United States Environmental Assessment Department of Agriculture for Forest Service Southwestern Region Heber-Reno/Morgan Mountain Sheep Driveways Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Figure 1. Original sheep driveways vicinity map The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual‟s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA‟s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Printed on recycled paper – February, 2011 Contents Summary ................................................................................................................................................ v Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................... 1 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Need for Action ........................................................................................................... 2 Proposed Action .............................................................................................................................. 2 Laws, Regulations and Forest Plan Consistency ............................................................................. 3 Decision Framework ....................................................................................................................... 4 Public Involvement .......................................................................................................................... 4 Issues ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 - Alternatives ......................................................................................................................... 5 Alternatives ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Alternative 1- No Action ........................................................................................................... 6 Alternative 2 – The Proposed Action ........................................................................................ 6 Alternative 3 – Partial Use ........................................................................................................ 8 Mitigation Measures Common to Both Action Alternatives ......................................................... 10 Mitigation by Ranger District per Annual Operating Instructions ................................................. 11 Other Related Mitigation Measures Proposed Through the Collabroative Risk Assessment by Arizona Game and Fish Department ............................................................................................. 12 Comparison of Alternatives ........................................................................................................... 13 Chapter 3 – Environmental Consequences .......................................................................................... 19 Monitoring ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Adaptive Management .................................................................................................................. 20 Rangeland ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Rangeland Existing Conditions ............................................................................................... 23 Invasive Plants ........................................................................................................................ 29 Rangeland Effects ................................................................................................................... 29 Air Quality ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Riparian Resources and Water Quality .......................................................................................... 32 Riparian and Water Quality Existing Conditions .................................................................... 32 Floodplains .............................................................................................................................. 32 Direct, Indirect, and Cumulative Effects ................................................................................ 37 Environmental Assessment for the Heber-Reno/Morgan Mountain Sheep Driveways i Social and Economic ..................................................................................................................... 40 Environmental Justice ............................................................................................................. 44 Heritage ......................................................................................................................................... 45 Contemporary American Indian Uses ..................................................................................... 51 Wildlife………………………………………………………………………………...…………50 Federally Listed Species Existing Condition…………………………..…………………….52 Federally Listed Species Effects………..……………………………………………………59 Sensitive Species Existing Condition…………………………………………………..……67 Sensitive Species Effects…………………………………………………..……………...…83 Wildlife Cumulative Effects………………………………………………..…………...…112 Chapter 4 - Consultation and Coordination ....................................................................................... 112 Chapter 5 – References ...................................................................................................................... 117 Chapter 6 – List of Preparers ............................................................................................................. 123 Appendix A -- Riparian and Water .................................................................................................... 125 Appendix B – Collaborative Risk Assessment .................................................................................. 127 Appendix C. Summary of Scoping Concerns .................................................................................... 147 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 – Original sheep driveways vicinity map…………………………………………..…. i Figure 2 -- Map of Alternative 2 (Proposed Action)…………………………………………..…8 Figure 3 – Map of Alternative 3 (Partial Use)………………………………………………..…..9 Figure 4 – Map of stray domestic sheep sitings along Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway……….….27 Figure 5 – Map showing Driveways and Bighorn sheep habitat………………………………..80 Figure 6 -- Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway Alternative 3 possible drop points, bedding grounds, watering areas, and bighorn sheep habitat within Tonto NF…………………………………….81 Figure 7 -- Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway, bedding grounds, watering areas, and bighorn sheep habitat within Tonto NF………………………………………………………………………….82 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 – Comparison of Alternatives……………………………………………………………13 Table 2 – Past and Present Activities..……………………………………………………………21 Table 3 – Reasonably Foreseeable Activities..……………………………………………………22 Table 4 – Stray domestic sheep sitings along the Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway…………….…...26 Table 5 – Summary of stream reaches on the Tonto and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests…..34 Table 6 – Economic Impacts ……..………………………………………………………………42 Table 7 – Federally threatened, endangered, and proposed species in project area ………….......51 Table 8 – Summary of determinations for federally listed species……………………………….66 Table 9 – Sensitive species analyzed……………………………………………………………..68 ii Environmental Assessment for the Heber-Reno/Morgan Mountain Sheep Driveways Table 10 – Risk assessment by alternative…………………………………………………….….84 Table 11 – Sensitive species effects determinations………………………………………...……86 Table 12 – Management indicator species considered……………………………………………90 Table 13 – Details for MIS species considered……………………...……………………………96 Table 14 – Summary of migratory birds…………………………………..……….……………105 LIST OF TABLES IN APPENDIX A 1a. Developed waters on the Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway 2a. Streams assessed by ADEQ on the Heber-Reno Sheep Driveway 3a. Potentially eligible streams for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 4a. Criteria for the Outstandingly Remarkable Values (ORVs) for Canyon Creek, Spring Creek, and Salt River Environmental Assessment for the Heber-Reno/Morgan Mountain Sheep Driveways iii Summary The Heber-Reno/Morgan Mountain sheep driveways have been used to move sheep to and from winter grazing grounds to summer pastures