Overland Pass Habitat Improvement Project Preliminary Environmental

Overland Pass Habitat Improvement Project Preliminary Environmental

B USFS L U.S. Department of the Interior M Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Preliminary Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-L010-2011-0036-EA September, 2014 Overland Pass Habitat Improvement Project South Ruby Mountains White Pine and Elko Counties, Nevada PREPARING OFFICE U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Egan Field Office Ely, Nevada Phone: (775) 289-1800 Fax: (775) 289-1910 and U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Ruby Mountains Ranger District Wells, Nevada Phone: (775) 752-3357 Fax: (775) 752-1799 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................1 1.1 IDENTIFYING INFORMATION ......................................................................................1 1.1.1 Project Location ...........................................................................................1 1.2 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION .............................................................................2 1.2.1 Background ..................................................................................................2 1.2.2 Need for Project ...........................................................................................2 1.2.3 Purpose of the Project (Goals) .....................................................................2 1.2.4 Objectives ....................................................................................................3 1.3 RELATIONSHIP TO PLANNING ....................................................................................3 1.3.1 BLM .............................................................................................................3 1.3.2 USFS ............................................................................................................7 1.3.3 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans ...............................12 1.3.4 Tiered to NEPA Documents ......................................................................14 1.4 DECISION TO BE MADE ...........................................................................................14 1.5 SCOPING, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, AND TRIBAL COORDINATION .............................15 1.6 IDENTIFICATION OF ISSUES .....................................................................................16 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ..........................................................17 2.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................17 2.2 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................17 2.3 PROPOSED ACTION..................................................................................................17 2.3.1 Treatment Methods ....................................................................................18 2.3.1.1 Chaining ........................................................................................19 2.3.1.2 Mastication or Mechanical Whole Tree Thinning ........................20 2.3.1.3 Prescribed Fire ..............................................................................21 2.3.1.4 Hand Thinning ..............................................................................21 2.3.1.5 Greenwood and Fuelwood Harvest ...............................................22 2.3.1.6 Seeding ..........................................................................................22 2.3.1.7 Riparian Restoration .....................................................................22 2.3.1.8 Invasive Species Suppression .......................................................23 2.3.2 Treatment Units .........................................................................................24 2.3.3 Treatment Design Features ........................................................................33 2.3.3.1 Wildlife .........................................................................................33 2.3.3.2 Old-Growth Pinyon and Juniper Trees .........................................34 2.3.3.3 Visual Resources ...........................................................................34 2.3.3.4 National Historic Trails.................................................................36 2.3.3.5 Cultural Resources ........................................................................37 2.3.3.6 Mineral Resources ........................................................................37 2.3.3.7 Land Use and Access ....................................................................38 2.3.3.8 Grazing Management ....................................................................38 2.3.3.9 Wild Horses ..................................................................................39 2.3.3.10 Sensitive Plant Species ...............................................................39 2.3.3.11 Hydrology ...................................................................................39 2.3.3.12 Cadastral Resources ....................................................................40 2.3.3.13 Private Land ................................................................................40 OVERLAND PASS HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT SEPTEMBER 2014 BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE i 2.3.3.14 Air Quality ..................................................................................40 2.3.3.15 Non-Native, Invasive and Noxious Species ................................40 2.3.3.16 Rights-of-Way.............................................................................41 2.3.3.17 Fencing ........................................................................................41 2.3.4 Monitoring .................................................................................................42 2.4 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ......................................................................................42 2.5 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT NOT ANALYZED IN DETAIL ...............................43 2.5.1 Elimination of Treatment Methods ............................................................43 2.5.2 Hand Thinning Only ..................................................................................43 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ....................44 3.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................44 3.2 AIR QUALITY ..........................................................................................................46 3.2.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................46 3.2.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................47 3.2.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................48 3.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES ..........................................................................................48 3.3.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................48 3.3.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................48 3.3.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................49 3.4 HUMAN HEALTH AND SAFETY (HERBICIDE PROJECTS) ...........................................49 3.4.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................49 3.4.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................49 3.4.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................49 3.5 MIGRATORY BIRDS .................................................................................................49 3.5.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................49 3.5.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................51 3.5.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................51 3.6 NATIVE AMERICAN RELIGIOUS CONCERNS .............................................................51 3.6.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................51 3.6.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................52 3.6.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................52 3.7 NON-NATIVE, INVASIVE AND NOXIOUS SPECIES ....................................................52 3.7.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................52 3.7.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................54 3.7.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................54 3.8 WATER QUALITY ....................................................................................................55 3.8.1 Affected Environment ................................................................................55 3.8.2 Direct and Indirect Effects of Proposed Action .........................................55 3.8.3 Direct and Indirect Effects of No Action Alternative ................................56 3.9 WETLANDS AND RIPARIAN ZONES ..........................................................................56 3.9.1 Affected Environment

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