Table Of Content

BLM LIBRARY 88057879 BATTLE CREEK ALLOTMENT FINAL ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION, AND EVALUATION HD July 1999 243 .12 B388 1999 BLM LIBRARY BLOG 50, ST-15QA OERAL CENTER BOX O. 25047 j , 80225 United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Lower Snake River District Boise Field Office 3948 Development Avenue Boise, Idaho 83705-5389 In Reply Refer To: http://www.id.blm.gov 4100 (ID-016) July 19, 1999 Dear Battle Creek Allotment Permittees and Interested Publics of Record: A copy ofthe final Battle Creek Analysis, Interpretation, and Evaluation (AIE) is enclosed for your review. We appreciate your review ofthe Draft AIE and your thoughtful input to the final. Based upon your comments and the availability of new data, we have made several corrections and additions to the document. At the end of the enclosed Final AIE, we have added a brief section BLM presenting staff recommendations for future management. These recommendations were considered along with all other input when analyzing the management alternatives. Included separately are responses to interested public's and permittee’s comments to the draft AIE. Based on the comments to the draft, corrections and changes were made or incorporated into the final AIE. Prior to selecting a preferred alternative, we prepared an Environmental Assessment that analyzed a range ofalternatives based on the AIE, staffrecommendations, and any additional input received from the interested publics and permittees. The preferred alternative is in conformance with the Bruneau-Kuna Management Framework Plan and the Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management, and in compliance with the State of Idaho water quality standards. It has been mailed separately with the Proposed Decisions for each Battle Creek permittee implementing grazing management and term grazing permit modifications for the Battle Creek Allotment. Thank you for all your contributions oftime, efforts, and ideas. Sincerely, Acting Bruneau Resource Area Manager enclosure(s): Battle Creek Allotment Analysis. Interpretation, and Evaluation (AIE) cc: Battle Creek Interested Publics/Permittees BATTLE CREEK ALLOTMENT FINAL ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION, AND EVALUATION Prepared By Bruneau Resource Area Lower Snake River District The Battle Creek Team Interdisciplinary Members Michael Boltz Rangeland Management Specialist Ann DeBolt Botanist Frank Jenks Outdoor Recreation Planner Sam Mattise Wildlife Biologist Matthew McCoy Ecologist/Team Lead Lois Palmgren Archeology Technician Jake Vialpando Rangeland Management Specialist Bruce Zoellick Fisheries Biologist Reviewed By Jamie Connell Bruneau Area Manager July 1999 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY l. 1 INTRODUCTION II. 2 A. Purpose of the Evaluation 2 B. Allotment Location 3 C. Background Information 3 D. Allotment Description 7 E. Present Situation 9 1. Allotment status by pasture (land ownership) 9 2. Forage Allocation 9 3. Permittees and Grazing Preference 9 4. Season-of-Use 10 5. Allotment Categorization 11 6. Other Resource Concerns 11 7. Guidance Documents 13 BLM 8. Decisions/Agreements 13 m. OBJECTIVES 14 GRAZING SYSTEM AND PASTURE USE SUMMARIES IV. 15 ANALYSIS V. 16 A. Methods and Descriptions ofHistorical Information Sources 16 1. Actual/Licensed Use 16 2. Climate 16 3. Key Species 17 4. Range Condition 17 a. Trend 17 b. Utilization/ Use Pattern Mapping 20 c. Forage Production Based Stocking Levels 21 d. Determination of Trend in Ecological Condition 22 5. Riparian/Aquatic Habitat 22 Riparian/Aquatic Habitat Inventory 22 a. b. Fish Population Sampling 24 Water Quality Monitoring 25 c. 6. Wildlife Habitat Inventories 26 a. Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive Species 26 b. Big Game 28 Upland Game 30 c. 7. Sensitive Plant Species 31 8. Cultural Resources 31 i 9. Recreation 32 B. Results 33 1. Range and Watershed Condition by Season ofUse 33 a. Non-Use Areas (Pastures 8B, 8C) 33 b. Winter (November 1 - January 3 1) Use (Pastures 8, 8A, and 21) ...33 c. Early Spring (April 1 - 30) Use (Pasture 8) 34 d. Mid-Late Spring (May 1 - June 30) Use 40 e. Late Spring/Summer (June 1 - September 30) Use (Pastures 10, 15) 54 f. Summer (July 1 - September 30) and FFR (July 1 - October 15) Use 62 2. Riparian/Aquatic Resources 73 a. Stream Inventories 73 b. Stream Habitat Monitoring 77 c. Springs 85 d. Fish Populations 87 d. Water Quality 94 3. Wildlife Distribution and Habitat 101 a. Special Status Species 101 b. Big game 107 Upland game 117 c. 4. Sensitive Plant Species 127 5. Cultural Resources 131 6. Recreation 134 a. Special Recreation Management Areas 134 b. Extensive Recreation Management Area 135 7. Wilderness 136 EVALUATION VI. 138 MFP A. Bruneau Objectives 138 Range Management (RM) 138 1. 2. Wildlife (WL) 146 3. Wildlife/Aquatic (WL-AQ) 152 4. Watershed (WS) 154 5. Cultural Resources (CRM) 155 6. Visual Resource Management (VRM) 155 7. Wilderness (WN) 155 8. Recreation (R) 156 B. State of Idaho Water Quality Standards 156 C. Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health 157 Standard (Watersheds) 157 1 Standard 2 (Riparian Areas and Wetlands) 157 Standard 3 (Stream Channel/Floodplain) 158 u Standard 4 (Native Plant Communities) 159 Standard 5 (Seedings) 159 Standard 6 (Exotic Plant Communities) 160 Standard 7 (Water Quality) 161 Standard 8 (Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals) 161 D. Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management 162 Determination: 164 E. StaffRecommendations 165 REFERENCES XI. 169 APPENDICES XII. 175 A Appendix A. reader’s guide to statistical analyses used to interpret data in the AIE. 175 Appendix B. Proper use factors (Percent of current years growth allocated to livestock grazing) used with the 1965 and 1980 forage inventories to calculate potential stocking levels 177 Appendix C. Methods used to Adjust Potential Stocking Levels Derived from 1965 and 1980 Forage Production Surveys 178 Appendix D. Stream Channel Types and Accessibility to Livestock of Stream Segments on the Battle Creek Allotment 180 Appendix E. Riparian/Aquatic Habitat Measurements for Stream Segments in the Battle m Creek Allotment (measured at permanent monitoring sites > 60 in length). 182 Appendix F. Percent Composition ofthe Substrate of Stream Segments in the Battle Creek Allotment 183 Appendix G. Special status (BLM sensitive) animal species in the Battle Creek Allotment 184 Appendix H. Location (Township, Range, and Section) of sensitive plant species in the Battle Creek Allotment 186 Appendix I. Habitat requirements and potential conflicts with livestock of sensitive plant species in the Battle Creek Allotment 187 Appendix J. Known locations ofsensitive status plant species in Battle Creek Allotment pastures 188 MAPS XIII. 189 GLOSSARY XV. 185 m LIST OF TABLES 1. Ecological sites with associated plant communities and landforms in the Battle Creek Allotment 8 2. Forage allocation schedule recommended in the MFP, subject to monitoring 9 3. Total preference, active grazing preference, and suspended use for individual permittees in 7. Battle Creek Allotment (1985-present) 10 4. Battle Creek Allotment seasons ofuse by permittee 11 8. 5. Season ofuse of pastures on the Battle Creek Allotment 16 6. Key species for Battle Creek Allotment with associated pastures and livestock use periods. 17 Range condition inventories conducted on the Battle Creek Allotment from 1959 to 1994 with a description ofthe methods used and parameters sampled for each inventory 19 Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for pasture 8A, Battle Creek Allotment 34 9. Apparent trend in abundance (D = downward, S = static, U = upward) of perennial grasses and shrubs in photo plots and view photos, pasture 8, Battle Creek Allotment, 1983-98. 37 10. Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for pasture 8 (early spring use), Battle Creek Allotment 39 1 1 . Apparent trend in abundance (D = downward, S = static, U = upward) of perennial grasses and shrubs in photo plots and view photos, pasture 21, Battle Creek Allotment, 1983-98. 42 12. Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for pasture 2 Battle Creek Allotment 45 1, 13. Apparent trend in abundance (D = downward, S = static, U = upward) of perennial grasses and shrubs in photo plots and view photos, late spring pastures, Battle Creek Allotment, 1983-98 50 14. Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for late spring pastures, Battle Creek Allotment 53 15. Apparent trend in abundance (D = downward, S = static, U = upward) of perennial grasses and shrubs in photo plots and view photos, late spring/summer pastures. Battle Creek Allotment, 1983-98 56 16. Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for late spring/summer pastures, Battle Creek Allotment 61 17. Apparent trend in abundance (D = downward, S = static, U = upward) of perennial grasses and shrubs in photo plots and view photos, summer pastures, Battle Creek Allotment, 1983-98 64 18. Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for summer and FFR pastures, Battle Creek Allotment 70 19. Potential stocking levels (AUMs) based on 1965 and 1980 forage production surveys for pasture 16, Battle Creek Allotment 72 20. Riparian/aquatic habitat ratings for streams inventoried in the Battle Creek Allotment, grouped by the accessibility ofthe stream segment and the season it was grazed 74 IV