Malheur Resource Area July 2017 100 Oregon Street Vale, Oregon 97918 The Northwest Malheur County Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat Restoration Project FINAL Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-OR-V040-2015-001-EA TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 9 1.1 RELEVANT BACKGROUND ..................................................................................... 11 1.2 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................. 12 1.3 CONFORMANCE WITH SOUTHEASTERN OREGON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN OBJECTIVES .................................................................................. 14 1.4 DECISION TO BE MADE ............................................................................................ 18 1.5 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT............................................................................................ 18 1.6 CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER LAWS, REGULATIONS, AND POLICIES ........... 19 1.7 TOPICS NOT ADDRESSED IN THIS EA ................................................................... 20 2.0 ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ....................................... 20 2.1 ALTERNATIVE 1: NO ACTION ..................................................................................... 20 2.2 ALTERNATIVE 2: PROPOSED ACTION ...................................................................... 20 2.2.1 Treatment Descriptions ........................................................................................... 21 2.2.2 Activity Descriptions .............................................................................................. 25 2.2.3 Thinning and Cutting Activity Descriptions ........................................................... 33 2.2.4 Summary of the Proposed Actions ......................................................................... 34 2.3 ALTERNATIVE 3: THE WILDERNESS STUDY AREA (WSA) / WILDERNESS INVENTORY UNIT (WIU) NON-IMPAIRMENT ALTERNATIVE .................................... 36 2.4 REQUIRED PROJECT DESIGN ELEMENTS ............................................................ 36 2.5 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM FURTHER ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................... 43 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ........... 45 3.1 ASSUMPTIONS ............................................................................................................ 45 3.2 SUBJECTS EXCLUDED FROM THE ANALYSIS .................................................... 45 3.3 VEGETATION .............................................................................................................. 45 3.3.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................ 45 3.3.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ......................................................................... 52 3.3.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................... 53 3.3.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ......................................... 57 3.4 FIRE AND FUELS MANAGEMENT .......................................................................... 59 3.4.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 59 3.4.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ......................................................................... 65 3.4.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................... 65 i 3.4.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ......................................... 71 3.5 NOXIOUS WEEDS AND INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES .......................................... 71 3.5.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 71 3.5.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ......................................................................... 74 3.5.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................... 75 3.5.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ......................................... 76 3.6 SPECIAL STATUS PLANTS (Vascular and Nonvascular) ......................................... 77 3.6.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 77 3.6.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ......................................................................... 80 3.6.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................... 80 3.6.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ......................................... 81 3.7 WILDLIFE HABITAT, SPECIAL-STATUS WILDLIFE ........................................... 81 3.7.1 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ......................................................................... 87 3.7.2 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................... 89 3.7.3 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ......................................... 93 3.8 WATER RESOURCES/WATER QUALITY .............................................................. 94 3.8.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 94 3.8.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ......................................................................... 98 3.8.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................... 99 3.8.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ....................................... 101 3.9 SPECIAL STATUS AQUATIC SPECIES .................................................................. 101 3.9.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 101 3.9.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ....................................................................... 108 3.9.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................. 109 3.9.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ....................................... 110 3.10 SOILS ........................................................................................................................... 111 3.10.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 111 3.10.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ....................................................................... 113 3.10.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................. 114 3.10.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ....................................... 115 3.11 RECREATION............................................................................................................. 115 3.11.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 115 3.11.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ....................................................................... 116 3.11.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................. 116 ii 3.11.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ....................................... 117 3.12 VISUAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 117 3.12.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 117 3.12.2 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ....................................................................... 118 3.12.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................. 118 3.12.4 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ....................................... 119 3.13 WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS ................................................................................ 120 3.13.1 Affected Environment .......................................................................................... 120 3.13.2 Alternative 1 and Alternative 3 Impacts (No Action within WSA)..................... 121 3.13.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................ 121 3.14 WILDERNESS INVENTORY UNITS ...................................................................... 127 3.14.1 Affected Environment ........................................................................................... 127 3.14.2 Alternative 1 and Alternative 3 Impacts (No Action) ........................................... 128 3.14.3 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................. 129 3.15 WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS .................................................................................. 129 3.15.1 Alternative 1 Impacts (No Action) ...................................................................... 130 3.15.2 Alternative 2 Impacts (Proposed Action) ............................................................ 130 3.15.3 Alternative 3 Impacts (No Treatment in WSA or WIU) ...................................... 130 3.16