October 2020 Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NM-L0000-2021-0004-EA Las Cruces District Office 1800 Marquess Street Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005 575-525-4300 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Decision to Be Made ....................................................................................................... 1 1.3. RAMP Planning Process ................................................................................................ 3 1.4. Plan Conformance and Relationship to Statutes and Regulations ............................ 3 1.4.1. Plan Conformance ..................................................................................................... 3 1.4.2. Relationship to Statutes and Regulations .................................................................. 5 1.5. Scoping and Issues .......................................................................................................... 6 1.5.1. Internal Scoping ........................................................................................................ 6 1.5.2. Internal and External Scoping ................................................................................... 7 1.5.3. Issues ......................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ....................................................... 14 2.1. Management Common to All Alternatives ................................................................ 14 2.1.1. Management Goals, Objectives, and Actions ......................................................... 14 2.1.2. Administration ........................................................................................................ 14 2.1.3. Education and Interpretation ................................................................................... 15 2.1.4. Monitoring .............................................................................................................. 15 2.2. Proposed Action............................................................................................................ 16 2.2.1. Management Actions .............................................................................................. 16 2.2.2. Project Design Features .......................................................................................... 24 2.3. No Action Alternative .................................................................................................. 28 2.4. Alternatives Considered but Dismissed...................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ........................ 29 3.1. Cumulative Actions ...................................................................................................... 29 3.1.1. Past and Present Actions ......................................................................................... 29 3.1.2. Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ................................................................. 29 3.2. Issue 1: Paleontological Resources.............................................................................. 29 3.2.1. Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 30 3.2.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 32 3.3. Issue 2: Soils and Water Resources ............................................................................ 41 3.3.1. Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 41 3.3.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 43 3.4. Issue 3: Public Health and Safety ............................................................................... 45 Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan i Environmental Assessment 3.4.1. Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 45 3.4.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 46 3.5. Issue 4: Recreational Activities and Opportunities and Trails and Travel Management ............................................................................................................................ 47 3.5.1. Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 47 3.5.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 47 3.6. Issue 5: Cultural Resources and Native American Tribal or Religious Concerns . 48 3.6.1. Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 49 3.6.2. Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER 4. LIST OF PREPARERS ........................................................................................ 52 CHAPTER 5. LITERATURE CITED ........................................................................................ 53 APPENDIX A. SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES LISTED FOR DOÑA ANA COUNTY, NEW MEXICO .... A-1 APPENDIX B. COMPATIBILITY ANALYSIS AND DETERMINATION ............................................. B-1 APPENDIX C. DRAFT RECREATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN .............................................. C-1 Figures Figure 1-1. Project vicinity map. .................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2-1. Project area map (overview). ..................................................................................... 19 Figure 2-2. Project area map (Map 1 of 3). ................................................................................... 20 Figure 2-3. Project area map (Map 2 of 3). ................................................................................... 21 Figure 2-4. Project area map (Map 3 of 3). ................................................................................... 22 Figure 2-5. Project area map with Visitor Contact Station ........................................................... 23 Figure 3-1. PFYC within PTNM. ................................................................................................. 31 Tables Table 1-1. Issues Identified for Detailed Analysis.......................................................................... 8 Table 1-2. Issues Not Included in Further Detail in the EA ........................................................... 9 Table 2-1. Camping Areas ............................................................................................................ 17 Table 2-2. Proposed Trails Analysis Areas................................................................................... 17 Table 2-3. Project Elements and Disturbance Acreage Summary ................................................ 18 Table 3-1. PFYC within PTNM .................................................................................................... 30 Table 3-2. Geologic Units and PFYC within Analysis Area* Following Seager et al. (2008) .... 33 Table 3-3. Paleontological Features in Proximity to Proposed Project Area ............................... 35 Table 3-4. Soils Within Proposed Analysis Area ......................................................................... 41 Table 3-5. Slope Within Proposed Analysis Area for Trails ........................................................ 43 Table 3-6. Cultural Resources in Proximity to the Proposed Analysis Area ................................ 50 Table 4-1. List of EA Preparers .................................................................................................... 52 Prehistoric Trackways National Monument Recreation Area Management Plan ii Environmental Assessment Acronyms and Abbreviations ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern amsl above mean sea level ARMS Archaeological Resources Management System BISON-M Biota Information System of New Mexico BLM Bureau of Land Management BMP best management practice CFR Code of Federal Regulations CTTM Comprehensive Trails and Travel Management EA environmental assessment EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ERMA Extensive Recreation Management Area ESA Endangered Species Act of 1973 FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact HUC Hydrologic Unit Code IM Instruction Memoranda IPaC Information for Planning and Consultation LCDO Las Cruces District Office NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NMED New Mexico Environment Department NPDES National Pollution Discharge Elimination System NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service OHV off-highway vehicle PFYC Potential Fossil Yield Classification PTNM Prehistoric Trackways National Monument RAMP Recreation Area Management Plan RMP Resource Management Plan ROD Record of Decision SRP Special Recreation Permit SWCA SWCA Environmental Consultants SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan USC United States Code USDA U.S. Department