Draft resource management plan, environmental impact statement, for the Roswell Resource Area, Roswell, New Mexico ; and, Draft resource management plan amendment, environmental impact statement, for the Carlsbad Resource Area, Carlsbad, New Mexico

639 Pages·1994·99 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management. Roswell District Office

BLM LIBRARY
88038537
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
ROSWELL DISTRICT OFFICE
September 1994
Roswell Resource Area Draft Resource Management
Plan/Environmental Impact Statement
Carlsbad Resource Area Draft Resource Management
Plan Amendment/Environmental Impact Statement
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DRAFT
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
for the
Roswell Resource Area
Roswell, New Mexico
AND
DRAFT
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
for the ,
Carlsbad Resource Area
.
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Prepared by:
United States Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Roswell District
Roswell Resource Area
Carlsbad Resource Area
Roswell, New Mexico
September 1994
William C. Calkins
State Director, New Mexico
Leslie M/ Cone
District Manager, Roswell District

United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Roswell District Office
1717 West Second Street
IN REPLY
REFER TO Roswell, New Mexico 88201-2019
1614 (066)
Dear Reader:
You are inv ited to ass ist the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in
a planning process tha t is important to accomplishing effective
public land management in southeastern New Mexico. We ask for
your partic ipation in evaluating this combined draft of the
Roswell Res ource Manag ement Plan/Environmental Impact Statement
(RMP/EIS) a nd the Carl sbad Resource Management Plan
Amendment/E nvironmenta
1 Impact Statement (RMPA/EIS). These draft
plans have been prepar ed in conformance with land use planning
established
procedures by the Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976
The draft RMP/EIS outlines alternatives for managing all uses of
the public lands, including the federal mineral estate, in the
Roswell Resource Area. The draft RMPA/EIS outlines alternatives
for managing oil and gas exploration, development and production
on public lands, including the federal mineral estate, in the
Carlsbad Resource Area. These two land use plans have been
combined in a single document to take advantage of similarities
in the oil and gas resources of southeastern New Mexico and in
the management of those resources.
There are five management alternatives described in this
document, each with a different emphasis and each addressing the
planning issues that were identified early in the planning
process. The environmental consequences of implementing each of
the alternatives have also been analyzed.
Your comments are invited on the alternatives and the adequacy of
the impact analyses. Comments will be fully considered and
evaluated in developing the Proposed RMP/RMPA and final
environmental impact analysis. Comments are most useful when
they address one or more of the following:
• errors in the analysis that has been performed;
• new information that would have a bearing on the analysis;
• misinformation that may have been used, which could affect
the outcome of the analysis;
• requests for clarification;
• identification of a substantive new alternative that
provides a different mix of allocations from any of the
existing five alternatives.
Where possible, include in your comments references to the pages
and paragraphs on which you are commenting. Substantive comments
are most helpful.
Comments on this document will be accepted during a 90-day
comment period beginning the day the notice of filing is
published by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal
Register . Open houses will be scheduled during the comment
period to allow reviewers to discuss their comments or questions
with the preparers of this document. The dates of the comment
period and dates and locations of open houses will be widely
advertised; each recipient of a copy of this document will be
notified of those dates, as well.
Comments on this document should be addressed to:
David Stout, RMP/EIS Team Leader
Bureau of Land Management
Roswell District Office
1717 West 2nd Street
Roswell, New Mexico 88201
telephone: [phone]
You should retain this Draft RMP/RMPA/EIS because of the
possibility that the Proposed RMP/RMPA Final EIS will be
published in abbreviated form. If that occurs, you will need
this document for reference.
Through your participation in this effort, we can move forward
toward a common goal of improved public land management in the
Roswell and Carlsbad resource areas. We appreciate your interest
in the multiple use management of BLM-administered lands.
Sincerely,
Leslie M. Cone
District Manager
ROSWELL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
FOR THE ROSWELL RESOURCE AREA, NEW MEXICO
and
CARLSBAD RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
STATEMENT FOR THE CARLSBAD RESOURCE AREA, NEW MEXICO
(X) DRAFT ( ) F INAL
LEAD AGENCY: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
TYPE OF ACTION: Administrative
JURISDICTION: Quay, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Curry, Roosevelt, Lincoln, and a portion of Chaves counties
in the Roswell Resource Area. Eddy, Lea and a portion of Chaves counties in the Carlsbad Resource Area.
ABSTRACT
This draft environmental impact statement (EIS) addresses alternative resource management plans for managing
federal land and federal mineral estate in southeastern New Mexico. The area covered comprises about 3,687,000
acres of land in which the surface and minerals are federally owned and 10,338,000 acres in which only the
minerals are federally owned ("split estate"). This public land is administered by the Bureau of Land Management,
Roswell and Carlsbad resource areas, Roswell District. New Mexico.
Five alternatives have been considered. For the Roswell Resource Area, the alternatives represent comprehensive
management of all resource values and resource uses in the planning area. For the Carlsbad Resource Area, the
alternatives address the management of oil and gas resources and uses. One alternative is the continuation of present
management (Alternative A). Three alternatives provide a variety of management choices ranging from an emphasis
on environmental preservation or improvement of environmental values (Alternative B), to an emphasis on making
resources and values of the public lands available for production and development (Alternative C), and an alternative
balanced between environmental preservation and resource production and development (Alternative D). Alternative
E is the BLM's Preferred Alternative, and is a combination of the other four alternatives. Alternative E attempts
to provide as much environmental protection as possible while still meeting the BLM's multiple use mandates. The
EIS also contains a section called "Management Common to All Alternatives" which, as the name indicates, is
common management that is part of each of the alternatives. The various impacts that would be expected from
implementing each of the alternatives are discussed in Chapter 4.
When the Roswell RMP and Carlsbad RMP Amendments are completed, they will provide comprehensive
frameworks for managing the BLM -administered public lands and resources and for allocating their uses in the
resource areas.
Comments on this document will be accepted for 90 days following the date that the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes the Notice of Filing of this draft in the Federal Register.
Comments should be addressed to:
David Stout. RMP/EIS Team Leader
Bureau of Land Management
Roswell District Office
1717 West 2nd Street
Roswell, New Mexico 88201

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
USER'S GUIDE UG-1
SUMMARY
Introduction S-l
Summary of Alternatives S-2
CHAPTER 1 - PURPOSE AND NEED
Introduction 1-1
Purpose and Need 1-2
Description of the Planning Area 1-2
The Planning Process 1-6
Planning Issues and Criteria 1-6
Planning Issues 1-6
• Issue 1 Oil and Gas Operations 1-7
• Issue 2 Land Tenure Adjustment 1-8
• Issue 3 Access 1-8
• Issue 4 Special Management Areas 1-9
Management Opportunities 1-9
• Management Objective 1 - Recreation 1-9
• Management Objective 2 - Wildlife Habitat Management 1-10
Planning Criteria 1-10
Planning Criteria for Special Situations 1-11
Hydrocarbon Potential 1-11
Wild and Scenic Rivers 1-12
Animal Damage Control 1-12
Black River Management Area 1-12
Land Tenure Adjustment 1-12
Withdrawals and Classifications 1-13
Coal Leasing 1-15
Livestock Grazing 1-15
Surface Use and Occupancy Guidelines 1-15
Desired Plant Community 1-16
CHAPTER 2 - ALTERNATIVES
Introduction 2-1
Alternative Formulation 2-1
Alternatives Considered But Eliminated from Detailed Analysis 2-1
Elimination of Livestock Grazing 2-1
Elimination of Leasing for Oil and Gas 2-1
Maximum, Unconstrained Alternatives 2-1
MANAGEMENT COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVES 2-3
Minerals Management 2-3
Fluid Minerals Management 2-3
Roswell District 2-3
Carlsbad Resource Area 2-4
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
PAGE
Roswell Resource Area 2-9
Locatable Minerals Management 2-12
Solid Leasable Minerals Management 2-14
Salable Minerals Management 2-14
Lands and Realty Management 2-14
Utility and Transportation Systems 2-14
Acquisitions 2-14
Access 2-14
Trespass 2-14
Withdrawals and Classifications 2-14
Livestock Grazing Management 2-15
Vegetation Management 2-15
Pest Management 2-15
Noxious Weeds 2-15
Insects 2-15
Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management 2-16
Cultural Resources 2-16
Paleontological Resources 2-16
Outdoor Recreation Management 2-16
Recreation Management 2-17
Interpretation 2-17
Cave and Karst Resource Management 2-18
Visual Resource Management 2-18
Recreation Opportunity Management 2-18
Off-Highway Vehicle Use Management 2-18
Wilderness Management 2-18
Wild and Scenic Rivers Management 2-20
Watershed Management 2-20
Air Resource Management 2-20
Wildlife Habitat Management 2-20
Special Status Species Habitat Management 2-20
Big Game/Upland Game Habitat Management 2-20
Fire Management 2-21
Hazardous Materials Management 2-21
Special Management Areas (ACECs) 2-21
Fort Stanton Area 2-21
Roswell Cave Complex Area 2-22
ALTERNATIVE A 2-23
Minerals Management 2-23
Fluid Minerals 2-23
Roswell District 2-23
Carlsbad Resource Area 2-26
Roswell Resource Area 2-31
Locatable Minerals 2-32
Solid Leasable Minerals 2-32
Saleable Minerals 2-32
Lands and Realty Management 2-32
Utility and Transportation System 2-32
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