DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT For White-winged and Mourning Dove, Quail & Desert Cottontail Rabbit Hunt Plan SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Douglas, AZ For Further Information, Contact: Bill Radke Refuge Manager U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 3509 7628 N. Highway 191 Douglas, AZ 85608 Prepared by: U. S. Department of Interior Douglas, AZ May 2015 1 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION.........................................................................5 1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Location ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Background................................................................................................................. 5 Figure 1: Map of Refuge Units…….................................................................................. 6 1.4 Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action................................................................. 9 1.5 Decision to be Made.................................................................................................... 9 1.6 Regulatory Compliance............................................................................................... 10 1.7 Public Involvement and Issues Identified................................................................... 12 2.0 ALTERNATIVES; INCLUDING PROPOSED ACTION ALTERNATIVE ...... 12 2.1 Alternative A – No Action (Current Management).……………................................. 12 2.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action ............................................................................... 18 Figure 7: Map of Hunting Area on Tatton Unit………….……………………………….. 19 2.3 Alternative C – Reduced Waterfowl Hunting............................................................... 20 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT........................................................... 20 3.1 Physical Enviroment……………..................................................................................................... 20 3.1.1 Air Quality.................................................................................................................... 3.1.2 Water Quality and Quantity .................................................................................................................. 22 3.1.3 Soils 3.2 Biological Environment 3.2.1 Vegeatation................................................................................................................... 22 3.2.2 Wildlife....................................................................................................................... 24 26 3.2.3 Threatened and Endangered Species and Species of Concern.................................... 26 3.3 Human Environment 3.3.1 Cultural Resources..................................................................... 27 3.3.2 Socioeconomic Resources........................................................................................... 27 29 3.3.3 Public Use/Recreation............................................................................................. 29 2 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES................................................................. 29 4.1 Effects Common to All Alternatives.............................................................................. 30 4.1.1 Environmental Justice............................................................................................ 30 4.1.2 Climate Change...................................................................................................... 30 4.1.3 Impacts on Cultural Resources............................................................................... 30 4.2 Physical Environment ................................................................................................ 31 4.2.1 Impacts on Air Quality........................................................................................... 31 4.2.2 Impacts on Water Quality and Quantity................................................................ 31 4.2.3 Impacts on Soils..................................................................................................... 32 4.3 Biological Environment.............................................................................................. 33 4.3.1 Impacts on Habitat................................................................................................ 33 4.3.2 Impacts on Resident Wildlife................................................................................. 33 4.3.3 Impacts to Migratory Species…………………………………........................... 34 4.3.4 Impacts to Threatened, Endangered and Special Status Species.......................... 34 4.4 Socioeconomic Environment...................................................................................... 36 4.4.1 Impacts on Socioeconomic Resources................................................................... 36 4.4.2 Impacts to Visitor Services/Recreation Opportunities........................................... 37 4.4.3 Impacts on Public Health and Safety..................................................................... 38 4.4.4 Impacts on Refuge Facilities.................................................................................. 38 4.4.5 Humaneness and Animal Welfare Concerns.......................................................... 38 4.5 Cumulative Impacts Analysis…………..…………..…………………..….…..…….. 39 4.5.1 Anticipated Direct and Indirect Impacts of Proposed Action Alternative on Wildlife Species…………………………………………………………………………….. 39 4.5.1.1 Resident Wildlife…….................................................................................... 39 4.5.1.2 Migratory Species…………………………………………………………… 41 4.5.1.3 Endangered Species………………………………………………………… 43 4.5.2 Anticipated Direct and Indirect Impacts of Proposed Action on Refuge Programs, Facilities, and Cultural Resources………………………............................... 43 4.5.2.1 Other Wildlife-Dependent Recreation…........................................................ 43 4.5.2.2 Refuge Facilities…………………................................................................. 44 4.5.2.3 Cultural Resources.......................................................................................... 44 4.5.3 Anticipated Impacts of Proposed Hunt on Refuge Environment and Community……………………………………………………………..…….……. 44 4.5.3.1 Refuge Environment………………………………………………….….… 44 4.5.3.2 Refuge Community..…………………………………………………..….… 45 4.5.4 Other Past, Present, Proposed and Reasonably Foreseeable Hunts (and Other Activities) and Anticipated Impacts……………….............................. 45 4.5.5 Anticipated Impacts if Individual Hunts are Allowed to Accumulate............... 46 4.5.6 Summary of Cumulative Effects........................................................................ 46 4.6 Environmental Justice................................................................................................. 47 4.7 Unavoidable Adverse Effects………………………………………………………..... 47 4.8 Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources............................................ 47 4.9 Summary of Impacts by Alternative............................................................................. 48 3 Table 4.9-1 Summary of Environmental Consequences by Alternative........................... 48 5.0 CONSULTATION, COORDINATION and DOCUMENT PREPARATION….. 49 5.1 Staff Consulted in the Preparation of This Document………................................... 49 5.2 Literature References……………..………………….………................................... 49 6.0 APPENDICIES Appendix A: Definition of Terms....................................................................................... 36 Appendix B: Response to Comments……………………………………………………….38 4 1.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION 1.1 Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is reevaluating the existing hunting program on San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (San Bernardino NWR). This Environmental Assessment (EA) is being prepared to evaluate the impacts of the of existing hunting program and other reasonable alternatives and complies with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in accordance with Council on Environmental Quality regulations (regulations (40 CFR 1500-1509) and Department of the Interior (516 DM 8) and Service (550 FW 3) policies (see section 1.7 for a list of additional regulations with which this EA complies). NEPA requires examination of the effects of proposed actions on the natural and human environment. In the following chapters, three alternatives are described and environmental consequences of each alternative are analyzed. The No Action Alternative, which is the Service’s Proposed Action, would continue the existing hunting program (with limited hunting), a second alternative considers expanding hunting opportunities (to include deer and javelina hunting) and a third alternative considers closing hunting altogether on the refuge. 1.2 Location San Bernardino NWR is located in a north-south valley with flat-to-rolling uplands that drop into the flat bottomlands that bisect the refuge. The uplands are dominated by Chihuahuan desert grassland and desert scrub while the bottomlands are covered with fallow fields, a mesquite bosque, and giant sacaton grasslands. A series of natural seeps and man-made artesian wells have been used in this landscape to create