_I ../ United States Deptirtment of the Interior ____ %KEAI! OF LAND MANAGEMENT Montrose District Office 2465 S0ut.h Townsend Montrose, Colorado 8 140 1 February, 1993 Dear Reader: This document is a copy of the Record of Decision, the approved Resource Management Plan, and the Rangeland Program Summary for the Gunnison Resource Area. This Record of Decision approves the Bureau of Land Management decisions in the Resource Management Plan, Chapter Two of this document, for managing approximately 585,012 acres of BLM-administered surface acres and 726,918 acres of BLM-administered mineral estate in the Gunnison Resource Area. This Resource Management Plan has been approved in the Record of Decision as the land use plan for the Gunnison Resource Area for the next lo-12 years. The decisions in the plan will guide all future uses and activities within the Gunnison Resource Area. The Rangeland Program Summary is included in this document in Chapter Three. The Rangeland Program Summary describes and summarizes the livestock grazing management and related decisions that are contained in the land use plan, the rangeland resource management objectives for the Gunnison Resource Area, and the actions intended to achieve those objectives. This document has been sent to all recipients of the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement published in April, 1992. Copies of this document are available by contacting the BLM at the Gunnison Resource Area, 216 North Colorado, Gunnison, Colorado 81230 (303)641-0471, the Montrose District Office, 2465 South Townsend Avenue, Montrose, Colorado 81401 (303)249-7791, or the Colorado State Office, 2850 Youngfield Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80215-7076 (303)239-3670. We appreciate the input, cooperation, and assistance from the public and land users during the planning process, and are pleased to provide this copy for your reference and use. Please contact BLM at the Gunnison office for further assistance or information regarding the plan. Sincerely yours, Alan L. Kesterke District Manager GUNNISON RESOURCE AREA RECORD OF DECISION, APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN, AND RANGELAND PROGRAM SUMMARY FEBRUARY, 1993 Prepared by: United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Off& Montrose District Gunnison Resource Area TABLE OF CONTENTS RECORD OF DECISION FOR.THE GUNNISON RESOURCE MANAGEMENTPLAN ......................................... i . Decision ......................................... I Alternatives considered In The Draft Resource . Management Plan ................................... Resolution Of Protests Received On The Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final EIS ................ ii Implementing And Monitoring Decisions . ; .................. ii Maintaining And Amending Decisions ...................... ii Public Involvement .................................. ii . Consistency ....................................... ... Availability Of This Document ......................... 111 State Director’s Signature ............................. iii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .............................. 1-1 Planning Area For The RMP ......................... l-l Relationship To The Bureau Planning System ............... l-l Distribution Of The RMP ............................ l-l Public Involvement And Coordination .................... l-l Changes To The Text Of The RMP And PRMP ............. l-5 Implementing And Monitoring The RMP Decisions ........... l-6 Maintaining And Amending Decisions .................... l-6 Activity Plans And Future Environmental Documentation ....... 1-7 CHAPTER TWO: DESCRIPTION OF THE APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN .................. 2-1 Development And Objectives .......................... 2-1 Standard Management For The Resource Management Plan ..... 2-l Management Unit Prescriptions For The Resource Management Plan (Units 1-16) .................. 2-19 CHAPTER THREE: RANGELAND PROGRAM SUMMARY ................ 3-1 Introduction .................................... 3-1 Rangeland Program Summary Updates ................... 3-1 Consultation, Coordination, And Cooperation ............... 3-1 Livestock Grazing Management Decisions From Standard Management, Chapter Two ............... 3-2 Livestock Grazing Management Decisions From Management Unit Prescriptions, Chapter Two ......... 3-8 APPENDIXES A: Wildlife Management .................................... A-l B: Livestock Grazing Management ............................. B-l c: Preparation, Updating, Or Revision Of Activity Plans In The Resource Management Plan .......................... C-l D: Disposal Tracts, Acquisition Criteria, Rights-of-Way Corridors . Lands And Realty ......................... D-l E: Access ............................................. E-l F: Recreation Management And Off-Highway Vehicle Designations ........ F-l G: Fire Suppression ....................................... G-l H: Designated Areas Of Critical Environmental Concern ............... H-l TOC - 1 I: Soils and Water Resources . ..i.*....... I-l J: Proposed Instream Flow Appropriations . J-l K: Oil and Gas Stipulations . K-n TABLES, LISTS, AND MAPS Tables And Lists 2-1 MANAGEMENT UNIT ACRES AND VALUES IN THE APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................................... 2-3 3-1 PARTIAL SUMMARY OF LIVESTOCK GRAZING PROGRAM BY ALLOTMENT ........................................... 3-16 3-2 CATEGORY “I” ALLOTMENT PRIORITIZATION FOR ACTIVITY PLAN DEVELOPMENT/REVISION ...................... .3-19 A-l CDOW LONG RANGE HERD GOALS ............................. A-l A-2 LONG-RANGE ELK HERD GOALS ON PUBLIC LANDS WITHIN THE PLANNING AREA ........................................... A-l A-3 LONG-RANGE DEER HERD GOALS ON PUBLIC LANDS WITHIN THE PLANNINGAREA ........................................... A-l A4 ELK AND DEER INTERIM HERD GOALS ON PUBLIC LANDS WITHIN THE PLANNING AREA ........................................... A-l A-S MANAGEMENT UNIT NUMBERS KEYED TO CDOW GAME MANAGEMENT UNLTNUMBERSINTHEPLANNINGAREA.. ....................... A-2 GUIDELINES FOR SAGE GROUSE HABITAT MANAGEMENT ............ A-2 NON-GAME MANAGEMENT IN TIMBER MANAGEMENT AREAS ......... A-3 A-6 MITIGATION FOR BIRDS OF PREY HABITAT ...................... A-4 A-7 ALLOTMENTS WHERE A CHANGE IN KIND OF LIVESTOCK WILLOCCUR ............................................. A-5 RANGE READINESS CRITERIA FOR THE GUNNISON RESOURCE AREA ... B-l B-l INDICATORS OF VEGETATIVE READINESS-SEASON LONG RANGE ...... B-2 B-2 LIVESTOCK GRAZING MANAGEMENT ALLOTMENT DATA ............ B-4 PREPARATION, UPDATING, OR REVISION OF ACTIVITY PLANS IN THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ......................... C-l RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN CATEGORY I DISPOSAL TRACTS ...... D-l E-l AREAS TARGETED FOR ACCESS IN THE APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ....................................... E-l TOC-2 F-l DESIGNATED OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE ROUTES FOR THE GUNNISON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . F-l I-l TARGET 96 BASAL COVER DENSITIES TO BE ACHIEVED FOR WATERSHED NEEDS AND PROTECTION ON SOILS WITH A MODERATE TO SEVERE EROSION POTENTIAL . I-l J-1 PROPOSED INSTREAM FLOW APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISHERY STREAMS - GUNNISON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . J-l K-l SUMMARY.OF FEDERAL OIL, GAS AND GEOTHERMAL STIPULATIONS BY TYPE, MANAGEMENT UNIT, AND ACRES EFFECTED IN THE APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN. K-l OIL AND GAS STIPULATIONS FOR THE APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ,.........................*.... K-2 Maps l-l General Location Map . l-2 l-2 Resource Area and Planning Area Detail . l-3 A-l Crucial Elk and Deer Winter Range In The Planning Area . A-6 A-2 Bighorn Sheep Range In The Planning Area . A-7 A-3 Pronghom Antelope Range In The Planning Area . A-8 D-l Rights-Of-Way Corridors - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . D-3 D-2 Rights-Of-Way Avoidance, Exclusion Areas, And Areas Open To Rights-Of-Way In A Portion Of The APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . D-4 F-l Off-Highway Vehicle Use - Limited Areas - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . F-3 F-2 Designated Routes, Unit 8, S. Beaver Creek Designated ACEC - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . F-4 F-3 Off-Highway Vehicle Use - Closed Areas - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ..*.................................... F-5 F-4 Special Recreation Management Areas In The Planning Area . F-6 G-l Wildfire Suppression Areas - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . G-l H-l Designated ACECs - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . H-l TOC-3 K-l No Surface Occupancy Oil & Gas Stipnalations - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . K-6 K-2 Oil & Gas Timing Limitations - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . K-7 K-3 Controlled Surface Use Stipulations - APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN . K-8 Map Of The Proposed Resource Management Plan . Inserted In Document TOC-4 MAP LIST Proposed Resource Management Plan RECORD OF DECISION FOR THE GUNNISON RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN The purpose of this Record of Decision document accomplished. The current rate of accomplishment of (ROD) is to approve the Bureau of Land Management these activities and decisions would have continued. (BLM) decisions to manage the approximately Alternative objectives for Alternative B, C, and D 585,012 surface acres and 726,918 acres of mineral were developed by using the objectives that were estate within the Gun&on Resource Area. These developed for the -Resource Capability Analysis decisions, in Chapter Two of this document, will (RCA) portion of the Management Situation Analysis guide management for the next 10 to 12 years. (MSA). The information regarding each affected resource in the RCA was then