BLM United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-ID-B000-2011-0002-EA Bruneau Field Office Canyonlands East Travel Management Plan and Environmental Assessment U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Boise District Bruneau Field Office 3948 Development Ave. Boise, ID 83705 CANYONLANDS EAST TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Prepared for U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Boise District Bruneau Field Office 3948 Development Avenue Boise, Idaho 83705 Prepared by SWCA Environmental Consultants 3033 North Central Avenue, Suite 145 Phoenix, Arizona 85012 www.swca.com SWCA Project No. 33720.02 November 2016 CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... vii 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 DOCUMENT STRUCTURE ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE ACTION ........................................................................ 2 1.3.1 Purpose................................................................................................................................ 2 1.3.2 Need .................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 DECISION TO BE MADE .......................................................................................................... 5 1.5 CONFORMANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAND USE PLANS AND REGULATIONS .......... 5 1.5.1 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009................................................................ 5 1.5.2 Idaho and Southwestern Montana Greater Sage-Grouse Approved Resource Management Plan Amendment ........................................................................................... 5 1.5.3 Bruneau Management Framework Plan .............................................................................. 6 1.5.4 Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River Final Management Plan ..................................................................................................................................... 6 1.6 RELATIONSHIP TO STATUTES, REGULATIONS, OR OTHER PLANS ............................. 6 1.7 SCOPING AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT .............................................................................. 9 1.7.1 Route Inventory and Evaluation ......................................................................................... 9 1.7.2 Travel Management Planning ............................................................................................. 9 1.8 IDENTIFICATION OF ISSUES ................................................................................................ 10 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................. 13 2.1 TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLANNING DESIGNATIONS ................................................... 13 2.1.1 Route Types ...................................................................................................................... 13 2.1.2 Designation Types ............................................................................................................ 14 2.2 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE.................................................................................................. 14 2.3 ACTION ALTERNATIVES ...................................................................................................... 17 2.3.1 Criteria and Actions Common to All Alternatives............................................................ 17 2.3.1.1 Adaptive Management ......................................................................................... 17 2.3.1.2 Monitoring ........................................................................................................... 18 2.3.1.3 Desired Future Conditions and Route Management Objectives .......................... 18 2.3.1.4 Application of Minimization Criteria .................................................................. 22 2.3.1.5 Signage, Education and Enforcement .................................................................. 22 2.3.1.6 Maintenance and Rehabilitation .......................................................................... 23 2.3.1.7 OHV Management ............................................................................................... 24 2.3.1.8 Criteria for Alternatives Development................................................................. 25 2.3.2 Alternative B ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.2.1 Route Management Objectives ............................................................................ 26 2.3.3 Alternative C ..................................................................................................................... 26 2.3.3.1 Route Management Objectives ............................................................................ 26 2.3.4 Alternative D ..................................................................................................................... 29 2.3.4.1 Route Management Objectives ............................................................................ 29 2.4 SUMMARY OF ROUTE MILEAGE FOR ALL ALTERNATIVES ........................................ 33 2.5 SUMMARY OF IMPACTS BY ALTERNATIVE .................................................................... 33 November 2016 i Canyonlands East Travel Management Plan Environmental Assessment 2.6 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT ANALYZED IN DETAIL .............................. 33 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................... 45 3.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 45 3.1.1 General Setting ................................................................................................................. 45 3.1.2 Resources Considered in this Analysis ............................................................................. 45 3.2 AFFECTED RESOURCES AND VALUES ............................................................................. 47 3.2.1 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................................ 47 3.2.2 Soils and Hydrology ......................................................................................................... 49 3.2.2.1 Soils ..................................................................................................................... 49 3.2.2.2 Hydrology ............................................................................................................ 51 3.2.3 Fire and Fuels Management .............................................................................................. 53 3.2.4 Vegetation ......................................................................................................................... 54 3.2.4.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ................................................................... 55 3.2.4.2 BLM Special Status Species ................................................................................ 55 3.2.4.3 Noxious Weeds and Invasive Plants .................................................................... 57 3.2.5 Wildlife ............................................................................................................................. 58 3.2.5.1 Threatened and Endangered Species ................................................................... 59 3.2.5.2 Migratory Birds.................................................................................................... 59 3.2.5.3 BLM Special Status Species ................................................................................ 59 3.2.5.4 Big Game ............................................................................................................. 63 3.2.5.5 Fisheries ............................................................................................................... 63 3.2.5.6 Bats ...................................................................................................................... 64 3.2.6 Recreation and Social Values ........................................................................................... 64 3.2.6.1 The Existing Route System .................................................................................. 65 3.2.6.2 Designated Recreation Sites ................................................................................ 65 3.2.6.3 Recreation Opportunity Spectrum ....................................................................... 65 3.2.6.4 Hunting and Trapping .......................................................................................... 66 3.2.6.5 Social Values ....................................................................................................... 66 3.2.7 Visual Resources ..............................................................................................................