United States Department of Environmental Agriculture Forest Assessment Service September 2013 Snake/Pine Rangeland Allotment Management Plans Whitman Ranger District Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Baker and Wallowa Counties, Oregon For Information Contact: Josh White Whitman Ranger District 3285 11th St. Baker City, OR 97814 541-523-1340 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). 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TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - Purpose and Need for Action ............................................................................... 1 Analysis Area............................................................................................................. 1 Purpose and Need for Action ................................................................................... 2 Proposed Action ........................................................................................................ 5 Decision Framework ................................................................................................. 6 Scope of the Proposed Action ................................................................................. 7 Management Direction .............................................................................................. 7 Public Involvement .................................................................................................... 9 Issues ....................................................................................................................... 11 Resources Eliminated from Further Analysis ....................................................... 11 Pertinent Laws and Regulations ............................................................................ 12 CHAPTER 2 – Alternatives .......................................................................................................... 19 Alternatives Considered but Not Analyzed in Detail ............................................. 19 Alternatives Considered and Analyzed in Detail ................................................... 19 Alternative Comparison and Summary .................................................................. 31 Protection Measures Specific to Action Alternatives ............................................. 32 Monitoring Specific to Action Alternatives ................................................................ 35 CHAPTER 3 - Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ............................. 41 Cumulative Actions and Activities ......................................................................... 41 Rangeland Resources ............................................................................................. 45 Social/Economics .................................................................................................... 79 Fisheries .................................................................................................................. 87 Hydrology .............................................................................................................. 128 Soils ....................................................................................................................... 146 Biological Soil Crust ............................................................................................. 163 Botanical Resources ............................................................................................. 172 Fuels and Vegetation ............................................................................................ 198 Recreation and Wilderness ................................................................................... 205 Invasive Species .................................................................................................... 214 Specifically Required Disclosures ....................................................................... 226 CHAPTER 4 – Organizations and Persons Consulted ........................................................... 229 Preparers ............................................................................................................... 230 References ................................................................................................................................. 231 Glossary ..................................................................................................................................... 254 Appendix A – Issue Tracking from Scoping ........................................................................... 269 Appendix B – Consistency Review .......................................................................................... 274 Appendix C – Wildlife Biological Evaluation .......................................................................... 294 Appendix D – Response to Comments ................................................................................... 315 LIST OF MAPS Map 1 - Snake/Pine Vicinity Map ................................................................................... 15 Map 2 - North Pine and Double Pine Allotments ............................................................ 16 Map 3 – Snake River Allotment ..................................................................................... 17 Map 4 – Management Areas ......................................................................................... 18 Map 5 – Alternative 2: North Pine Allotment .................................................................. 36 Map 6 – Alternative 2: Snake River Allotment................................................................ 37 Map 7 – Alternative 3: North Pine Allotment .................................................................. 38 Map 8 – Alternative 3: Snake River Allotment................................................................ 39 Map 9 - North Pine/Double Pine Allotment – Current Capability .................................... 49 Map 10 - Snake River Allotment – Current Capability .................................................... 50 Map 11. Fish Distribution and Critical Habitat ............................................................. 127 Map 12. Stream Gradient Map North Pine .................................................................. 133 Map 13. Stream Gradient Map Snake River ............................................................... 134 Snake/Pine AMP EA Chapter 1 – Purpose and Need CHAPTER 1 - Purpose and Need for Action Introduction The Forest Service has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant Federal and State laws and regulations. The purpose of this EA is to evaluate the potential effects of authorizing livestock grazing on three allotments within the 26,469-acre Snake/Pine Rangeland Analysis Area (SPRAA), which includes 415 acres of private land and 2 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. The allotments being evaluated are North Pine, Double Pine and Snake River. These allotments are administered by the Whitman Ranger District and are located within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area (HCNRA) of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. This document is organized into five parts: Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Action: This section includes information on the history of the project proposal, the purpose of and need for the project, the proposal for achieving that purpose and need, and key issues used to formulate alternatives, develop mitigation, and track effects and other issues that did not drive alternatives but were addressed in this analysis. Chapter 2. Alternatives, including the Proposed Action: This section provides a more detailed description of the proposed action, as well as alternative methods for achieving the stated purpose. This discussion also includes possible mitigation measures. Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences: This section describes the environmental effects of implementing the proposed action and other alternatives. This analysis is organized by resource areas (i.e. rangeland, wildlife, botanical resources). Within each section, the effect of the No Action Alternative that provides a baseline for evaluation and comparison of the other alternatives that follow is described. Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordination: This section provides a list of preparers and agencies consulted during the development of the environmental assessment. Appendices. The appendices provide more detailed information to support the analyses presented in the environmental assessment. Additional documentation, including more detailed analyses of project area resources, data specific to the project, public notifications and their responses, and miscellaneous documentation, may be found in the project planning record located at the Whitman Ranger