BLM ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOI-BLM-NV-W000-2013-0001-EA WINNEMUCCA DISTRICT DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN Winnemucca District Office/Nevada May 2013 Prepared by: U.S. Bureau of Land Management Winnemucca District Office 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd. Winnemucca NV 89445-2921 It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. BLM/NV/WN/EA/13-7+1792 DOI-BLM-NV-W000-2013-0001-EA WINNEMUCCA DISTRICT DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN HUMBOLDT & PERSHING COUNTIES Portions of WASHOE, LYON, & CHURCHILL COUNTIES NEVADA Preliminary Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-W000-2013-0001-EA May 2013 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Winnemucca District Office WINNEMUCCA DISTRICT DROUGHT RESPONSE PLAN Environmental Assessment Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION .................................................4 1.0 Introduction and Background ............................................................................................... 4 1.1 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Conformance with Land Use Plans ........................................................................................ 5 1.3 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, Policy or other Environmental Analysis and Plans .. 5 1.4 Additional Guidance .............................................................................................................. 6 1.5 Issues ..................................................................................................................................... 6 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION & ALTERNATIVES ............................6 2.0 Proposed Action .................................................................................................................... 6 A. Drought Indicators............................................................................................................... 7 B. Drought Response Triggers ................................................................................................. 8 C. Drought Response Actions ................................................................................................ 10 2.1 Grazing Closure Alternative ................................................................................................ 19 2.2 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................................... 20 2.3 Alternatives Considered, but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ....................................... 20 III. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT/ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................20 3.0 General Setting .................................................................................................................... 20 3.1 Supplemental Authorities of the Human Environment ...................................................... 21 3.2 Additional Affected Resources ............................................................................................ 23 3.3 Resources Present and Brought Forward for Analysis ........................................................ 24 A. Air Quality .......................................................................................................................... 24 B. Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) ................................................................ 25 C. Cultural Resources ............................................................................................................. 27 D. Environmental Justice ....................................................................................................... 30 E. Invasive Non-Native Species .............................................................................................. 31 F. Migratory Birds .................................................................................................................. 34 G. Native American Religious Concerns ................................................................................ 38 H. Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................................... 40 I. Water Quality (Surface) ...................................................................................................... 49 i J. Wetland and Riparian Zones .............................................................................................. 57 K. Wilderness ......................................................................................................................... 64 L. Lands & Realty .................................................................................................................... 66 M. Lands with Wilderness Characteristics ............................................................................. 67 N. National Conservation Area .............................................................................................. 68 O. Paleontological Resources ................................................................................................ 69 P. Rangeland Management ................................................................................................... 71 Q. Recreation ......................................................................................................................... 73 R. Social and Economic Values .............................................................................................. 75 S. Soils .................................................................................................................................... 80 T. Special Status Species ........................................................................................................ 84 U. Vegetation ......................................................................................................................... 88 V. Wild Horses and Burros ..................................................................................................... 94 W. Wilderness Study Areas ................................................................................................. 111 X. Wildlife ............................................................................................................................. 113 IV. CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ................................................................................................127 4.0 Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions .............................................. 128 4.1 Effect of Past, Present and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ............................... 128 A. Air Quality ........................................................................................................................ 128 B. Areas of Critical Environmental Concern ........................................................................ 129 C. Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................... 130 D. Noxious Weeds/Invasive Non-native Species ................................................................. 130 E. Native American Religious Concerns and Environmental Justice ................................... 131 F. Water Quality ................................................................................................................... 132 G. Wetland and Riparian Zones ........................................................................................... 134 H. Wilderness, Wilderness Study Areas, and Lands with Wilderness Characteristics ........ 136 I. Lands and Realty ............................................................................................................... 136 J. National Conservation Area ............................................................................................ 137 K. Paleontological Resources ............................................................................................... 138 L. Rangeland Management .................................................................................................. 138 M. Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 139 N. Social and Economic Values ............................................................................................ 141 O. Soils ................................................................................................................................. 142 ii P. Vegetation ....................................................................................................................... 143 Q. Wild Horses and Burros .................................................................................................. 144 R. Wildlife, Special Status Species, Migratory Birds and Threatened and Endangered ...... 147 VI. CONSULTATION, COORDINATION, AND LIST OF PREPARERS ........................149 5.1 Consultation ...................................................................................................................... 149 5.2 Coordination ...................................................................................................................... 149 5.3 List of Preparers ................................................................................................................ 150 5.4 Public Outreach ................................................................................................................