Tamarack Grazing Allotment Management Plan
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United States Department of Agriculture Tamarack Grazing Allotment Management Plan Final Environmental Assessment Grant and Wheeler Counties Heppner Ranger District July 2017 Responsible Official Ann Niesen Heppner District Ranger Heppner Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest 117 S. Main Street, PO Box 7, Heppner, OR 97836 For More Information Contact Tim Collins Project Team Lead Heppner Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest 117 S. Main Street, PO Box 7, Heppner, OR 97836 Phone: (541) 676-2114 Front Cover Image of Stalling Butte Pasture by Tim Collins. 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Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Final Environmental Assessment TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Allotment Location ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Background ......................................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Purpose of and Need for Action ......................................................................................................... 5 1.5 Issues .................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 Public Involvement ............................................................................................................................. 9 1.7 Decisions Framework ....................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES .......................................... 11 2.1 Alternative 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Alternative 2 ...................................................................................................................................... 11 2.3 Alternative 3 (Proposed Action) ...................................................................................................... 12 2.4 Comparison of Alternatives ............................................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................... 15 3.1 Range.................................................................................................................................................. 15 3.2 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Hydrology .......................................................................................................................................... 49 3.4 Fisheries ............................................................................................................................................. 62 3.5 Soils .................................................................................................................................................... 77 3.6 Botanical Resources .......................................................................................................................... 81 3.7 Invasive Plants ................................................................................................................................... 95 3.8 Heritage Resources ........................................................................................................................... 98 3.9 Social And Economics ..................................................................................................................... 100 3.10 Climate Change ............................................................................................................................... 102 3.11 Other Required Disclosures ........................................................................................................... 105 REFERENCES ......................................................................................... 109 APPENDIX A: BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND APPLICABLE PROJECT DESIGN CRITERIA .................................................................................... 119 BMP RANGE-3 (RANGELAND IMPROVEMENTS) ................................................. 120 PacFish Standards ...................................................................................................................................... 123 Wildlife Project Design Feature ................................................................................................................ 123 Standards for Invasive Species Prevention ............................................................................................... 123 APPENDIX B: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE PROJECTS ..................................... 125 APPENDIX C: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ........................................................ 133 Umatilla National Forest i Tamarack Grazing Allotment Management Plan LIST OF FIGURES, MAPS, AND TABLES Map 1-1: Tamarack Vicinity Map ......................................................................................................................... 2 Table 1-1: History and Present use of Livestock Grazing on the Tamarack-Monument Allotment ...................... 3 Map 1-2: Tamarack Allotment Map ...................................................................................................................... 4 Table 1-2: Forest Plan Management Areas within the Tamarack Allotment ......................................................... 5 Map 1-3: Management Areas within the Tamarack Allotment ............................................................................. 7 Table 2-1: Tamarack Allotment current management ..........................................................................................12 Table 2-2: Current Miles of Riparian Fence on the Tamarack Allotment ............................................................12 Table 2-3: Alternative 3 Proposed Miles of Riparian Fence on the Tamarack Allotment. ...................................13 Map 2-1: Proposed Fences and Spring Sites in Alternative 3 ...............................................................................14 Table 2-4: Comparison of Alternatives by Actions Proposed ..............................................................................14 Table 3-1: Miles of Riparian Fence on the Tamarack Allotment. ........................................................................17 Table 3-2: Umatilla National Forest Management Indicator Species (USDA 1990, page 2-9). ...........................22 Table 3-3: Federally ESA listed and Region 6 Sensitive Species .........................................................................32 Table 3-4: Summary of Determinations for Proposed, Endangered, Threatened, and Candidate Wildlife Species and R6 Sensitive Wildlife Species ...............................................................................................................48 Table 3-5: USFWS Birds of Conservation Concern (BCC). ................................................................................48 Table 3-6: Effects of Alternatives 1, 2, and 3 on USFWS Birds of Conservation Concern (BCC). .....................49 Table 3-7: Watersheds and subwatersheds within