Final Environmental Assessment Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association Conservation Strategy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office Cheyenne, Wyoming and Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Department of Agriculture Medicine Bow – Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland U.S. Department of Interior Wyoming Bureau of Land Management February 2017 Final Environmental Assessment Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association CCAA/CCA/CA TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations and Acronyms ........................................................................................................ vi Glossary ........................................................................................................................................ vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1 1.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................1 1.2 The Purpose of the Action .................................................................................................3 1.3 The Need for the Action ....................................................................................................3 1.4 The Association’s Conservation Strategy .........................................................................4 1.5 Conservation Status of Covered Species ...........................................................................5 1.5.1 Sagebrush Steppe .......................................................................................................5 1.5.2 Shortgrass Prairie .......................................................................................................6 1.6 Conservation Strategy Coverage Area ..............................................................................8 1.7 Approvals to be Made .......................................................................................................8 1.8 Legal Authorities and Policy ...........................................................................................11 1.8.1 Authorities Related to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) .................11 1.8.2. Authorities Related to Interagency Agreements and Collaborative Conservation ..12 1.9 Public Participation .........................................................................................................14 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................16 2.1 Alternative A – No Action ..............................................................................................17 2.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action – Issuance of a Section 10(a)(1)(A) Permit – Implementation of the Association’s Conservation Strategy ..........................................18 2.3 Alternative C – Issuance of Individual Permits - Implementation of Individual CCAAs / CCAs ...............................................................................................................................28 2.4 Alternatives Considered But Not Fully Evaluated – Alternative D ................................28 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .........................................................................................29 3.1 Physical Characteristics of the Action Area ....................................................................30 3.1.1 Regional Characteristics ..........................................................................................31 3.1.2 Soils..........................................................................................................................34 3.1.3 Vegetation ................................................................................................................35 3.2 Wildlife............................................................................................................................38 3.2.1 Covered Species .......................................................................................................38 February 2017 Page i Final Environmental Assessment Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association CCAA/CCA/CA 3.2.1.1 Sagebrush Steppe Assemblage ........................................................................ 39 3.2.1.2 Shortgrass Prairie Assemblage ........................................................................ 48 3.2.2 Species of Special Concern ......................................................................................53 3.2.2.1 ESA Listed, Proposed, and Candidate Species................................................ 53 3.2.2.2 BLM and USFS Sensitive Species .................................................................. 60 3.2.2.3 USFS Management Indicator Species (MIS) .................................................. 87 3.2.2.4 Birds of Conservation Concern ....................................................................... 90 3.2.2.5 Wyoming and Montana Species of Greatest Conservation Need.................... 91 3.2.2.6 Other Wildlife .................................................................................................. 92 3.3 Farm and Ranch Lands ....................................................................................................96 3.4 Environmental Justice .....................................................................................................97 3.5 Socioeconomics ...............................................................................................................98 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ........................................................................99 4.1 Covered Species ............................................................................................................101 4.1.1 Sagebrush Steppe Assemblage ..............................................................................101 4.1.2 Shortgrass Prairie Assemblage ..............................................................................101 4.1.3 Alternative A – No Action Alternative ..................................................................102 4.1.4 Alternative B – Proposed Action ...........................................................................104 4.1.5 Alternative C – Individual Agreements and Permits .............................................114 4.2 Endangered, Threatened, Proposed, and Candidate Species .........................................114 4.2.1 Alternative A – No Action Alternative ..................................................................115 4.2.1.1 Black-footed ferret ......................................................................................... 116 4.2.1.2 Ute ladies’-tresses .......................................................................................... 116 4.2.1.3 Northern long-eared bat ................................................................................. 117 4.2.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action ...........................................................................117 4.2.2.1 Black-footed Ferret ........................................................................................ 117 4.2.2.2 Ute ladies’-tresses .......................................................................................... 119 4.2.2.3 Northern Long-eared Bat ............................................................................... 121 4.2.3 Alternative C – Individual Agreements and Permits .............................................123 4.2.3.1 Black-footed ferret ......................................................................................... 123 4.2.3.2 Ute Ladies’-tresses ........................................................................................ 123 February 2017 Page ii Final Environmental Assessment Thunder Basin Grasslands Prairie Ecosystem Association CCAA/CCA/CA 4.2.3.3 Northern Long-eared Bat ............................................................................... 124 4.3 Sensitive Species and other Vertebrate Species of Concern .........................................124 4.3.1 BLM and USFS Sensitive Species .........................................................................124 4.3.1.1 Alternative A – No Action Alternative .......................................................... 125 4.3.1.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action ................................................................... 125 4.3.1.3 Alternative C – Individual Agreements and Permits ..................................... 126 4.3.2 USFS Management Indicator Species (MIS) .........................................................126 4.3.2.1 Alternative A – No Action Alternative .......................................................... 127 4.3.2.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action ................................................................... 127 4.3.2.3 Alternative C – Individual Agreements and Permits ..................................... 127 4.3.3 Birds of Conservation Concern, Species of Greatest Conservation Need, and Other Wildlife ..................................................................................................................128 4.3.3.1 Alternative A – No Action Alternative .......................................................... 128 4.3.3.2 Alternative B – Proposed Action ................................................................... 129 4.3.3.3 Alternative C – Individual Agreements and Permits ....................................