland/Grazing Resources .............................................................. 25 3.8 Visual Resource Management ....................................................................................... 30 3.9 Lands with Wilderness Characteristics .......................................................................... 32 3.10 Wetland/Riparian Zones ................................................................................................ 34 3.11 Wild Horses ................................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 4 Cumulative Effects ................................................................................................ 37 4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 37 4.2 Cumulative Effects Analysis .......................................................................................... 40 Chapter 5 Tribes, Agencies, Individuals, or Organizations Consulted .............................. 45 5.1 Tribal Consultation ........................................................................................................ 45 5.2 Agencies Consulted ....................................................................................................... 45 5.3 Individuals or Organizations .......................................................................................... 45 Chapter 6 List of Preparers ................................................................................................... 46 Chapter 7 References Cited.................................................................................................... 47 Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Restoration Project Preliminary Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-L060-2019-0014-EA i List of Tables 2.1: Successional Class Descriptions ......................................................................................... 7 2.2: Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Treatment Units, Treatment Objectives, and Preferred Treatment Methods ........................................................................................ 10 2.3: Proposed Range and Riparian Development Projects ...................................................... 12 3.1: Migratory Birds of Conservation Concern Potentially Found in the Project Area ........... 16 3.2: Fire Management Units and Fire Management Types within the Project Area ............... 22 3.3: Biophysical Models for the Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Project Area ................. 22 3.4: Standards Conformance Summary for the Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds ............... 27 3.5: VRM Classes within Proposed Action Treatment Units .................................................. 31 4.1: Cumulative Effects Study Areas by Resource .................................................................. 38 4.2: Past and Present Range Treatments, Fuels Treatments, and Wildfires within the Project Area ................................................................................................................... 39 6.1: List of Preparers ................................................................................................................ 46 List of Appendices A: Figures B: Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans C: Proposed Action Treatment Method Descriptions D: Proposed Action Design Features E: Treatment Methods: Equipment Photos F: Resources Analyzed and Dismissed G: BLM Sensitive Species List for White Pine County Nevada Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Restoration Project Preliminary Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-L060-2019-0014-EA ii Chapter 1 Introduction/Purpose and Need 1.1 Introduction The purpose of this Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) is to identify issues, analyze alternatives, and disclose the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds Restoration Project (Proposed Action). This EA fulfills the National Environmental Policy Act requirement for site-specific analysis of resource impacts. The analysis in this EA assists in making a determination of the significance of impacts to the human environment associated with the actions developed to meet the purpose and need. If a determination that impacts are significant is made, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared. If impacts are not significant, a “Finding of No Significant Impact” will be prepared. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bristlecone Field Office is proposing various vegetation treatments, fencing, spring protections, rangeland developments (e.g., pipeline and fence installation), and other actions to meet land use plan objectives within the Long and Ruby Valley Watersheds (Project Area). The Proposed Action would occur over extended periods of time, as budgets allow. 1.2 Background The Ely District Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan (Ely RMP) (August 2008) divided the planning area into 61 watershed management units with the goal to manage watersheds to achieve and maintain resource functions and conditions required for healthy lands and sustainable uses. Within in the Ely RMP, Long Valley was identified as a high priority watershed and Ruby Valley was identified as a low priority watershed. In March of 2019, the Bristlecone Field Office completed the Long and Ruby Valley Watershed Analysis (BLM 2019a). The watershed analysis characterized the human, physical and biological features, conditions, processes and interactions within these watersheds; provided a systematic approach to understand and organize ecosystem information; enhanced the BLM’s ability to estimate direct, indirect and cumulative effects of management activities; and guided the general type, location, and sequence of appropriate management activities within these watersheds towards the goal of improving or maintaining ecological function of the watershed. The watershed analysis was not an inventory process, nor was it a detailed study of everything in the watershed. The Long and Ruby Valley Watershed Analysis focused on the most important issues as identified by an interdisciplinary team of specialists. 1.3 Location of Project The Project Area is located in northwest White Pine County, Nevada (Figure 1; Appendix A), approximately 30 to 60 miles west-northwest of Ely, Nevada. The Proposed Action would only address the portion of the watersheds within the Ely District administrative boundary. The portion of Long Valley located within the Ely RMP planning area (White Pine County) is approximately 404,235