Draft Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument resource management plan and final environmental impact statement

2005·26.9 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management. Lewistown Field Office

III (1 HI
88067482
Upper Missouri River Breaks
Monument
National
DRAFT
Management
Resource Plan
and
Environmental Impact Statement
September 2005
.
Lewistown
Field
Office
m
The Bureau ofLand Managementis responsibleforthestewardshipofourpubliclands. Itiscommittedtomanage,
protect, andimprovetheselandsinamannertoservetheneedsoftheAmerican peopleforalltimes. Management
is based on the principles of multiple use and sustained yield of our nation's resources within a framework of
environmental responsibility and scientific technology. These resources include recreation; rangelands; timber;
minerals; watershed; fish and wildlife; wilderness; air; and scenic, scientific, and cultural values.
BLM/MT/PL-05/014+1610
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Take Pride
Lewistown Field Office in^MERICA
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
920 NE Main Street, P.O. Box 1160
Lewistown, Montana 59457-1160
1610.RMP (050)
September2005
Dear Reader:
Enclosedforyourreviewandcommentisthe DraftResourceManagementPlan andEnvironmental Impact Statement(Draft
RMP/EIS) for the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The Draft RMP/EIS considers and analyzes six
alternativesthataddressfuturemanagementofapproximately375,000acresofBLMlandintheMonument, withAlternative
F identified as the agency’s preferred alternative. While a preferred alternative has been identified, a final decision has not
been made. The final decision, which will be documented in a Record ofDecision, will be made only afterconsideration of
the comments received on the Draft RMP/EIS and aftera Proposed RMP/Final EIS has been released. The Draft RMP/EIS
BLM
is available on the website at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/state_info/planning.htm.
Your review and comments are needed at this time to ensure that your concerns are adequately addressed in the planning
process. The public review period forthe Draft RMP/EIS is 90calendardays and will begin with publication ofthe Notice
of Availability in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additional information on public
meeting dates and times to discuss the plan andprovide comments will be forthcoming in news releases afterpublication of
the EPA notice. Written comments should be sent to the Monument Manager, 920 NE Main Street, P.O. Box 1160,
MT RMP
Lewistown, 59457. All comments will be fully considered and evaluated in the preparation ofthe Proposed and
Final EIS, and all substantive comments will be addressed.
Comments will be most useful ifthey are specific, mentionparticularpages ofthedocumentwhere appropriate, and address
one or more ofthe following:
• Identify inaccuracies or discrepancies in information
• Identify new information that would have a bearing on the analysis
• Identify new impacts, alternatives, or mitigation measures
• Make suggestions for improving management direction
Comments, including name and addresses ofrespondents, will be available forpublic review at the Lewistown Field Office
during regular business hours between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and may be
publishedaspartoftheFinalEIS Youmayrequestconfidentialityifyouarecommentingasanindividual,butyou muststate
.
this prominently at the beginning ofyour written comments. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law.
Anonymous comments will not be considered. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals
identifying themselves as representatives or officials oforganizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection
in their entirety.
We appreciate yourhelp inthis planning effortand look forwardto yourcontinued interestandparticipation. Foradditional
information orclarificationregarding thisdocumentortheplanningprocess, pleasecontactJerry Majerus,ProjectManager,
at [phone].
Sincerely,
Gary E. Slagel
Monument Manager
_
,rA
U7?
DRAFT o-.J
UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS
NATIONAL MONUMENT
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
PLAN
AND
FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT STATEMENT
Lewistown
Field Office
Lewistown, Montana
SEPTEMBER
2005
Draft
Monument
Upper Missouri River Breaks National
Resource Management Plan
and
Environmental Impact Statement
1. Responsible Agencies
Bureau ofLand Management (Lead Agency)
State ofMontana (Cooperating Agency)
Blaine County, Montana (Cooperating Agency)
Chouteau County, Montana (Cooperating Agency)
Fergus County, Montana (Cooperating Agency)
Phillips County, Montana (Cooperating Agency)
2. Draft (X) Final ( )
3. Type ofAction: Administrative (X) Legislative ( )
4. Abstract: This Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement describes and analyzes six
alternatives for managing the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument located in portions of Blaine, Chouteau,
Fergus, and Phillips Counties in northcentral Montana. The Monument includes about 375,000 acres of public land
A
administeredbythe BureauofLandManagement’sLewistownFieldOffice. Thesixalternativesare: Alternative (current
management or the “no action” alternative), Alternatives B, C, D, E, and Alternative F (the preferred alternative). The
alternatives addressthefollowingfourmainareas: healthofthelandandfire; visitoruse,servicesandinfrastructure; natural
gas exploration and development; and access and transportation.
5. Comments on the Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement must be received within 90
days from publication ofthe Notice ofAvailability by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Federal Register. The
closeofthecommentperiodwillbeannouncedinanewsrelease,newsletter,andontheBureauofLandManagementwebsite
at http://www.blm.gov/nhp/spotlight/state_info/planning.htm.
6. For further information, contact:
Jerry Majerus, Project Manager
Bureau ofLand Management
Lewistown Field Office
P.O. Box 1160
MT
Lewistown, 59457
[phone]
Acronyms
ACEC Area ofCritical Environmental Concern
AMP Allotment Management Plan
ANILCA Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
APD Application for Permit to Drill
API American Petroleum Institute
APHIS Annual Plant and Health Inspection Service
APLIC Avian Power Line Interaction Committee
AUM
Animal Unit Month
BACT Best Available Control Technology
BCF Billion Cubic Feet
BLM Bureau ofLand Management
BMP Best Management Practice
BOR Bureau ofReclamation
CA Communitization Agreement
CESU Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
CFR Code ofFederal Regulations
CMR Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
CRP Conservation Reserve Program
DEQ Montana Department ofEnvironmental Quality
DFC Desired Future Condition
DOI Department ofthe Interior
EA Environmental Assessment
EIS Environmental Impact Statement
EO Executive Order
ESA Endangered Species Act
FIMMS Facilities Inventory and Maintenance Management System
FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act
FLREA Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
FMU Fire Management Unit
FRCC Fire Regime and Condition Class
LAC Limits ofAcceptable Change
LWCF Land and Water Conservation Fund
MFWP Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
MLA Mineral Leasing Act
MLRA Major Land Resource Areas
MOA
Military Operations Area
MWA
Montana Wilderness Association
NASIS National Soils Information System
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NHPA National Historic Preservation Act
NIA Notice ofIntent to Abandon
NOS Notice of Staking
NPS National Park Service
NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service
NWSRS National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
ORVs Outstandingly Remarkable Values
PFC Proper Functioning Condition
PL Public Law
PSD Prevention ofSignificant Deterioration
R and PP Recreation and Public Purposes Act
RAC Resource Advisory Council
RFD Reasonably Foreseeable Development
RMA Recreation Management Area
RMP Resource Management Plan
ROW
Right-of-Way
SAR Search and Rescue
SMA Surface Management Agency
SMU Soil Mapping Unit
SMZ Streamside Management Zone
SRA Subsequent Report ofAbandonment
SRMA Special Recreation Management Area
SRP Special Recreation Permit
SSA Soil Survey Area
SSURGO Soil Survey Geographic
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load
UMNWSR Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River
use United States Code
USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
VRM Visual Resource Management
WEG Wind Erodibility Group
WFSA Wild Fire Situation Analysis
WSA Wilderness Study Area
WSRA Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
WUG Western Utility Group
Contents
Readers Guide and Summary
i
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background
Purpose and Need .. 1
..1
Planning Area
..2
Collaboration
..2
Planning Process
..4
Scoping
..4
Issues Addressed
..4
Issues Considered but Not FurtherAnalyzed
..6
Planning Criteria
..7
Related Plans
BLM ..8
Relationship to Policies, Plans, and Programs
..9
Vision and Management Goals
10
Development ofAlternatives
10
Draft Resource Management Plan
11
Final Resource Management Plan
11
Chapter 2: Alternatives
Introduction
.13
General Description ofEach Alternative
.13
Decisions Common toAll Alternatives
.15
Air Quality
.15
Cultural Resources
.15
Fish and Wildlife
.16
Geology
.19
Soils
.19
Vegetation - Native Plants
.19
Vegetation - Riparian
.20
Vegetation - Noxious and Invasive Plants
.21
Visual Resources
.21
Water Quality
.22
Water Developments and Water Rights
.22
Reserved Water Rights
.22
Lands and Realty
.23
Livestock Grazing
.24
Minerals - Oil and Gas
.26
Recreation
27
Transportation
28
Lire
28
Wilderness Study Areas
29
Current Management andAction Alternatives
30
Health ofthe Land and Lire
31
Lish and Wildlife - Greater Sage-Grouse Habitat
32
Fish and Wildlife - Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs .... 33
Fish and Wildlife - Mitigation
34
Vegetation
36
Range Improvements
38
Visual Resources
38
Forest Products
40
l
Right-of-Way Corridors, AvoidanceAreas, and Exclusion Areas
42
Land Ownership Adjustment
42
Fire
Wild and Scenic Rivers (Cow Creek, Eagle Creek and Dog Creek) 46
47
Visitor Use, Services and Infrastructure
48
Recreation
Upper Missouri River Special Recreation ManagementArea (SRMA) 55
Uplands Special Recreation ManagementArea (SRMA) 64
Natural Gas Exploration and Development 67
68
Oil and Gas
Oil and Gas Lease Stipulations and Conditions ofApproval 68
Natural Gas Operations 82
89
Access and Transportation
90
Access
BLM Road System 91
^1
Aviation
Alternatives Considered but NotAnalyzed in Detail 102
Comparison ofAlternatives 163
Chapter 3: Affected Environment
159
Introduction
159
Critical Elements
159
Air Quality
Climate 159
140
Cultural Resources
142
Fish and Wildlife
Geology 146
149
Paleontology
149
Soils
Vegetation - Native Plants 151
Vegetation -Riparian 152
Vegetation - Noxious and Invasive Plants 153
Visual Resources 153
Water 154
Forest Resources 156
Lands and Realty 158
Livestock Grazing 158
Minerals - Oil and Gas 159
165
Recreation
22
Transportation I
24
Fire I
126
Special Designations
Social and Economic Conditions 182
Chapter 4: Environmental Consequences
197
Introduction
AnalysisAssumptions and Guidelines 197
Cultural Resources 197
Fish and Wildlife 197
Water 198
Minerals - Oil and Gas 198
Recreation- River 199
Recreation - Uplands 200
200
Fire
ii