United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Bruneau Canyon Overlook Improvement Project Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-ID-T010-2014-0016-EA March 2015 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District Jarbidge Field Office 2536 Kimberly Road Twin Falls, ID 83301 Phone: (208) 736-2350 Fax: (208) 735-2076 Contents Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Action ........................................................................................ 1 Background ................................................................................................................................. 1 Purpose and Need for Action ...................................................................................................... 1 Conformance with Applicable Land Use Plan............................................................................ 3 Scoping, Public Involvement, and Issues ................................................................................... 3 Impact Topics Retained for Further Analysis ......................................................................... 3 Impact Topics Dismissed from Further Analysis ................................................................... 4 Chapter 2. Proposed Action and Alternative .................................................................................. 7 No Action.................................................................................................................................... 7 Proposed Action.......................................................................................................................... 7 Parking Area Improvements ................................................................................................... 7 Concrete Paths ........................................................................................................................ 7 Gravel Paths ............................................................................................................................ 8 Steel Cable Fence.................................................................................................................... 8 Construction Equipment and Staging ..................................................................................... 8 Closure during Construction ................................................................................................... 8 Schedule ................................................................................................................................ 10 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................................. 10 Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences.......................................... 12 Vegetation, including Special Status Plant Species .................................................................. 12 Affected Environment........................................................................................................... 12 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................................................... 13 Terrestrial Wildlife, including Special Status Species.............................................................. 14 Affected Environment........................................................................................................... 14 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................................................... 18 Visual Resources....................................................................................................................... 18 Affected Environment........................................................................................................... 18 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................................................... 19 Wilderness................................................................................................................................. 20 Affected Environment........................................................................................................... 20 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................................................... 20 Wild and Scenic Rivers............................................................................................................. 21 Affected Environment........................................................................................................... 21 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................................................... 21 Recreation ................................................................................................................................. 22 Affected Environment........................................................................................................... 22 Direct and Indirect Effects .................................................................................................... 22 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................................. 22 Analysis Area for Cumulative Effects .................................................................................. 22 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Actions ............................................................. 23 Vegetation, including Special Status Plant Species .............................................................. 23 Terrestrial Wildlife, including Special Status Species.......................................................... 23 Visual Resources................................................................................................................... 24 Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers ............................................................................... 24 Recreation ............................................................................................................................. 25 Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordination.................................................................................... 26 Tribes, Individuals, Organizations, and Agencies Consulted ................................................... 26 List of Preparers ........................................................................................................................ 27 Bureau of Land Management, Jarbidge Field Office............................................................ 27 ERO Resources Corporation................................................................................................. 27 Chapter 5. References ................................................................................................................... 28 Tables Table 1. Mitigation Measures. ...................................................................................................... 10 Table 2. Special Status Plant Species Potentially Occurring on Lands Managed by the Jarbidge Field Office. .................................................................................................................................. 13 Table 3. Special Status Plant Terrestrial Animal Species Potentially Occurring on Lands Managed by the Jarbidge Field Office. ......................................................................................... 16 Figures Figure 1. Vicinity Map Figure 2. Proposed Action iii USDI BLM Bruneau Canyon Overlook Improvement Project DOI-BLM-ID-T010-2014-0016-EA CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION BACKGROUND The Jarbidge Field Office, Twin Falls District of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to construct improvements to the Bruneau Canyon Overlook, also referred to as the “overlook” or “project area.” The Bruneau Canyon Overlook is located in Owyhee County, about 19 miles southeast of the town of Bruneau and 65 miles southeast of Boise (Figure 1). The project area is on federally owned land administered by the BLM. Existing facilities in the project area include a gravel turnaround and parking area, an information kiosk, informal trails leading to the canyon and along its edge, several informal observation areas on the canyon rim, and about 300 feet of existing rock and mortar and chain-link fence along the canyon edge. The overlook provides spectacular views of the Bruneau River Canyon more than 700 feet below. The overlook also provides views of the Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers Wilderness, one of the BLM’s most recently designated wilderness areas, established in 2009. The overlook is one of the few places where views of the wilderness are easily accessible. The proposed improvements would provide better access to the canyon rim, would provide improved amenities such as interpretive signs and a single-vault toilet, and would improve visitor safety. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION The Proposed Action is necessary because increased visitation at the site has demonstrated a demand for greater accessibility and enhanced interpretation, and also raised concerns about public safety. The existing overlook is comprised of rocky uneven terrain that makes access difficult for people with disabilities and provides unobstructed access to the canyon rim, beyond which are vertical drops of greater than 700 feet that are a potential hazard to public safety. The purpose of the Proposed Action is