United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Ruby Mountains Oil and Gas Leasing Availability Analysis Environmental Assessment Mountain City, Ruby Mountains, Jarbidge Ranger District, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Elko County, Nevada July 2018 Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Responsible Official: William A. Dunkelberger, Forest Supervisor Cooperating Agencies: US DOI Bureau of Land Management Elko County, Nevada Nevada Department of Wildlife For More Information Contact: Joshua Nicholes, District Ranger Mountain City, Ruby Mountains, Jarbidge Ranger District 660 S. 12th St., Suite 108 Elko, NV 775-778-6109 [email protected] In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 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Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. i 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Cooperating Agencies ............................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Purpose and Need for Action ................................................................................................. 2 1.4 Decision to be Made .............................................................................................................. 3 1.5 Scoping and Tribal Coordination ........................................................................................... 3 1.6 Summary of Issues ................................................................................................................. 4 1.7 Conformance with Forest Plan ............................................................................................... 4 2.0 Proposed Action, Alternatives and Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario ................ 6 2.1 Lands Involved and Analysis Area ........................................................................................ 6 2.2 Proposed Action ..................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Forest Service Proposed Action ...................................................................................... 8 2.3 No Leasing Alternative .......................................................................................................... 9 2.4 No Action Alternative ............................................................................................................ 9 2.5 Reasonably Foreseeable Development Scenario ................................................................... 9 3.0 Affected Environment and Environmental Effects .................................................................. 15 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Resources ............................................................................................................................ 15 3.2.1 Surface Water Quantity & Quality ................................................................................ 15 3.2.2 Ground Water Quantity & Quality ................................................................................ 18 3.2.3 Geologic Resources ....................................................................................................... 21 3.2.4 Wildlife & Fisheries ...................................................................................................... 24 3.2.5 Recreation and Access ................................................................................................... 27 3.2.6 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................ 28 3.2.7 Tribal Resources & Values ............................................................................................ 30 4.0 Agencies, Persons and Groups Consulted ................................................................................ 31 4.1 List of Preparers ................................................................................................................... 31 5.0 References ................................................................................................................................ 32 List of Figures Figure 1. Location Map of Analysis Area ........................................................................................ 7 Figure 2. Oil and Gas Activity Map of Ruby Mountain Area ........................................................ 14 Figure 3a. Geologic map of south-central Ruby Mountains (Colgan, et. al 2010)......................... 23 Figure 3b. Guide to Stratigraphic Units and Map Symbols (Colgan, et. al 2010).......................... 24 i List of Appendices Appendix A- Legal Description Appendix B- Resource Concerns Analysis Appendix C- Humboldt National Forest Land Management Plan- Appendix H Terms from the Standard Lease Form (SF-3100-11 Section 6), and Bureau of Land Management Standard Stipulations Appendix D- Analysis Maps Appendix E- Oil and Gas Leasing Glossary ii 1.0 Introduction The Forest Service received a request dated August 1, 2017 from the Nevada Bureau of Land Management (BLM) State Office asking the Forest Service for leasing concurrence, along with any stipulations to protect surface resources. The request included lands from an expression of interest received by the BLM from a member of the public. The lands are located in the Ruby Mountain Range, Elko County, Nevada, (as shown in Figure 1 and legally described in Appendix A). In response to the BLM request, the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest , Mountain City, Ruby-Jarbidge (MCRJ) Ranger District proposes to determine the availability of approximately 52,533 acres1 of National Forest System (NFS) lands along with resource protection conditions (stipulations) for future oil and gas leasing by the BLM. The Forest Service prepared this environmental assessment (EA) to determine whether making these specific NFS lands available for oil and gas leasing by the BLM may significantly affect the quality of the human environment and thereby require the preparation of an environmental impact statement. By preparing this EA, we are fulfilling agency policy and direction to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). For details of the proposed action, see the Proposed Action and Alternatives section of this document. The Forest Service will evaluate and disclose the effects of the proposed action and alternatives for oil and gas leasing availability in the EA, consistent with the requirements of NEPA and Federal Regulations 36 CFR 228.102(c). The EA will serve as the basis for the Forest Service and the BLM for making their respective decisions. 1.1 Background The BLM and Forest Service have shared responsibilities for the issuance and administration of oil and gas leases on NFS lands. The BLM is responsible for selling and issuing oil and gas leases on Federal lands, including NFS lands. The BLM cannot offer NFS lands and issue leases for oil and gas leasing without the Forest Service first providing a consent to lease decision. The Forest Service authorized officer will decide what federal lands administered by the Humboldt- Toiyabe National Forest with federal oil and gas ownership will be administratively available for oil and gas leasing by the BLM and for any offered lands, the Forest Service will identify required lease