Rangeland program summary for the Cody Resource Area

32 Pages·1991·5.2 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management. Worland District

BLM LIBRARY
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Worland District Office
Cody Resource Area September 1991
Summary
Cody Rangeland Program
SF
85.35
.W8
W675
1991
The BureauofLand Managementis responsibleforthe balanced managementofthe public landsand
resourcesandtheirvariousvaluessothattheyareconsidered in acombination thatwill bestservethe
needsoftheAmericanpeople. Managementisbasedupontheprinciplesofmultipleuseandsustained
yield;acombinationofusesthattakeintoaccountthelongtermneedsoffuturegenerationsforrenewable
andnonrenewableresources. Theseresourcesincluderecreation, range,timber, minerals,watershed,
fish andwildlife, wildernessand natural, scenic, scientificandcultural values.
BLM-WY-ES-91-042-4320
TAKE'
,
United States Department of the Interior aKe|Sj
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
CODY RESOURCE AREA
P.O. Box 518
Cody, Wyoming82414
September 19, 1991
Dear Reader:
Thank you foryour interest in the Cody Resource Area Rangeland Program Summary. Since the passage
ofthe Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976, it has become increasingly clear that public
involvement produces the highest quality land use decisions within the framework ofmultiple use. We
hope that this Rangeland Program Summary (RPS) will provide you with the information necessary to
become more involved. The Cody Resource Area is interested in questions and comments you may have
regarding this document.
Rangeland Program Summary updates will be issued showing the progress in implementing the manage-
ment actions outlined in the Cody Record ofDecision and Approved Resource Management Plan and this
document. Ifyou wish to receive these updates, ordesire to be notified on future land management
information, please complete the attached interest notice and return it to the Cody Resource Area office, P.
O. Box 518, 1714 Stampede Avenue, Cody, Wyoming 82414. Ifthe notice is not returned, your name will
be deleted from the mailing list.
Sincerely,
Duane Whitmer
Cody Area Manager
Detach and Return to BLM, P. O. Box 518, Cody, WY 82414
INTEREST NOTICE
I wish to remain on the mailing list forfuture updates of the Rangeland Program Summary and
related land management information.
Name
Address
City State Zip
Please note on reverse side if you are interested in any of the actions proposed in this Rangeland
Program Summary or have a specific resource interest.
.^p
&
RANGELAND PROGRAM SUMMARY ^7~
for the
CODY RESOURCE AREA
Prepared by:
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Cody Reasource Area
Worland District Office
Worland, Wyoming
September 1991
^TX-u. t
. i,Jiai.tr •r~i* "tt
Duane Whitmer Date
Cody Area Manager

1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RANGELAND PROGRAM SUMMARY FOR THE CODY RESOURCE AREA
1
INTRODUCTION
1
CURRENT RANGELAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
1
CODY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2
Management Objectives 2
Allotment Categorization Process 2
M Category 2
Category 2
I
C Category 2
Monitoring 6
Low Intensity 6
High Intensity 6
Utiliztion 6
Actual Use 6
Climate 7
Trend 7
Consultation, Coordination, and Cooperation (CCC) 7
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 7
Allotment Priorities 7
Grazing Adjustments 9
Range Improvements 9
APPENDIXES
APPENDIX A: MANAGEMENT CHANGES 1
Table A-1: Management Changes 11
Table A-2: Current Grazing Allotment Information 16
TABLES
TABLE 1: Problems, Conflicts, and Opportunities in Livestock Grazing Management 3
TABLE 2: Allotment Management Plan and Allotment Monitoring Priority for
Category Allotments 7
I
TABLE 3: Range Improvements in Completed Allotment Management Plan 9

RANGELAND PROGRAM SUMMARY
for the
CODY RESOURCE AREA
INTRODUCTION Sincethecollectionofthebaselinedataincorporated
in the RMP, there have been numerous changes in the
existing management of livestock in the planning area,
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued the all of which meet the objectives of the ARMP (see
draft Resource Management Plan Environmental Im- appendixA). Theseactionswere initiated bytheopera-
pact Statement (RMP/EIS) forthe Cody ResourceArea tors and vary from changes in class or kind of livestock
in January 1988. After addressing the concerns re- andseasonsofusetoactual reschedulingandallotment
ceived duringthe publiccomment period, the Proposed
boundary adjustments. In addition to these adjust-
RMP/Final EISwas issued inAugustof 1988. TheCody ments, active preference was totally eliminated in three
Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource allotments due to slope restrictions, wildlife consider-
Management Plan (ARMP) was signed November 8, ations, and incompatibility determinations with existing
1990 and is currently being implemented. Bureau of Reclamation projects implemented on with-
drawn lands (Buffalo Bill Dam Project). All adjustments
This document serves as the Rangeland Program
in active preference were negotiated with the affected
Summary (RPS) for the Cody Resource Area to: (1) parties and implemented in accordance with 43 CFR
announce to the public the results of the livestock 4100 regulations. Adjustments were also implemented
grazing portion of the RMP/EIS; (2) inform the public of based on transfers of BLM-administered lands to
the BLM's rangeland resource management objectives nonfederal ownership (bentonite patent lands). These
for the planning area; and (3) identify the actions in- adjustments decreased the public land authorized for
tended to accomplish those objectives. The RPS as-
livestockgrazingusefrom 1,081,249acresto 1 ,065,255
sistsinterestedpartiesofthedecision processbyfocus- acres. Oncethe ownership ofthe surfacechanges, the
ing attention on the actions needed to achieve range- AUMs obtained can no longer be adjudicated or made
land resource management objectives and facilitating available by the BLM. This adjustment affects total
consultation for developing allotment-specific grazing preference as well as available active preference. The
management decisions or agreements. allotments that have been affected by this change in
ownership jurisdiction since the development of the
CURRENT RANGELAND ARMP are shown in table A-1 of appendix A.
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Agreements were negotiated with all affected live-
stockoperatorstoadjustactivegrazing preferencefrom
90,895 AUMs in 1988 to the current level of 83,389
Duringthedevelopmentofthe CodyARMP livestock AUMs. Anarrativesection hasbeen included intableA-
grazing was authorized on 1,081,249 acres of public 1 of appendix A which explains the specific changes
land in the planning area and encompassed 212 allot- made by allotment since the ARMP. Table A-2 liststhe
ment management units. Atotal of 90,895 AUMs were current livestock grazing information specific to each
authorized of which 66,976 were cattle, 23,017 sheep, allotment in the planning area.
and 902 horses (see table G-1 of the Cody ARMP, pp.
78-82). Livestock grazing occurs in the planning area year-
round. The lower elevations are utilized mostly during
In 1988,therewerefourallotmentmanagementplans the spring, fall, and winter when access to the higher
(AMPs) in the planning area which required revision. elevations is restricted. Livestockarethen trailedtothe
Most were implemented in the earlier 1970s and need highercountrywhen vegetation becomesavailabledur-
modificationtomeetprojectedgoalsandaccomplishthe ing the summer. The majority of this demand occurs
original objectives. New AMPs or coordinated activity during the spring season when the operators request
planswillbedevelopedduringtheperiodofthisplanning activationto relieve useon privatefieldsforthepurpose
effort. Since the development ofthe RMP, three AMPs of planting crops. Also, the growing season in the
have been completed involving both adjustments in Bighorn Basin is relatively short (65-80 days) which
stocking levels as well as grazing system and improve- limits the amount of annual production by the perennial
ment implementation. grass base.
.
CODY RANGELAND PROGRAM SUMMARY
CODY RESOURCE necessary. Adjustments may include changes
MANAGEMENT PLAN in period of use, kind orclass of livestock, num-
bers, or a combination of all.
TheBLM'sobjectives, plannedmanagementactions, Prairie dog expansion will be controlled on ap-
and implementation priorities for the rangeland man- proximately 225 acres affecting two allotments.
agementprogramintheCodyplanningareaareoutlined
in the ARMP. The following is a summary of those
objectives and actions. Allotment Categorization Process
Formanagementpurposeseachallotmentwasplaced
Management Objectives in a category to identify resource potentials, resource
use conflicts, opportunities for positive investment re-
The livestock grazing management objective is to turns, and present condition. Specific criteria used for
improve forage production and ecological range condi- each category may befound in theARMP (appendix G,
tion for the benefit of livestock use, wildlife, and water- page 76). Individual consultation was conducted with
shed resources. Thefollowingmanagementactionswill each permitteetofocusontheirconcerns, aswellasthe
be taken to accomplish these objectives. concerns of other interested parties priorto final deter-
mination. Thespecificmanagementobjectivesforeach
—
Livestockgrazingwill be managedto providefor category are listed below.
theprotectionorenhancementofotherresource
values.
M
Category
—
Highintensitymonitoringwillbeconductedwithin
top priority"I" (improve) categoryallotments, on Authorize actions that are consistent with or will
allotmentswithexistingAMPsandonallotments maintain current uses and satisfactory range condition
locatedwithintheboundariesofthe McCullough and productivity.
Peaks Wild Horse Herd Management Area
(WHHMA). (See"AllotmentCategorization Pro-
cess" section of this document for definitions of Category
I
allotment categories.)
— Implement management actions that will improve
Lowintensitymonitoringwillbeconductedwithin existing resource condition and productivity and en-
the other "I" category and remaining "M" (main- hance overall multiple use opportunities.
tain) and "C" (custodial) category allotments to
ensure no significant adverse changes are oc-
curring as a result of on-going management. C Category
—
Improved livestockmanagementtechniqueswill Manage the allotment in a custodial manner while
be incorporated intothe developmentofcoordi-
protecting the existing resource values. Management
nated resource management plans (CRMs), al- actions will emphasize the issuance of billings, grazing
lotment management plans, ornegotiated man-
leases, and transfers.
agement agreements with grazing permittees/
lessees and other affected parties.
Throughconsultationwiththegrazingpermitteesand
— lesseesduringthecategorizationprocessandbyanaly-
Various structural and vegetative manipulation BLM
sis of the baseline vegetation inventory data,
practices will be implemented to enhance live-
personnel identified problems associated with livestock
stock distribution and promote increased veg-
grazing intheplanningarea. Possibleopportunitiesare
etation productivity and wildlife habitat quality.
available for resolution of livestock grazing problemsor
— conflicts and are cross-referenced m table 1
Adjustments in grazing useorstocking rateswill
occur if monitoring indicates that changes are