ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL HABITAT FOR IPOMOPSIS POLYANTHA (PAGOSA SKYROCKET), PENSTEMON DEBILIS (PARACHUTE BEARDTONGUE), AND PHACELIA SUBMUTICA (DEBEQUE PHACELIA) IN COLORADO Prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Western Colorado Ecological Services Field Office Grand Junction, Colorado July 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................4 1.0 PURPOSE OF THE ACTION ...........................................................................................................4 2.0 NEED FOR THE ACTION ...............................................................................................................4 2.1 Background – Ipomopsis polyantha...........................................................................................5 Species Description ....................................................................................................................5 Geographic Range ......................................................................................................................6 Ecology and Life History ...........................................................................................................6 Habitat ........................................................................................................................................6 Threats........................................................................................................................................8 2.2 Background – Penstemon debilis .............................................................................................11 Species Description ..................................................................................................................11 Geographic Range ....................................................................................................................11 Ecology and Life History .........................................................................................................11 Habitat ......................................................................................................................................12 Threats......................................................................................................................................13 2.3 Background – Phacelia submutica ..........................................................................................18 Species Description ..................................................................................................................18 Geographic Range ....................................................................................................................18 Ecology and Life History .........................................................................................................18 Habitat ......................................................................................................................................19 Threats......................................................................................................................................20 2.4 Endangered Species Act ..........................................................................................................23 2.4.1 Critical Habitat .............................................................................................................23 2.4.2 Consequences of Designation, the Section 7 Consultation Process ............................25 2.4.3 Technical Assistance ....................................................................................................26 2.4.4 Section 9 Prohibitions ..................................................................................................27 2.4.5 Section 10 Permits .......................................................................................................27 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ..........................................................................................27 3.1 Alternatives Considered But Not Fully Evaluated...................................................................27 3.2 Alternative A. No Action Alternative .....................................................................................27 3.3 Alternative B. Designation of Critical Habitat as Identified in the Rule ................................28 3.4 Summary of Actions by Alternative ........................................................................................32 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .............................................................32 4.1 Physical Environment ..............................................................................................................33 4.2 Fish, Wildlife, and Plants .........................................................................................................33 4.3 Human Environment ................................................................................................................35 4.4 Tribal Lands .............................................................................................................................35 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ......................................................................................35 5.1 Physical Environment ..............................................................................................................37 5.2 Fish, Wildlife, and Plants .........................................................................................................37 5.2.1 Ipomopsis polyantha, Penstemon debilis, and Phacelia submutica ............................37 5.2.2 Other Fish, Wildlife, and Plant Species .......................................................................38 ii 5.3 Human Environment ................................................................................................................38 5.3.1 Energy Development ...................................................................................................41 5.3.2 Transportation Projects ................................................................................................41 5.3.3 Agriculture and Grazing ..............................................................................................42 5.3.4 Recreation ....................................................................................................................42 5.3.5 Residential and Commercial Development .................................................................43 5.4 Technical Assistance Requests of the Service .........................................................................43 5.5 Archeological and Cultural Resources .....................................................................................44 5.6 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................................44 6.0 COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ANALYSIS OF SIGNIFICANCE ...................48 6.1 Context .....................................................................................................................................48 6.2 Intensity....................................................................................................................................48 7.0 COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAWS AND REGULATIONS ...................................................49 7.1 Compliance with Other Laws and Regulations .......................................................................49 7.2 Environmental Justice ..............................................................................................................49 7.3 Agencies, Organizations, and Persons to Whom Copies of This Environmental Assessment Were Sent or Contacted .......................................................................................49 7.4 Public Review and Comment...................................................................................................49 8.0 LITERATURE CITED ....................................................................................................................50 9.0 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................57 9.1 Maps of Proposed Action.........................................................................................................57 9.2 Maps of Alternative A .............................................................................................................60 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 Critical Habitat for Ipomopsis polyantha ..............................................................................31 TABLE 2 Critical Habitat for Penstemon debilis ..................................................................................31 TABLE 3 Critical Habitat for Phacelia submutica ...............................................................................31 TABLE 4 Candidate, Threatened, and Endangered Species in Archulta, Garfield, and Mesa Counties, Colorado ......................................................................................................33 TABLE 5 Incremental Costs Associated With Designation of Critical Habitat for Ipomopsis polyantha, Penstemon debilis, and Phacelia submutica .....................................39 TABLE 6 Summary of Environmental Consequences by Alternative ..................................................45