U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-B000-2019-0006-EA June 2019 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale February 13, 2019 PREPARING OFFICE U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Battle Mountain District, Nevada 1 Table of Contents Chapter 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Background and Summary .................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Purpose and Need for Action, and Decision to be Made .................................................................... 5 1.3 Land Use Plan Conformance .............................................................................................................. 5 1.4 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations and Policy ................................................................................ 7 1.5 Scoping and Public Involvement ........................................................................................................ 9 Chapter 2. Proposed Action and No Leasing Alternative ........................................................................... 13 2.1 Description of the Proposed Action .................................................................................................. 13 2.2 Description of the No Leasing Alternative ....................................................................................... 13 Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ........................................................ 14 3.1 Analysis Process Overview ............................................................................................................... 14 3.1.1 Methods and Assumptions ......................................................................................................... 14 3.1.2 Direct and Indirect Effects ......................................................................................................... 16 3.1.3 Time Period Considered ............................................................................................................. 17 3.1.4 Analysis Area ............................................................................................................................. 17 3.1.5 Other Terms Used ...................................................................................................................... 17 3.1.6 Supplemental Authorities and Other Resources Considered ..................................................... 17 3.1.7 Environmental Consequences of the No Leasing Alternative (All Resources) ......................... 19 3.2 Environmental Effects of the Proposed Action ................................................................................. 19 3.2.1 Air Quality, Climate Change, and Greenhouse Gases ............................................................... 19 3.2.2 Soils............................................................................................................................................ 23 3.2.3 Paleontological Resources ......................................................................................................... 24 3.2.4 Water Resources ........................................................................................................................ 25 3.2.5 Vegetation .................................................................................................................................. 28 3.2.6 Forestry and Woodland Products ............................................................................................... 29 3.2.7 Noxious Weeds and Invasive, Non-Native Species ................................................................... 30 3.2.8 Wildlife Resources ..................................................................................................................... 31 3.2.9 Wild Horses and Burros ............................................................................................................. 34 3.2.10 Grazing Management ............................................................................................................... 38 3.2.11 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................... 39 3.2.12 Native American Cultural Concerns ........................................................................................ 40 3.2.13 Recreation ................................................................................................................................ 41 2 3.2.14 Visual Resources ...................................................................................................................... 42 3.2.15 Wilderness Characteristics ....................................................................................................... 43 3.2.16 Geology and Mineral Resources .............................................................................................. 45 3.2.17 Land Use Authorizations ......................................................................................................... 47 3.2.18 Socioeconomic Values ............................................................................................................. 48 3.2.19 Waste, Hazardous and Solid .................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 4. Cumulative Effects .................................................................................................................... 52 4.1. Methods and Assumptions ............................................................................................................... 52 4.1.1 Alternatives Considered ............................................................................................................. 52 4.1.2 Cumulative effects study area, timeframe, and RFD ................................................................. 52 4.1.3 Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions (RFFAs) ..................................................................... 52 4.2 Cumulative Effects Analysis ............................................................................................................. 53 4.2.1 Cumulative Effects to Air Quality, Climate Change, Greenhouse Gases .................................. 53 4.2.2 Cumulative Effects to Soils and Vegetation .............................................................................. 53 4.2.3 Cumulative Effects to Paleontological Resources ..................................................................... 53 4.2.4 Cumulative Effects to Water Resources, Forestry and Woodland Products .............................. 53 4.2.5 Cumulative Effects to Noxious Weeds and Invasive Species .................................................... 54 4.2.6 Cumulative Effects to Wildlife Resources ................................................................................. 54 4.2.7 Cumulative Effects to Wild Horses ........................................................................................... 54 4.2.8 Cumulative Effects to Grazing Management ............................................................................. 55 4.2.9 Cumulative Effects to Cultural Resources ................................................................................. 55 4.2.10 Cumulative Effects to Native American Cultural Concerns .................................................... 55 4.2.11 Cumulative Effects to Recreation, Visual Resources, and Wilderness Characteristics ........... 56 4.2.12 Cumulative Effects to Geology and Minerals, Land Use Authorizations ................................ 56 4.2.13 Cumulative Effects to Socioeconomic Values ......................................................................... 57 4.2.14 Cumulative Effects to Waste, Hazardous and Solid ................................................................ 57 References ................................................................................................................................................... 57 List of Preparers .......................................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix A: List of Nominated Parcels ................................................................................................... 1 Appendix B: Stipulations and Lease Notices .......................................................................................... 13 Appendix C: Soil Types and Biotic Communities .................................................................................. 43 Appendix D: Special Status Species List ................................................................................................ 50 Appendix E: Hydraulic Fracturing Technology ...................................................................................... 55 3 Appendix F: Definitions, Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................... 68 Appendix G: Reasonably Foreseeable Development (RFD) Scenario ................................................... 71 Appendix H: Proposed lease parcels intersecting inventory units that have wilderness characteristics . 73 Appendix J: Environmental Justice Analysis .........................................................................................