s 333.2 N7cb3p 2000 UJ en en UJ en en < C C C ^giiii'^ C C C C c c c DATE DUE c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION MARCRACICOT,GOVERNOR 1625ELEVENTH AVENUE OF MONTANA STATE DIRECTOR'SOFFICE(406)444-2074 PO BOX201601 TELEFAXNUMBER(406)444-2684 HELENA,MONTANA59620-1601 August 18,2000 Dear Interested Person: Previously you were sent a copy ofthe Crow Boundary Settlement Act Environmental Assessment. The transmittal letter indicated that the hearing dates and times were enclosed, but that information was inadvertently omitted. That information is printed on the reverse side ofthis letter. Again, you may make oral comments on the Environmental Assessment at the hearings or you may send written comments postmarked by September 25, 2000 to either ofthe addresses below. Wayne Wetzel Russ Sorensen Department ofNatural Resources Bureau ofLand Management and Conservation Dillon Field Office 1625 Eleventh Avenue 1005 Selway Drive PO Box 201601 Dillon MT 59725-9431 MT Helena, 59620-1601 Questions regarding the Environmental Assessment, meetings, or the review process can DNRC BLM be directed to either the (406-444-6699 or wwetzeKg-state.mt.us ) or the (406) 683-8036 . Sincerely, ^-^^ Wayne A. Wetzel Special Projects Coordinator Crow Boundary Settlement Act Phase III Exchange Hearings MONTANASTATE LIBRARY Contents 1515 east ethavenue PO BOX 201800 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.0 .'i.^.'rll^Al!^T..^.^.^.^P."l^^^ 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Puq->ose and Need for the Proposed Action 1 1.3 Public Scoping 3 1.4 Conformance with Land Use Plans 4 1.4.1 BLM Lands 4 1.4.2 State Land 5 1.5 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, Mutual Agreements, or other Plans 6 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES 6 2.1 Proposed Action 6 2.1.1 Proposed Action (Exchange Alternative) 6 2.2 Other Alternatives 7 2.2.1 No Action 7 2.2.2 Mitigated Exchange Alternative 7 2.2.3 Selection ofother BLM Lands 12 2.2.4 Other Alternatives Considered but Not Carried Forward 12 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 25 3.1 BLM Lands 25 3.1.1 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics 25 3.1.2 Climate 27 3.1.3 Groundwater, Geology' and Mineral Potential 28 3.1.4 Surface Water Rights 31 3.1.5 Vegetation 31 3.1.5.1 Rare Plants 37 3.1.5.2 Noxious Weeds 38 3.1.6 Wildlife Habitat and Fisheries 38 3.1.6.1 Blaine County Wildlife 39 3.1.6.2 Carter County Wildlife 40 3.1.6.3 Chouteau County Wildlife 40 3.1.6.4 Custer County Wildlife 40 3.1.6.5 Fallon County Wildlife 41 3.1.6.6 Fergus County- Wildlife 41 3.1.6.7 Phillips County Wildlife 42 3.1.6.8 Powder RiverCount>' Wildlife 42 3.1.6.9 Richland County Wildlife 42 3.1.6.10 Rosebud Count>- Wildlife 42 3.1.6.11 Valley County Wildlife 43 3.1.6.12 Wibaux County Wildlife 43 3.1.6.13 Threatened and Endangered Species 43 3.1.7 Recreation 44 3.1.8 Cultural Resources 44 3.1.9 Access 45 3.1.10 Socioeconomics 45 3.1.10.1 Timber, Grazing and Agricultural Lease Revenue 45 3.1.10.2 Payment in Lieu ofTaxes 46 F/wWe j ^ycClM^tt - T^^U irf Cvi^i;t^U 3.1.10.3 Land Values 48 3.1.11 Hydrologic and Soil Resources 50 3.2 State Lands 52 3.2.1 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics 52 3.2.2 Climate 52 3.2.3 Groundwater, Geology and Mineral Potential 52 3.2.4 Surface Water Rights 55 3.2.5 Vegetation 57 3.2.5.1 Rare Plants 58 3.2.5.2 Noxious Weeds 60 3.2.6 Wildlife Habitat and Fisheries 61 3.2.6.1 Threatened and Endangered Species 61 3.2.7 Recreation 61 3.2.8 Cultural Resources 62 3.2.9 Access 62 3.2.10 Socioeconomics 62 3.2.10.1 Timber and Grazing Revenue 62 3.2.10.2 Payment in Lieu ofTaxes 62 3.2.10.3 Land Values 65 3.2.11 Hydrologic and Soil Resources 65 CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES 68 4.0 4.1 Impacts ofthe Proposed Action 68 4.11 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics 68 4.1.2 Climate 70 4.1.3 Groundwater, Geology and Mineral Potential 70 4.1.4 Surface Water Rights 70 4.1.5 Vegetation 71 4.1.5.2 Rare Plants 73 4.1.5.3 Noxious Weeds 73 4.1.6 Wildlife Habitat and Fisheries 73 4.1.6.1 Threatened and Endangered Species 74 4.1.7 Recreation 74 4.1.8 Cultural Resources 76 4.1.9 Access 76 4.1.10 Socioeconomics 76 4.1.10.1 Grazing 76 4.1.10.2 Timber 80 4.1.11 Hydrologic and Soil Resources 80 4.2 Impact ofNo Action 80 4.2.1 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics 4.2.2 Climate 4.2.3 Groundwater, Geology and Mineral Potential 4.2.4 Surface Water Rights 4.2.5 Vegetation 4.2.5.1 Rare Plants 4.2.5.2 Noxious Weeds 4.2.6 Wildlife Habitat and Fisheries 11 ^KtTK/ ^yvi^i^/iAvij Jef^/&vtv«;M.j: P\.CV 4.2.6.1 Threatened and Endangered Species 82 4.2.7 Recreation 82 4.2.8 Cultural Resources 82 4.2.9 Access 82 4.2.10 Socioeconomics 82 42.10.1 Timber and Grazing Revenue 82 4-2.10.2 Payment in Lieu ofTaxes 82 4.2.11 Hydrologic and Soil Resources 83 4.3 Impact ofthe Mitigated Exchange Alternative 83 4.3.1 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics 86 4.3.2 Climate 86 4.3.3 Groundwater, Geology and Mineral Potential 86 4.3.4 Surface Water Rights 86 4.3.5 Vegetation 86 4.3.5.1 Rare Plants 87 4.3.5.2 Noxious Weeds 87 4.3.6 Wildlife Habitat and Fisheries 87 4.3.6.1 Threatened and Endangered Species 87 4.3.7 Recreation 87 4.3.8 Cultural Resources 87 4-3.9 Access 87 4.3.10 Socioeconomics 88 4.3.10.1 Delayed Implementation 88 4.3.10.2 Access Easements 88 4.3.10-3 Cost Sharing 88 4.3.10.4 Continued Lessee Preference 89 4.3.10-5 Private Exchanges 89 4.3.11 Hydrologic and Soil Resources 90 4.4 Comparison ofAlternatives 90 CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION 5.0 96 5.1 Federal Agencies 96 5.2 State Agencies 96 5.3 Tribal Governments 96 5.4 Local Government 96 5.5 Non-Governmental Entities 96 6.0 LIST OF PREPARERS 97 6.1 Bureau ofLand Management 97 6.2 Department ofNatural Resources and Conservation 98 7-0 LIST OF AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PERSONS RECEIVING COPIES OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 99 TnA4e 5 f^cf/wU^je - TA^/e vf C-cn^iti^U IM 1 — APPENDIX A Legal Description ofthe Big Horn CanalTract and the Veenhuis Ranch 109 Big Horn Canal 109 Veenhuis Ranch 109 APPENDIX B—Notice ofIntent to Amend the West HiLine andJudith-Valley-Phillips Resource Management Plans 11 C— APPENDIX Mineral Report 115 — APPENDIX D US Fish and Wildlife Service candidate, threatened and endangered species, BLM species ofspecial concern, and BLM watch species 133 APPENDIX E—DNRC Policy On Ground Breaking 135 List ofFigures Figure 1-1. 107th Meridian Settlement 2 Figure 2-1 State Lands In the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 13 Figure 2-2 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 14 Figure 2-3 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 15 Figure 2-4 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 16 Figure 2-5 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase III Exchange 17 Figure 2-6 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase III Exchange 18 Figure 2-7 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase III Exchange 19 Figure 2-8 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase III Exchange 20 Figure 2-9 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 21 Figure 2-10 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 22 Figure 2-11 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 23 Figure 2-12 BLM Lands in the CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 24 Figure 3-1 Trust Lands Revenue Flow Chart 64 Figure 4-1 Bighorn Canal Tract 84 Figure 4-2 Veenhuis Ranch 85 -Jv C'KtTK/ J^%rn'(-»-/'(A-<'<Y Sit\;\;itiu.t\^i, fKCv 1 List ofTables Table 1-1 Montana Board of Land Commissicmers -Land Exchange Criteria 5 Table 2-1 State Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Sertleiiient Act Exchange 8 Table 2-2 BLM Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 9 Table 2-2 BLM Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 10 Table 3-1 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics ofBLM Lands in the Phase III Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 26 Table 3-2 Selected Climatic Data Summary 28 Table 3-3 Groundwater, Geology and Mineral Potential of BLM Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 30 Table 3-4 Water Rights on BLM Land in the Phase III CBSA Exchange 32 Table 3-5 Vegetative Type Characteristics ofBLM Lands (Species in bold type are distinguishing species) 35 Table 3-6 Wildlife and Habitat on BLM Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 38 Table 3-7 Access to BLM Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 45 Table 3-8 Revenue from BLM Phase 111 CBSA Lands 46 Table 3-9 Change in State Equalization Payments From the Phase 111 Exchange 48 Table 3-10 Appraised Value ofPhase 111 BLM Lands 49 Table 3-11 BLM Lands crossed by Perennial Streams in the Phase III Exchange 50 Table 3-12 General Soils for BLM Exchange Tracts 51 Table 3-13 General Geography, Topography and Aesthetics ofState Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 53 Table 3-14 Groundwater, Geology and Mineral Potential ofState Lands in the Phase 111 Crow Boundary Settlement Act Exchange 54 Table 3-15 Water Rights on State Land in the Phase 111 CBSA Exchange 55 Table 3-16 Vegetative Type Characteristics for State Lands (distinguishing species in bold) 58 Table 3-17 Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive Plant Species Known or with Potential to Occur MNHP on Phase III State Exchange Lands (Lesica and Shelly 1991; Database 2000) 60 Table 3-18 State Lands crossed by Perennial Streams in the Phase 111 Exchange 61 Table 3-19 Revenues in 2000 from State Lands Proposed for Exchange (m Dollars) 63 Table 3-20 Appraised Value ofState Lands in CBSA Phase 111 Exchange 66 Table 3-2 General Soils for State Lands Exchange Tracts 67 Table 4-1 BLM Lands Proposed for Equal Value Exchange 69 Table 4-2 BLM Tracts with Potential Future Cultivation in CBSA Phase 111 72 Table 4-3 Potential State Revenues from BLM Lands in the Proposed CBSA Phase III Exchange 78 Table 4-4 Comparison ofRevenue Potential for Phase I -III ofCBSA Exchange 79 Table 4-5 Alternative Comparison and Impact Summary 91 T^U F/^^We 5 ^Tcf/wu^^e — vf Cv^^iet^is vi Ov\r^\j .5v-H'M-4a^»/ }(tl4^len4^-e^^*t r^ct