United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management For information contact: Deschutes Resource Area Prineville District Office 3050 NE Third Street Prineville, Oregon 97754 (541) 416-6700 April 2007 The Greater La Pine Community Wildland Urban Interface Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project Environmental Assessment EA # OR-056-06-078 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR PROPOSED ACTION.................................................................................8 1.1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................8 1.2 BACKGROUND.....................................................................................................................................................9 1.3 PROJECT AREA DESCRIPTION..........................................................................................................................9 Community Wildfire Protection Plans..............................................................................................................10 1.4 PURPOSE AND NEED.................................................................................................................................11 1.5 SUMMARY OF SCOPING............................................................................................................................12 1.6 ISSUES.......................................................................................................................................................13 1.7 CONFORMANCES AND CONSISTENCY WITH LAND USE PLANS, REGULATIONS, AND LAWS .................13 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION....................................................................................15 2.1 PROPOSED ACTION...........................................................................................................................................16 Treatment Methods ...........................................................................................................................................21 2.2 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.....................................................................................................................22 Fire/Fuels ..........................................................................................................................................................22 Vegetation..........................................................................................................................................................22 Weeds.................................................................................................................................................................22 Livestock Grazing/Range ..................................................................................................................................23 Soils ...................................................................................................................................................................23 Recreation..........................................................................................................................................................24 Visual Resource Management (VRM)..............................................................................................................25 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT..........................................................................................................................27 FIRE/FUELS ............................................................................................................................................................27 VEGETATION ..........................................................................................................................................................29 Lodgepole Pine..................................................................................................................................................29 Ponderosa Pine..................................................................................................................................................30 Riparian Vegetation ..........................................................................................................................................31 Woodland Products ...........................................................................................................................................31 Special Status Plants .........................................................................................................................................32 Noxious Weeds ..................................................................................................................................................33 WILDLIFE ...............................................................................................................................................................33 Species of Focus................................................................................................................................................33 LIVESTOCK GRAZING/RANGE ...............................................................................................................................36 HYDROLOGY ..........................................................................................................................................................37 WATER QUALITY ...................................................................................................................................................38 WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS AND STATE SCENIC WATERWAYS.............................................................................39 FISHERIES...............................................................................................................................................................39 Habitat Conditions ............................................................................................................................................39 Fish Species and Populations ...........................................................................................................................39 SOILS 39 Past Management..............................................................................................................................................40 Limitations.........................................................................................................................................................40 CULTURAL..............................................................................................................................................................40 Prehistory ..........................................................................................................................................................41 History ...............................................................................................................................................................41 RECREATION ..........................................................................................................................................................42 Motorized Recreation ........................................................................................................................................42 Non-Motorized...................................................................................................................................................43 VISUAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................43 AIR QUALITY..........................................................................................................................................................44 2 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.........................................................................................................46 4.1 CRITICAL ELEMENTS........................................................................................................................................46 4.2 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS .............................................................................................................................46 Fire/Fuels ..........................................................................................................................................................46 Vegetation..........................................................................................................................................................47 Wildlife ..............................................................................................................................................................53 Grazing ..............................................................................................................................................................56 Hydrology ..........................................................................................................................................................56 Soils ...................................................................................................................................................................57 Cultural..............................................................................................................................................................59