DRAFT PROGRAMMATIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT for Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances and Associated Permit for fluvial Arctic grayling in the upper Big Hole River, Montana Prepared by: Douglas Peterson Connie Young-Dubovsky U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 100 North Park, Suite 320 P.O. Box 25486 Helena, MT 59601 Denver, CO 80225-0486 Bob Snyder and Martha Williams Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks P.O. Box 200701 Helena, MT 59601 October 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................iii ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED IN THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT................................................ iv I. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR TAKING ACTION.................................................................................................... 6 A. Introduction............................................................................................................................................................. 6 B. Purpose and Need.................................................................................................................................................... 8 C. Decision to be Made by the Responsible Official ............................................................................................... 13 D. Issues Raised During Planning ............................................................................................................................ 13 II. ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ........................................................................... 15 A. Alternative A - NO ACTION ............................................................................................................................... 15 B. Alternative B (Preferred Alternative) - PROPOSED ACTION ....................................................................... 16 C. ALTERNATIVE C – “LIMITED UMBRELLA AGREEMENT” .................................................................. 19 D. Alternatives Eliminated From Consideration .................................................................................................... 20 III. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................................. 23 A. Introduction........................................................................................................................................................... 23 B. Ecology of Fluvial Arctic Grayling...................................................................................................................... 24 C. Hydrology .............................................................................................................................................................. 29 D. Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................................. 30 E. Wetlands................................................................................................................................................................. 33 F. Fisheries.................................................................................................................................................................. 35 G. Wildlife................................................................................................................................................................... 37 H. Social Considerations ........................................................................................................................................... 38 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ............................................................................................................ 44 A. GENERAL DIFFERENCES AMONG THE ALTERNATIVES..................................................................... 44 B. FLUVIAL ARCTIC GRAYLING ....................................................................................................................... 45 C. HYDROLOGY...................................................................................................................................................... 51 D. VEGETATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 53 E. WETLANDS ........................................................................................................................................................... 55 F. FISHERIES............................................................................................................................................................ 57 G. WILDLIFE............................................................................................................................................................ 61 H. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS .......................................................................................... 63 I. CONSIDERATION OF CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS UNDER THE PROPOSED ACTION ............................................................................................. 70 V. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS...................................................................................................................................... 75 A. FLUVIAL ARCTIC GRAYLING AND OTHER FISH POPULATIONS...................................................... 75 B. HYDROLOGY (Including water quality and quantity) ................................................................................... 77 C. VEGETATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 78 D. WETLANDS.......................................................................................................................................................... 78 E. WILDLIFE ............................................................................................................................................................ 78 F. SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS........................................................................................... 79 G. FEDERAL LANDS............................................................................................................................................... 80 H. OTHER PARAMETERS..................................................................................................................................... 86 VI. COMPLIANCE, CONSULTATION, AND COORDINATION WITH OTHERS........................................... 86 A. NEPA COORDINATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION CONDUCTED BY THE AGENCIES.................................................................................................................................................................. 86 B. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE .......................................................................................................................... 88 C. PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT ............................................................................................................... 88 VII. REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................................... 89 VIII. LIST OF APPENDICES...................................................................................................................................... 95 ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this Environmental Assessment (EA) is to satisfy the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Montana Environmental Policy Act (Montana EPA) requirements for a proposed action to implement a 20-year umbrella Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA/Agreement) with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (Montana FWP) (Appendix 1). Through the NEPA process the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will decide whether to issue Montana FWP a section 10(a)(1)(b) Enhancement of Survival permit (Permit). The Montana FWP will decide through Montana EPA analysis whether to implement the Agreement. The Agreement has been prepared by Montana FWP, with assistance from USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS), Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Montana DNRC), and the USFWS. The purpose of the Agreement is to promote conservation of Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) in the upper Big Hole River in southwestern Montana. Two other alternatives are compared to the proposed action to assess whether the action causes significant effects to the human environment in the project area. The majority of present and historic fluvial Arctic grayling habitat is located adjacent to non- Federal lands. Therefore, the survival and recovery of the species is closely associated with the current and future land and water uses occurring on the non-Federal lands. The potential for an Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of fluvial Arctic grayling, which would have economic, legal, and social repercussions for affected individuals; and the large spatial scale at which habitat must be protected and restored has highlighted the need for a more comprehensive, collaborative, and long-term approach to fluvial Arctic grayling conservation in the Big Hole River. Therefore, there is an obvious need