United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District Shoshone Field Office 400 West F Street Shoshone, Idaho 83352 Telephone: (208) 732-7200 Fax: (208) 732-7317 Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-ID-T030-2012-0008-EA Ketchum Land Exchange (IDI-35331) Applicant: Blue Canyon Corporation (Land Exchange IDI-35331) Prepared for the Bureau of Land Management by ERO Resources Corporation June 2012 Contents 1 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.1 Federal Parcel.............................................................................................................. 5 1.1.2 Non-Federal Parcels................................................................ .................................... 5 1.2 Purpose and Need for Action................................ .......................................................... 6 1.3 Decision to be Made ....................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Conformance with Applicable Land Use Plans .............................................................. 6 1.5 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans .................................................... 8 1.5.1 Federal......................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.2 State........................................................................................................................... 10 1.6 Scoping, Public Involvement, and Issues ..................................................................... 11 1.6.1 Scoping and Public Involvement .............................................................................. 11 1.6.2 Issues Identified ........................................................................................................ 12 2 Proposed Action and Alternative(s) ...................................................................................... 15 2.1 Proposed Action ............................................................................................................ 15 2.1.1 Federal Parcel............................................................................................................ 15 2.1.2 Non-Federal Parcels .................................................................................................. 16 2.2 No Action Alternative................................................................ ................................... 17 2.2.1 Federal Parcel............................................................................................................ 17 2.2.2 Non-Federal Parcels .................................................................................................. 17 2.3 Alternative A ................................................................................................................. 18 2.4 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Study ..................................... 18 2.4.1 Cowcatcher Parcel Inclusion..................................................................................... 18 2.4.2 Direct Sale of Federal Parcel .................................................................................... 19 2.4.3 Lease of Federal Blue Canyon Parcel ....................................................................... 19 3 Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts.............................................................. 20 3.1 Mineral Resources/Energy Production ......................................................................... 20 3.1.1 Affected Environment................................ ............................................................... 21 3.1.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 22 3.1.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 23 3.2 Wastes (Hazardous or Solid) ........................................................................................ 25 3.2.1 Affected Environment................................ ............................................................... 25 3.2.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 25 3.2.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 27 3.3 Land Use ....................................................................................................................... 28 USDI BLM Ketchum Land Exchange i DOI-BLM-ID-T030-2012-0008-EA 3.3.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 28 3.3.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 32 3.3.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 36 3.4 Recreation and Access .................................................................................................. 38 3.4.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 38 3.4.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 40 3.4.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 41 3.5 Visual Resources ........................................................................................................... 44 3.5.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 44 3.5.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 44 3.5.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 45 3.6 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................ 47 3.6.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 47 3.6.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 48 3.6.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 48 3.7 Socioeconomic Resources ............................................................................................ 49 3.7.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 49 3.7.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 50 3.7.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 52 3.8 Water Quantity and Quality .......................................................................................... 54 3.8.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 54 3.8.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 56 3.8.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 58 3.9 Vegetation, including BLM Sensitive Species, Noxious Weeds & Invasive Plants .... 60 3.9.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 60 3.9.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 64 3.9.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 68 3.10 Wetlands and Floodplains ............................................................................................. 70 3.10.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 70 3.10.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 71 3.10.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 73 3.11 Grazing .......................................................................................................................... 75 3.11.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................... 75 3.11.2 Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 78 3.11.3 Cumulative Impacts .................................................................................................. 80 3.12 Wildlife BLM Special Status Species, including Threatened, Endangered, and Candidate Species ..................................................................................................................... 82 3.12.1 Affected Environment ..............................................................................................