BLM 2012 BLM 2011 3.14 Special Designations and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics 3.14.1 Affected Environment 3.14.1.1 Overview Special designation areas are units of land that federal or state agencies manage QUICK REFERENCE for the protection and enhancement of specific resource values. This land ACEC – Area of Critical includes wilderness, WSAs, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern Environmental Concern (ACECs), and other special management areas (e.g., National Wildlife Refuges ACM – Applicant Committed [NWRs] and ranges). Protection Measures GIS – Geographic Information Wilderness areas are established by Congress in accordance with the System Wilderness Act of 1964. Wilderness Areas are managed to preserve wilderness ISA – Instant Study Area characteristics. WSAs contain wilderness characteristics and are managed to LWC – Lands with Wilderness preserve those values until Congress either designates them as a wilderness area Characteristics or releases them for other uses. Instant Study Areas (ISAs) are a type of WSA NDOW – Nevada Department of Wildlife that contains primitive and natural qualities but are generally not recommended RFFA – Reasonably for wilderness. When the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) Foreseeable Future Actions was passed in 1976, BLM was required to provide recommendations on RMP – Resource Management wilderness areas formally identified as “natural” or “primitive” prior to Nov. 1, Plan 1975 under Section 603 and those areas remain as ISAs. ACECs are BLM- ROW – Right-of-way designated areas where special management attention is required to protect and USFS – U.S. Forest Service prevent irreparable damage to important historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish USFWS – U.S. Fish and and wildlife resources, and other natural systems or processes. Many of the Wildlife Service special designations are managed to maintain wilderness characteristics and WSA – Wilderness Study Area cultural resources. In some instances, special designation areas promote the recovery of a specific species, such as the desert tortoise (BLM 2008, 1998; USFWS 2009). To identify special designations within the region of study, data were collected from the BLM, the USFS, and the National Atlas. The region of study includes all land within 5 miles of the ROWs and ancillary facilities, groundwater development areas, and the associated hydrologic basins. As noted in Table 3.14-1, the majority of special designations are either wilderness areas or ACECs. The special designations that are within the region of study are shown in Figures 3.14-1 and 3.14-2 and Figures F3.14-1 and F3.14-2 (Appendix F) and are listed in Table 3.14-2. There are no designated Wild and Scenic River segments in the region of study. However, there are two river segments on USFS lands in the northern part of the region of study identified as eligible for study under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act: Muncy Creek (wild) and Smith Creek (recreation, scenic, and wild). Table 3.14-1 Types and Occurrence of Special Designations Within the Region of Study Types of Special Designations1 Number of Special Designations Wilderness 29 ACECs 27 WSA/ISA 12 NWR/State Wildlife Management Areas 8 National Park/National Recreation Area 2 1 Does not include the Desert Biosphere Reserve and Experimental Range. Chapter 3, Section 3.14, Special Designations and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics Chapter 3, Page 3.14-1 Affected Environment 2012 BLM 228 ALT 93 93 Elko County White Pine County 278 2 Callao Tooele County 489 Juab County Lander County Blue Mass Scenic Area 893 Gandy Mountain Caves Juab County 892 93 Eureka Millard County McGill Gandy Salt Marsh Delta 50 486 Swamp Cedar Honeymoon Ely Opt. 1 Rose Guano Bat Cave Eureka Hill / City County of Rocks Eskdale 6 White Pine County 487 159 Shoshone Ponds Baker Fossil Mountain Nye County Baker Garrison Archaeological Site Opt. 2 894 Snake Creek Wah Indian 318 Wah Mountains 15 Burial Cave Sevier Millard County County 6 Beaver County 21 White River Valley Baking Powder Flat 93 Opt. 3 Beaver County Iron County Highland Range Nye County Lincoln County Pioche 375 Lower Meadow Valley Wash Condor Canyon Garfield Mount Irish Panaca Schlesser Pincushion County 56 Pahroc Rock Art Iron County 318 120 Hiko Caliente Washington County Opt. 4 Upper Beaver Dam Wash 317 93 Alamo Kane County Shooting 89 Kane Springs Lower Meadow Valley Wash Project Components Gallery 15 Mormon Mesa - Ely Buried Storage Reservoir and Lower Meadow Valley Wash Nevada Utah Water Treatment Facility Construction Support Area Arizona Beatty Pressure389 Reducing Station Lincoln County Beaver Dam Slope Primary Electrical Substation Mormon Mesa Mesquite Clark County 15 168 Virgin River ACEC Secondary Electrical Substation Mormon Mesa/Arrow Canyon Virgin Mountains ACEC Indian Pumping Station and Primary Springs Coyote Gold Butte, Part A Electrical Substation 95 Arrow Canyon Springs Pressure Reducing Station and Secondary Electrical Substation Rainbow Gardens Pumping Station Mohave Regulating Tank Site County Pahrump Las Hidden Vegas Valley Gold Butte, Part B Proposed Power Line Centerline Proposed Pipeline Centerline 515 Boulder Groundwater Development Area 215 City 93 Coconino CountyAlternate Electrical Substation Site Califor Inyo County 15 Alignment Option ni Proposed Clark, Lincoln, and Natural Resources State Boundary OR ID White Pine Counties Groundwater Region of Study NV UT County Boundary Development Project Water Resources Region of Study Area of Critical Environmental Concern Figure 3.14-1 Interstate Highway US Highway Areas of Critical Environmental Concern CA Major Road 010 204060 Miles Kilometers 0315 060 AZ 1 inch equals 40 miles No Warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data. Chapter 3, Page 3.14-2 Chapter 3, Section 3.14, Special Designations and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics Affected Environment BLM 2012 228 ALT 93 93 Elko County White Pine County Goshute Canyon 278 2 Callao Tooele County 489 Becky Peak Juab County Lander Fish Springs County National Wildlife Refuge 893 High Schells Wilderness Opt. 1 Juab County 892 93 Eureka Government Millard County Peak Bristlecone McGill Mount Delta Moriah 50 Shellback 486 White Mount Moriah Wilderness Ely Pine Range Wilderness Eureka Wilderness County Bald Mountain Wilderness Eskdale 6 White Pine County 487 159 Red Mountain Baker Garrison Nye County Wilderness Opt. 2 Currant 894 Highland Mountain Mount Ridge Wilderness 318 Grafton 15 South Egan Range Sevier Millard County County 6 Fortification Beaver County 21 Far South Egans Range Grant Range Wilderness 93 Parsnip White Quinn Canyon Wilderness Opt. 3 Peak Rock Beaver County Range Iron County Nye County Weepah Lincoln County Spring Pioche 375 Worthington Mountains Panaca Garfield County Big Rocks 56 Caliente Iron County 318 120 Hiko Washington County Mount Irish Tunnel Spring South Pahroc Range Opt. 4 317 Clover Pahranagat National 93 Alamo Mountains Wildlife Kane Refuge County Project Components89 Delamar 15 Mountains Buried Storage Reservoir and Meadow Nevada Water Treatment Facility Valley Mormon Utah Range Mountains Construction Support Area Arizona Beatty Pressure389 Reducing Station Desert National Lincoln County Meadow Valley Range Mesquite Wildlife Range Primary Electrical Substation Clark County 15 168 Secondary Electrical Substation Indian Moapa National Pumping Station and Primary Springs Arrow Canyon Wildlife Electrical Substation 95 Refuge Pressure Reducing Station and Secondary Electrical Substation Mount Pumping Station Charleston Lime Canyon Wilderness Muddy Mountains Mohave Regulating Tank Site LaMadre County Mountain Pahrump Las Jumbo Spring Wilderness Proposed Power Line Centerline Wilderness Vegas Proposed Pipeline Centerline 515 Boulder Groundwater Development Area 215 City 93 Coconino CountyAlternate Electrical Substation Site Califor Inyo County 15 Alignment Option ni Natural Resources NPS Wilderness Proposed Clark, Lincoln, and ID OR Region of Study BLM Wilderness White Pine Counties Groundwater NV UT Water Resources USFS Research Natural Area Development Project Region of Study USFS Wilderness Interstate Highway BLM Wilderness Study Areas Figure 3.14-2 US Highway BLM Instant Study Area Major Road Desert Biosphere Reserve Wilderness, WSAs, NWRs, and State Boundary and Experimental Range other Special Management Areas CA County Boundary National Wildlife Refuge/Range 010 204060 Rivers eligible for Study Miles Great Basin National Park Kilometers under the provisions of the 0420 080 AZ Wild and Scenic Rivers Act 1 inch equals 40 miles No Warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data for individual use or aggregate use with other data. Chapter 3, Section 3.14, Special Designations and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics Chapter 3, Page 3.14-3 Affected Environment 2012 BLM Table 3.14-2 Special Designations that Occur within the Region of Study Crossed by Within ROWs or Groundwater Responsible Total Acres Ancillary Development Agency Name Protected Resource of Area Facilities Areas BLM Arden ACEC /Desert Tortoise Historic railroad construction 1,480 No No Conservation Center and mining; desert tortoise BLM Arrow Canyon Wilderness Wilderness characteristics 27,530 No No BLM Baker Archaeological Site ACEC Cultural resources 80 No Yes BLM Baking Powder Flat ACEC Protected butterfly 13,640 No Yes BLM Becky Peak Wilderness Wilderness