Ely Westside Rangeland Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION Introduction The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (HTNF) has prepared this draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant federal and state laws and regulations. This DEIS uses the best available science and discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental impacts that result from the Proposed Action and other alternatives. Document Structure The document is organized into four chapters, as well as references, glossary, and appendices. Chapter 1: Purpose of and Need for Action The chapter includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, and the agency‘s proposal for achieving that purpose and need. This section also details how the Forest Service informed the public of the proposal and how the public responded. Chapter 2: Alternatives (Including the Proposed Action) This chapter provides a more detailed description of the agency‘s proposed action as well as alternative methods for achieving the stated purpose. These alternatives were developed based on issues that the public, other agencies, and the Forest Service noted were unresolved by the proposed action. Finally, this section provides a summary of the environmental consequences associated with each alternative. Chapter 3: Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences This chapter describes the environmental effects of implementing the proposed action and other alternatives. This analysis is organized by resource area. Chapter 4: Consultation and Coordination This chapter provides a list of preparers and agencies consulted during the development of the EIS. Appendices The appendices provide detailed information to support the analyses presented in the EIS. Additional documentation, including detailed analyses of project area resources and maps, are located in the project record located at the Ely Ranger District office in Ely, Nevada. Background The Ely Westside Rangeland Project encompasses approximately 569,900 acres on the Ely Ranger District, HTNF. The project area is located in portions of Townships 1 through 17 North and Ranges 55 through 60 East, Mount Diablo Meridian. The Forest Service began management of this area in 1911. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 1 Ely Westside Rangeland Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement There are 12 allotments in the project area (see map 2). The Big Creek, Blackrock, Currant Creek, Ellison Basin, Hooper Canyon, Illipah, Irwin Canyon, Pine Creek-Quinn Canyon, Tom Plain, Treasure Hill, and Troy Mountain allotments are cattle and horse allotments. The Cherry Creek Allotment is a sheep and goat allotment. Currently, the Big Creek, Hooper Canyon, and Irwin Canyon allotments are open to grazing, but have been vacant for many years. The Troy Mountain Allotment is closed, but has been grazed under a temporary permit since 2004. These allotments overlap five management areas (Currant Mountain Wilderness, Grant Range Wilderness, Quinn, Quinn Canyon Wilderness, and White Pine) established in the Humboldt National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended (USDA FS 1986). (See map 2). In the mid 1990s, the Humboldt National Forest was combined with the Toiyabe National Forest to become the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Since that time, a consolidated Forest Plan has not been developed and the project area continues to be managed under the 1986 Humboldt Forest Plan, as amended (USDA FS 1986). For over a century, ranchers have used the land in the project area for cattle and sheep grazing during the summer months, moving their stock to the home ranch or other public lands for winter- feeding. When the Forest Service was established in the western United States, livestock were already heavily grazing the land. Vegetation was degraded with erosion occurring in many places. Initially, grazing permits were based on the number of livestock the first ranchers grazed, and the season of use was determined by the weather. As soon as an area opened up from snow conditions in the spring, livestock were released for grazing. With very few fences present on the landscape, livestock followed the most palatable forage wherever it occurred. Fall storms or lack of feed would drive livestock to lower elevations. The size of these operations has been in decline since the late 1800s. Over the decades, domestic livestock management has evolved as more information on the effects of livestock grazing has become available. In addition to reductions in herd sizes, seasons of use have been adjusted and grazing systems that incorporate an element of rest for the landscape have been incorporated. These modifications have led to range developments in many of the areas that were degraded by heavy historical use. Livestock grazing, as well as the people and communities associated with ranching operations, have been an integral part of the area for more than a hundred years. History of the Analysis In 1995, Congress passed Public Law 104-19, commonly known as the Rescissions Act. This Act directed the Forest Service to develop and implement a schedule for completing environmental analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) on all grazing allotments. Since the passage of the Rescissions Act, Congress has provided additional direction concerning grazing permits in several appropriations bills, including the 2004 Interior Appropriations Act (PL 108- 108), Section 325. This section of the Act does not require adherence to the original allotment NEPA schedules and provides the Forest Service with the discretion to periodically update the allotment NEPA schedules and reprioritize the allotments that will be analyzed based on emerging environmental issues and available funding for allotment NEPA analyses. In response to the Rescissions Act, the Ely Ranger District published a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS on the Ely Westside Rangeland Project in the Federal Register in November 2006. This EIS analyzes the effects of reauthorizing continued livestock grazing within the area. 2 Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Ely Westside Rangeland Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement Map 2: Ely Westside Rangeland Project Area Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 3 Ely Westside Rangeland Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement Proposed Action Livestock grazing began in the Ely Ranger District (district) in the late 1800s and prior to the establishment of the National Forest System. Since 1911, the Forest Service was delegated the management responsibility for the National Forest System lands in this area, and livestock grazing was allowed on some lands under a permit system. Current and prospective permittees desire to continue grazing on most of the allotments in the project area. In responding to a request for permission to conduct activities on National Forest System lands, the Forest Service must ask two basic questions: • Is the activity sanctioned by Congress in the laws that govern the management of National Forest System lands? • What conditions must be imposed to govern this activity? With respect to the first question, in the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act, Congress identified livestock grazing as an appropriate use of National Forest System lands. Further, under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), Congress has required the Forest Service to develop land and resource management plans (forest plans) that display its process for balancing the multiple uses of these lands and for displaying where uses such as livestock grazing are appropriate. Under these authorities, the Ely Ranger District of the HTNF proposes to reauthorize continued livestock grazing in the Blackrock, Cherry Creek, Currant Creek, Ellison Basin, Illipah, Pine Creek-Quinn Canyon, Treasure Hill, and Tom Plain allotments. Livestock grazing would not be authorized in the Big Creek, Irwin Canyon, and Hooper Canyon allotments, which would remain vacant. The Troy Mountain Allotment (currently a temporary permit) would be opened and livestock grazing would be authorized under a term permit. An amendment to the Forest Plan would be required to open the Troy Mountain Allotment. There are five wilderness areas in the project area. Consistent with provisions in the Wilderness Act and the Congressional Grazing Guidelines (USDA FS 2007a, FSM 2323.23), the proposed action would continue to authorize livestock grazing in all or portions of these wilderness areas. With respect to the second question, the Forest Service also proposes to modify the terms and conditions included in grazing permits and allotment management plans (AMPs) issued in the project area (see chapter 2 for additional detail on the proposed action and other alternatives). These modifications include design features to protect resources in the project area and adjustments based on assessments of the current ecological conditions within the allotments. These modifications are designed to maintain areas that are in satisfactory ecological condition and improve areas that are in less than satisfactory ecological condition. The range management process under the Proposed Action includes a monitoring program that assesses characteristics that are indicative of the ecological health of the project area in the coming years. If ecological condition and trend data indicate that livestock use is not achieving desired results on one or more allotments,