B L M U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment Red Rock Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project January 25, 2012 DRAFT PREPARING OFFICE U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Office 4701 North Torrey Pines Dr. Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 USA (702)515–5000 Environmental Assessment: Red Rock Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project January 25, 2012 Environmental Assessment ii Table of Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Background ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Brome ................................................................................................................................ 3 1.3. Identifying Information: ................................................................................................... 3 1.3.1. Title, EA number, and type of project: .................................................................. 3 1.3.2. Location of Proposed Action: ................................................................................ 4 1.3.3. Name and Location of Preparing Office: ............................................................... 4 1.3.4. Identify the subject function code, lease, serial, or case file number: ................... 5 1.3.5. Applicant Name: .................................................................................................... 5 1.4. Purpose and Need for Action: .......................................................................................... 5 1.5. Scoping, Public Involvement and Issues: ......................................................................... 5 2. Proposed Action and Alternatives ............................................................................................ 7 2.1. Description of Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 8 2.2. Description of Any Other Action Alternatives Analyzed in Detail: .............................. 12 2.2.1. Alternative B: (Mechanical Mowing) .................................................................. 12 2.2.2. Alternative C: (Mechanical Blading) ................................................................... 12 2.2.3. Alternative D: No Action ..................................................................................... 15 2.3. Alternatives Considered but not Analyzed in Detail ...................................................... 15 2.3.1. Create a Green-Strip ............................................................................................ 15 2.3.2. Graze Domestic Livestock ................................................................................... 15 2.3.3. Graze Wild Horses and Burros ............................................................................ 15 2.4. Conformance ................................................................................................................... 15 3. Affected Environment ............................................................................................................. 17 3.1. Air Quality ...................................................................................................................... 21 3.2. BLM Sensitive Plant Species .......................................................................................... 21 3.3. BLM Sensitive Wildlife Species ..................................................................................... 22 3.4. Floodplains ...................................................................................................................... 26 3.5. Fuels/Fire Management .................................................................................................. 26 3.6. Human Health and Safety ............................................................................................... 27 3.7. Hydrologic Conditions .................................................................................................... 27 3.8. Invasive Species/Noxious Weeds .................................................................................... 28 3.9. Migratory Birds ............................................................................................................... 29 3.10. Recreation ..................................................................................................................... 29 3.11. Soils ............................................................................................................................... 30 3.12. Socio-Economics .......................................................................................................... 30 3.13. Threatened, Endangered or Candidate Wildlife Species .............................................. 34 3.14. Vegetation Excluding Federally Listed Species ............................................................ 35 3.15. Visual Resources ........................................................................................................... 35 3.16. Wetland/Riparian .......................................................................................................... 36 3.17. Wild Horses/Burros ....................................................................................................... 36 3.18. Wilderness ..................................................................................................................... 37 January 25, 2012 Table of Contents Environmental Assessment iii 3.19. Wildlife Excluding Federally Listed Species ................................................................ 38 3.20. Human Community ....................................................................................................... 38 4. Environmental Effects ............................................................................................................. 40 4.1. Resource Issue Impacts ................................................................................................... 41 4.1.1. Air quality ............................................................................................................ 41 4.1.1.1. Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 41 4.1.1.2. Alternative B (Mechanical Mowing) ........................................................ 41 4.1.1.3. Alternative C (Mechanical Blading) ......................................................... 41 4.1.1.4. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 41 4.1.2. BLM Sensitive Plant Species ............................................................................... 42 4.1.2.1. Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 42 4.1.2.2. Alternative B (Mechanical Mowing) ........................................................ 42 4.1.2.3. Alternative C (Mechanical Blading) ......................................................... 42 4.1.2.4. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 43 4.1.3. BLM Sensitive Wildlife Species .......................................................................... 43 4.1.3.1. Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 43 4.1.3.2. Alternative B (Mechanical Mowing) ........................................................ 44 4.1.3.3. Alternative C (Mechanical Blading) ......................................................... 45 4.1.3.4. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 45 4.1.4. Floodplains ........................................................................................................... 46 4.1.4.1. Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 46 4.1.4.2. Alternative B (Mechanical Mowing) ........................................................ 46 4.1.4.3. Alternative C (Mechanical Blading) ......................................................... 46 4.1.4.4. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 46 4.1.5. Fuels/Fire Management ....................................................................................... 46 4.1.5.1. Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 46 4.1.5.2. Alternative B (Mechanical Mowing) ........................................................ 46 4.1.5.3. Alternative C (Mechanical Blading) ......................................................... 47 4.1.5.4. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 47 4.1.6. Human Health and Safety .................................................................................... 47 4.1.6.1. Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 47 4.1.6.2. Alternative B (Mechanical Mowing) ........................................................ 48 4.1.6.3. Alternative C (Mechanical Blading) ......................................................... 48 4.1.6.4. No Action Alternative ............................................................................... 48