Draft Environmental United States Impact Statement Department of Agriculture High Uintas Wilderness Forest Service Domestic Sheep Analysis Evanston-Mountain View Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and Roosevelt-Duchesne Ranger District, Ashley National Forest June 2019 Summit and Duchesne Counties, Utah Draft Environmental Impact Statement In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) Email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Cover Photo – Domestic Sheep in the Henry’s Fork Drainage on the Gilbert Peak Allotment. High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis i Draft Environmental Impact Statement Draft Environmental Impact Statement High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis Evanston-Mountain View Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest and Roosevelt-Duchesne Ranger District, Ashley National Forest Summit and Duchesne Counties, Utah Responsible Officials: David C. Whittikiend and Jeff E. Schramm Forest Supervisor Forest Supervisor Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest Ashley National Forest 857 West South Jordan Parkway 355 N. Vernal Avenue South Jordan, UT 84095 Vernal, UT 84078 For more information, contact: Paul Cowley, Staff Officer and Interdisciplinary Team Leader Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 857 West South Jordan Parkway South Jordan, UT 84095 This document is available online at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44503 ABSTRACT: This draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) is a public document that discloses the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of a proposed action and alternative actions for permitted domestic livestock grazing management within the ten allotments located in the High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis project area. This document follows the format established in the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500–1508). It includes a discussion of the need for the proposal; alternatives to the proposal; the physical, biological, social and economic impacts of the proposed action and alternatives; and a listing of agencies and persons consulted. The document is tiered to the FEIS and record of decision (ROD) for the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended (Forest Plan) for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and the FEIS and ROD for the 1986 Ashley Forest Plan, as amended. High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis ii Draft Environmental Impact Statement Acronyms and Abbreviations AMP Allotment Management Plan ANF Ashley National Forest AOI Annual Operating Instructions AU Animal Unit AUM Animal Unit Month BA Biological Assessment BCI Biotic Condition Index BE Biological Evaluation BHS Bighorn Sheep CAA Clean Air Act CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CHHR Core Herd Home Range CRCT Colorado River Cutthroat Trout CWA Clean Water Act DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement DWQ Division of Water Quality (Utah) DWR Division of Wildlife Resources (Utah) EA Environmental Assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement ESA Endangered Species Act FEIS Final Environmental Impact Statement FSH Forest Service Handbook FSM Forest Service Manual FR Forest Road FTR Forest Trail FWS Fish and Wildlife Service HUW High Uintas Wilderness LAU Lynx Analysis Unit LTA Land Type Association High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis iii Draft Environmental Impact Statement MA Management Area MIS Management Indicator Species MVPE Minimum Viable Population NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NF National Forest NFMA National Forest Management Act NRLMD Northern Rockies Lynx Management Direction NS North Slope PFA Post Fledging Area ROC Risk of Contact ROD Record of Decision SOPA Schedule of Proposed Actions TES Threatened, Endangered, and Regional Forester Sensitive Species TSS Total Suspended Solids UWC or UWCNF Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest USDA United States Department of Agriculture USDI United States Department of the Interior WC Wasatch-Cache National Forest High Uintas Wilderness Domestic Sheep Analysis iv Draft Environmental Impact Statement Table of Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ iii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................... xix Background Information and Purpose of Project .................................................................................... xix Proposed Action ...................................................................................................................................... xix Purpose and Need .................................................................................................................................. xx Public Participation and Input .................................................................................................................. xxi Tribal Participation and Input .................................................................................................................. xxi Identified Issues and Concerns .............................................................................................................. xxii Chapter 1 - Purpose of and Need for Action ................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Document Structure .................................................................................................................................. 1 Background and History ............................................................................................................................ 2 Proposed Action ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Project Area Location ................................................................................................................................ 3 Scope of Analysis ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose of and Need for Action ................................................................................................................ 5 Relationship to Other Acts, Regulations, Permits, and Plans ................................................................... 6 Forest Plan Consistency ....................................................................................................................... 7 Ashley National Forest ...................................................................................................................... 7 Range ............................................................................................................................................ 8 Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Standards and Guidelines ......................................................................................................... 8 Riparian Areas ............................................................................................................................... 8 Goals ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Standards and Guidelines ......................................................................................................... 8 Wasatch-Cache National Forest