United States Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management

Keystone Peak Prescribed Burn Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-AZ-G020-2011-0033-EA

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Gila District Tucson Field Office 3201 East Universal Way Tucson, AZ 85756 Phone: (520) 258-7200 FAX: (520) 258-7238

1

Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 5 1.1 Purpose and Need ...... 6 1.2 Decision to be Made ...... 8 1.3 Conformance with Land Use Plan ...... 8 1.4 Scoping and Issues ...... 8 1.4.1 Internal Scoping ...... 8 1.4.2 External Scoping ...... 8 1.4.3 Issues Considered but not Analyzed in Further Detail ...... 8 1.4.4 Issues Identified ...... 10 2 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ...... 10 2.1 Proposed Action ...... 10 2.1.1 Resource Management Objectives ...... 13 2.1.2 Burn Plan...... 13 2.1.3 Pre-burn Preparation Work ...... 13 2.1.4 Ignition Techniques ...... 13 2.1.5 Scheduling ...... 14 2.1.6 Monitoring ...... 14 2.1.7 Proposed Action Project Design Features ...... 14 2.2 No Action Alternative ...... 14 2.3 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ...... 14 2.4 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans ...... 15 3 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ...... 17 3.1 Air Quality ...... 17 3.2 Ecological Sites and Vegetation Communities ...... 19 3.2.1 Current Condition ...... 22 3.2.2 Reference Condition ...... 22 3.3 Grazing Management ...... 23 3.4 Soils ...... 25 3.5 Special Status Species ...... 25 3.6 Threatened and Endangered Species ...... 25 3.7 Wildlife, including Migratory Birds ...... 38 3.7.1 Migratory Birds ...... 38

2

3.7.2 Wildlife ...... 39 4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ...... 42 4.1 Environmental Consequences of the Proposed Action ...... 42 4.1.1 Air Quality ...... 42 4.1.2 Vegetation ...... 43 4.1.3 Grazing Management ...... 44 4.1.4 Soils ...... 44 4.1.7 Special Status Species ...... 46 4.1.5 Wildlife ...... 55 4.2 Environmental Consequences of the No Action Alternative ...... 56 4.2.1 Air Quality ...... 56 4.2.2 Grazing Management ...... 57 4.2.3 Rangeland Health ...... 57 4.2.4 Soil Resources ...... 57 4.2.5 Wildlife ...... 59 5 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ...... 59 5.1 Geographic Boundaries for Cumulative Impacts Analysis ...... 59 5.2 Past, Ongoing, and Reasonably Foreseeable Actions ...... 60 5.2.1 Air Quality ...... 62 5.2.2 Vegetation ...... 62 5.2.3 Grazing and Range ...... 62 5.2.4 Soil Resources ...... 63 5.2.5 Special Status Species ...... 64 5.2.6 Wildlife ...... 66 6 CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION ...... 67 6.1 Persons and Agencies Consulted ...... 67 6.2 Environmental Assessment Prepared By ...... 67 7 LITERATURE CITED ...... 68 APPENDIX A -FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES IN PIMA COUNTY ...... 73 APPENDIX B-US FISH AND WILDLIFE 2013 CONCURRENCE AND 2016 BIOLOGICAL OPINION ...... 76 2013 USFWS Concurrence ...... 76 2016 USFWS Biological Opinion ...... 88 APPENDIX C: MONITORING PROTOCOL ...... 103 APPENDIX D: PROJECT DESIGN FEATURES...... 107

3

7.1.1 Best Management Practices ...... 107 7.1.2 Fire/Fuels Conservation Measures ...... 110 7.1.3 Mammals ...... 111 7.1.4 Additional Design Features ...... 111 APPENDIX E: RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS ...... 115

4

1 Introduction This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared to analyze and disclose the environmental consequences of the Keystone Peak Prescribed Burn project as proposed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Tucson Field Office (TFO). The EA is a site-specific analysis of potential impacts that could result with the implementation of a proposed action or alternatives to the proposed action.

Wildfire occurrence has decreased dramatically during most of the twentieth century. The influence of human factors, coupled with increased erosion in the uplands, entrenchment of drainage corridors and periodic severe weather events has led to changes in desert grassland structure and composition throughout southern . In many cases the vegetative changes led to a conversion of native grasslands to shru