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Draft Bennett Hills Resource management plan and draft environmental impact statement PDF

422 Pages·1994·76 MB·English
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Preview Draft Bennett Hills Resource management plan and draft environmental impact statement

BLM LIBRARY 88045276 BENNETT HILLS U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Shoshone District March 994 1 TAKE United States Department of the Interior JJJjjgfJ BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT ^M SHOSHONE DISTRICT OFFICE *^^5 |^^TL 400 WEST "F" STREET P.O. BOX 2B SHOSHONE. IDAHO 83352 "" REPLY REFER TO: Enclosed for your review is the Draft Bennett Hills Resource Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement. This plan outlines the proposed management of 649,786 acres A of public land in the Bennett Hills Resource Area. Alternative is the "no action" alternative and would continue the current management subject to new policy direction by the BLM's State and Washington Offices. Alternatives B and C differ in the management of recreation use along the north rim of the Snake River, the initial level of grazing use, and in the designation of river segments suitable for consideration by Congress for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic D BLM Rivers System. Alternative reflects a conceptual agreement between the and the State of Idaho for land exchange and sets initial livestock grazing use at the 1984-1992 nine-year average actual use. Alternative D is the BLM's preferred alternative. For further information contact District Manager Mary Gaylord, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 2-B, Shoshone, Idaho 83352, Telephone (208) 886-7201. Comments should be submitted to the above address by July 1, 1994. — C - ^^^^tt-^>^-^^^ BLM-ID-PT-94-007-4410 ) ) ) JD8$o^ 1. Responsible Agency: United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management .J* 2. Draft (X) Final ( 3. Title: Bennett Hills Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement Shoshone District Lincoln, Gooding, Camas, Jerome, Blaine and Elmore Counties, Idaho Administrative Action Legislative Action ( ( 5. Abstract: This plan outlines the proposed management of 649,786 acres of public land in the Bennett Hills Resource Area. Alternative A is the "no action" alternative and would continue the current management subject to new policy direction by the BLM's State and Washington Offices. Alternatives B and C differ in the management of recreation use along the north rim of the Snake River, the initial level of grazing use, and in the designation of river segments suitable for consideration by Congress for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic D BLM Rivers System. Alternative reflects a conceptual agreement between the and the State of Idaho for land exchange and sets initial livestock grazing use at the 1984-1992 nine-year average actual use. Alternative D is the BLM's preferred alternative. This document also includes the environmental analysis required for the wild and scenic river proposal. 6. Date Comments Must be Received: July 1, 1994. 7. For Further Information Contact: District Manager Shoshone District Office Bureau of Land Management P.O. Box 2-B Shoshone ID 83352 (208) 886-7201 8 °3S < SUMMARY The Bennett Hills Resource Management Plan (RMP) is prepared to provide the Shoshone District Bureau of Land Management with a comprehensive framework for managing 649,786 acres of BLM-administered public land over the next 15 to 20 years. This draft Resource Management Plan is developed to guide the management of public land resources according to the principles of multiple-use, sustained yield, and other principles as outlined in Bureau of Land Management planning regulations. This draft Environmental Impact Statement addresses the Bureau of Land Management's preferred plan. This draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement updates land use planning decisions in two existing Management Framework Plans (Sun Valley, 1981 and Bennett Hills/Timmerman, 1976) and one Resource Management Plan (Monument, 1985) which have guided the BLM's management of public land in the planning area for the past 14 years. The Management Framework Plan and Resource Management Plan decisions that still have merit are being carried forward and are incorporated into this plan. Those not specifically mentioned in this plan will no longer be valid. This plan will also amend the Jarbidge Resource Management Plan (1987) to designate 800 acres along 10 miles of the west side of King Hills Creek as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern in coordination with the same designation along the east side within the Bennett Hills planning area. The Bennett Hills Resource Area of Idaho's Shoshone District is presented in this document as of the start of 1994 with all its warts and beauty; its areas showing habitat improvements, degradation, and static condition; and the various issues and pressures facing management of the resources. This plan is also a vision document showing the direction where management and resource specialists, with input from the public, believe the Bennett Hills should be heading. This direction is toward riparian area improvement, increasing vegetation diversity, improved water quality and quantity, and general increased ecological and economical health. Whether present conditions are correctly described in this plan, and proposed improvements are the proper ones to undertake, often depend upon the viewpoint and past experience of the reader. We believe, however, that it is important to present a brief description of how past events shaped the area into what it is today and why the proposed goals are important. Presettlement vegetation along the Snake River Plain was mainly sagebrush and bunchgrasses, with thickets of willows and cottonwoods at springs and along streams. The Oregon Trail opened in 1836 with one wagon and 20 cows. The flood of emigrants peaked in 1852 with about 10,000 wagons and 250,000 horses, cattle, and mules. Huge cattle drives of up to 3,000 longhorns were trailed from Oregon to Eastern markets in the 1860s and cattle ranching in Idaho DRAFT BENNETT HILLS RMP SUMMARY S-l was begun. Within 10 years, up to 50,000 cattle were being raised on ranches in southern Idaho, and another 100,000 were trailed through Idaho from Oregon. The sheep industry began in the mid-1860s. By 1880, at least 357,000 sheep were reported in southern Idaho, not counting the numerous drifting or tramp sheep outfits which did not have a ranch headquarters. In 1890, at least 84,000 horses used southern Idaho rangelands and many of these became feral. These massive numbers of livestock had major impacts on native vegetation in the Bennett Hills Resource Area, and throughout the Snake River Plain. In 1934, the Taylor Grazing Act was passed requiring base property to graze on public land. While the Act resulted in reduced grazing pressure on most of the American West, the Bennett Hills was one of the last areas to be adjudicated. Unrestricted grazing, especially by sheep, and the trailing of large bands from southern desert land to the Sawtooth Valley, continued for many years. Wild fires, both natural and man-caused, burned hundreds of thousands of acres, further reducing perennial grasses and forbs. These burned areas have been heavily invaded by exotic plants such as Russian thistle, cheatgrass, mustards, and medusahead rye. Native ranges were further modified by brush control using herbicides, or burning and replacing the brush with range seedings, especially crested wheatgrass. Degraded habitats displaced wildlife species such as mule deer and pronghorn antelope from traditional winter ranges and migration routes. The result has been substantial wildlife loss from collisions with trains and motor vehicles, depredation to agricultural crops, and damages to residential property. Poor riparian habitats resulted in increased sediment, and warmer water temperatures affected aquatic resources within the streams in the Bennett Hills and influenced water quality in the Snake River. Loss of riparian vegetation reduced habitats and migratory corridors for many species of wildlife, and especially for non-game migratory birds. Into this gloomy picture has entered improved management. Some riparian areas have been improved through protective fences and management techniques such as increased herding of cattle and changes in season and duration of use. Land exchanges, range improvements, and cooperative agreements have provided for better livestock distribution and stocking numbers. Cooperative efforts with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game have resulted in some shrub restoration and habitat improvements in the traditional key wildlife habitats, improving numbers of elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and sage grouse. Use of techniques such as "greenstripping" has helped to reduce the frequency and size of wild fires, and had some success in slowing the spread of exotic plants. The Thorn Creek Pilot Riparian Area showed major improvements in rangeland, and fish and wildlife habitat before an arson burned the area. It is again showing good recovery. BLM The is beginning a management concept called Ecosystem Management, where all resource actions will be evaluated in relation to their effects on other resources within each ecosystem. We believe that we are on the right track in improving resource conditions within the area. The actions proposed in this plan, using the concept of ecosystem management, should accelerate that process. We hope you will agree that we are on track and we look forward to your comments. DRAFT BENNETT HILLS RMP SUMMARY S-2 Public Participation Activities The draft plan and impact statement is focused on resolving planning issues associated with the management of the planning area's public land. Planning issues were identified by the public BLM and the during the scoping period, which began on September 20, 1990. Major components of the scoping process included open house meetings in Twin Falls, Gooding, Jerome, and Shoshone (see Chapter 5 for list of meeting dates). Meetings were held with local, state, and Federal Government agencies. Presentations were made to the Shoshone District Grazing Advisory Board, the Multiple Use Advisory Council, and local interest groups. Emphasis was placed on informal meetings with interested individuals and groups to provide a comprehensive picture of issues and an interdisciplinary resolution. Throughout the process, written and verbal comments were accepted and summarized. Original comments and summaries are part of the supporting documentation and are available for inspection at the Shoshone District Office. Issues The following planning issues were identified through public participation for the Bennett Hills planning area. Issue 1: How will the BLM continue tofocus management attention on riparian resources and related uplands? Many public comments regarding the management of riparian/upland areas and water quality were received. Comments included praise for the current riparian management policies and achievements, and suggestions for expanding the pilot management efforts to the entire resource area. Comments regarding livestock use ranged from satisfaction with the current management level to dissatisfaction and urging more intensive livestock management. Riparian management is of primary concern to the BLM, as shown in the BLM's Riparian Management Policy (Fish and Wildlife 2000, 1987), and has received considerable management attention in the Bennett Hills Resource Area, as demonstrated by the Thorn Creek Pilot Riparian Management Area and other "showcase" riparian achievements. Of BLM concern to the public and the is the continued and expanded attention to riparian and upland resources. DRAFT BENNETT HILLS RMP SUMMARY S-3 Issue 2: What land will be acquired into, or made availablefor disposalfrom, federal ownership? The Shoshone District has entered into a conceptual plan for a land exchange program with the State of Idaho, designed to block up land ownership for more efficient management, and acquire state land within wilderness study areas. Land ownership adjustments are desired to achieve more efficient management and BLM utilization of public resources, to identify areas that are desirable to because of high resource values, and to respond to specific public requests for the purchase or exchange of public land. Issue 3: How willpublic resources along the north rim ofthe Snake River Canyon be managed andfor what uses? During the scoping process, much public attention was focused on the area bounded by the Snake River rim on the south, Interstate 84 on the north, and US Highway 93 on the west. Due to its proximity to the city of Twin Falls, increased recreation use, and the public's increased environmental awareness of the Snake River, this area contains many resource values in demand by the public. Besides the high recreation use, the area contains significant historical value (remnants of the Oregon Trail), wildlife habitat, livestock forage, saleable mineral materials, an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (Vineyard Lake), and portions are proposed for exchange into state ownership. Uncoordinated and unfocused management could result in conflict between the public users and degradation of the resources. Issue 4: Is there a needforprotecting the Resource Area's critical resource values through special management designation? BLM During the scoping process, the received formal nominations for Areas of Critical Environmental Concern. Additionally, there are other special designations that can be made to focus management attention. These designations include, but are not limited to, Special Recreation Management Areas for intensive or concentrated recreation use, Significant Caves to focus management attention on important cave resources, Conservation Areas or Research Natural Areas for the protection or enhancement of opportunities for biological, geological and aquatic research. Selection and use of the appropriate designation, if any, is based on evaluation of the critical resource values. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968) requires the BLM to study and make recommendations on waterways for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This planning effort will determine eligibility, tentative classification, and interim management of wild and scenic rivers as part of this issue. DRAFT BENNETT HILLS RMP SUMMARY S-4 Description of Alternatives As required by the National Environmental Policy Act, and following guidelines developed by the Council on Environmental Quality, four alternative plans were developed. These alternatives compare the environmental consequences of addressing the planning issues in dissimilar ways. The alternatives chosen for study in this draft plan and impact statement are: Alternative A is the "no action" alternative and would continue the current management subject to new policy direction by the BLM's State and Washington Offices. Alternatives B, C and D use desired future vegetation condition to establish management goals and direction instead of the traditional commodity goals used in Alternative A. Alternatives B and C differ from each other in the management of recreation use along the north rim of the Snake River, the initial level of grazing use, and in the recommendation of river segments for consideration by Congress for inclusion in D the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Alternative reflects a conceptual agreement between the BLM and the State of Idaho for land exchange. Alternatives A and B leave the initial livestock grazing at current levels, while Alternatives C and D adjust the livestock use levels at the 1984-1992 nine-year average actual use. Alternative D is the BLM's preferred alternative. Table S-l compares the resource allocations, management actions and cummulative impacts of each alternative. The Table shows the expected value of a resource or impact at the end of the 20-year planning horizon, and the amount of increase or decrease in the resource compared to the current situation. Impacts and allocations are accumulated from the analysis of each individual action analyzed in Chapter 4. DRAFT BENNETT HILLS RMP SUMMARY S-5 i § S t HUM u u >-£§ I< £S 2§ 1 .1 O E « 3 8*.21 « £ .2 u a §| le .. 5E 9 S3 t a -f B u ^ uk D & P Jl E 1 8.1 « i »sg so £ OQ 3 Ju3 * u3 OO a s 3 © a 8.•15 >« C/3 x 3 o W .-5 rs c/3 aMy fill ooUu g U fc UK o/ CO __ 2 O T3 •I5 SS 8 § »SP I g>1 S T|3.a2og E 3 -s .s s E3 wx uo x .r; •-3 >* 00 c E 3 u C/0 111, :E= 2 v. I u a a"i c D O O ii e 1 aW._I" 05. !rt Tx335 as IS s U 3 PQ

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