wwii 88077170 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Arizona State Office Havasu Resource Area September 1994 East Cactus Plain Wilderness Management Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Decision Record ale wat a snes eoa e ys 17) Or oe ay Fi GIAIAANE "OLi am in 4 Werke een. | * | wiih woo etell ety ; , ~ digas ber wid 7 Mt Dir) F va 099. eS ‘Si atnee oak 8 7 ~ e ‘ a Eo = 8 Fi 7 ) " e i ~ Oy 5 ' : , ‘ ; 306 7— C CTtR OW f, = dpi ies Lat ay T *ip.5 ¥ ¥ (nok ae MATEY. awe ” tte {i 278e @ees i54 Pee _ . I ; te ’ "te 799 ih ere Pep \ Avot ui my" 7% ae Gs mie! | > VOLV a ihc seuih.oi We coun ‘Deas A patirioue Piaretr:, tae a * aT > © irre? Awis, uswatrue: oe Ee be ee sae Mtl ee &| . Tee? eee erie s o> 4.2 é ke trikes ayo ~ xt trmed | cxtt iid Sa Ugs2a7 noi yy -§ Thices - a ety La iw Die Y ste ii) or ent & eee Ai he a? to Seer Lowa > > 4s swell f , 4 ' j : 2 ( - Adv \ , 2 ! 7 - ‘ , As ‘ i-/i,% ° aoa ot ’ y'% » aie ' 7 > 1 a oT i : *)y , : % i _ a . co f : s — ivet 7 ‘Ves ’ ,. a as ) arth y - ; -eS ‘i rh 4 aU ' : : < ’ 4 ; i ee Rs ae ‘ saad ena tee és , ret Ah wokéga o wt bicin satP ics >A) 75 ? tt 31F70FFS ae East Cactus Plain 27 Wilderness Management Plan, Environmental Assessment, and Decision Record U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Yuma District Havasu Resource Area BLM Library Denver Federal Center La Paz County, Arizona Bidg. 50, OC-521 P.O. Box 25047 EA Number: EA-AZ-054-94-62 Denver, CO 80225 THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DIGITIZED ay aL G —/$- G¢ Recommended by: —— _kZ z hed Managér, a. Date bionnten Bf,U b wf “a ©/ /da Distric An iS [Pye ct Date Approved by: A ‘ ALIVE AW) F- i ie Director, Arifonha si inemeteraiiel fnomezseeA istnomnoivas ; bioses noieioasad ons werala! orl! to tesrryadsli 6.4 “Vv bot lo uss7a isnizidd gmat’ . 7 Snot no ya nt ; ; PO-t:0. D2 CA-AT nen AR - @SAC Table of Contents PART I - Introduction Alten eG, ee eee a Bee See ee an ee 1 BACRKC ce peter errs ab asen G8 re YA FR Fe tarerts i fe tatst oh ere 'tai'y OEE MAE, Ja 1 PERN RU pO se memn We. 55k. oe TMT ROR IRELE, SIGE FS, Ty AND 2G 1 Hoesen Access wares. HFC SSO, GO Ha, I hd AI UO. 1 WG EV6) Es fey oy 2 ae ron en I, Oe Ua A ie i ee ae 2 NW LLCTNSS ots OUNCARY:. tryt ere ahs Fee rnrene a hats Se AB LOE 2 SS AIG f 3 Ownership Lands Usergieos em SION YeT OT MOIS a a a8 FAs - PLANTS TA Tea IDESCH PUTO Meerne Lame hor.) ce secs hanst aal oratarn lett lelP ate et. se MO eG 4 SIRES) SEAT MoE REL SF rash eke rhs Gale gh gle.o t ein nina wie > SOO Se + eye GGi maPATtE) eWat eg Gert tic ye PIR os nonercveterons trons. SEMIS BPE + SESS] SRW MONO A SUPER NY, RLM Mer sree tatet ediate Koch ReRet ihe afara sst eat Se My 5 RAV OECLALIGIIW vomn ear a RIN were RAMEE Bet moe eet aerng eeta ts OEE WARE Eh oes 5 = SMW TIGL O07 F5009 oeet els k kA ee ae ee ees, ORG SROUIM 2... 6 e+ sWilderness: Values» WORMS Mp eT EE ee RE. ee 6 NEA le + sce. es OI OE, I eee RE, 2 ROD ES % Ge @IRECTEALION |e hotest Anata Whh ata? RNG SOMO Ee EN EE Bi ae Fs 8 |NE TO ies 8 EOE RPO ys PRO eg a i ei lak a ase 9 Bow Ne SLOC KaJh PAZIIAG sro eo s0 8c ko k avc teeo tichest Mle olie)S RY FA Rh ORME Re ORE ae 10 ® - Meu NUTAl RESOULCES: 0+ eo ete rt ee HE ART ROR 2 8 10 Ms GTO SF kr hse oses t se not tdites ho | ERIE OE CAIRO as 11 We ATIIEE FA nha Vichiot RN dott ow at NOE Sees PERE, OPA. Og He ¢.+-Law-Entorcement and Emergency Services. AePOI Fo. 11 PART II - National Wilderness Management Goals ....................--- 13 PARTSIUD -issies no oo 6 ee oe pgs PII DORA RSE Oe, Bal 15 UV yea ISSUG Sonn oo Sg ila gtesy vin iain 9)R e Ate Stele ence IE ROTEL RAN! oa 15 Fests Solvers! NrOUGM POMC pa 0.0 le utc het Rome ON: OMIM TL. sos 16 Issues, Beyond thesscope,o1 this Plan... 62 2.4 A ok Pe 17 PART IV - Wilderness Management Program .............--...25222055: 19 iGi tyetalivaarers i Dahl, neh TERR ER TN oe he ee eee eee 19 Objective 1. Maintenance of Wilderness Values.....0.50.00.0 .s-e.re-ne 19 i IManavement ACHONS sor oa.: co geen ne Sci nts WRREE OR Shen aT 20 © VON CIO eat BEB ene snc cuaV os, wm ees NARS Liles Dha nyn te UNS ees 22 Objective 2. Elimination of Impacts from the Parker 400 Off-Road Race ...... (fe *) sManarement ACtOnse: va2 |. 2.00. 5 Wea x SOL BRS oS S 23 906 MMIMULOTING: 2.0. on eeuacee > ¢ a.6 mE ry te ATT BO GT. 24 Objective 3. Natural Succession of Vegetation....0.6..00. .e.ee. e.e-e. 24 ae Mangement ACRONS: <j on. «i s)A MR nae Se ys sinh. GRAS 24 a REN AGTITONIO Dons his eaten 9. MOR AEE SPN ECR. PRR. Bhocos 2 PART V- Plan Evaluation....«.4 000-8 O- Bae oe ee Zt PART VI - Implementation Schedule and Cost Estimates .................. 29 PART VII - Appendices. 0.2.6. 6s co ee el oe ee ee ee ee 31 Appendix A - Vegetation and Wildlife Species List.............-..-.02005- al Appendix B - Cultural Resource Use Categories ..........s-e.en. -ee0e e om Appendix C - Public Involvement ...... 6... 2s eee eee eee cee eee 34 Appendix D - Plan Participants .. 0... 1... c eee ee eee tne eee eee 36 Appendix E - Record of Decision for Vehicle Route Designation ............ = fl Appendix F - References. ..i icc jee ctse eessasouras coe + eee eee nea 38 Environmental Assessment ... 0.0.20... 0. eee eet eee eee teen nee 39 Introduction: : <5) dhces ayigcdens eae ee eee ee 39 e Background. scahs;ce/5sohe sue clea ape ore ee ee 39 e Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action............-..+++5+55-. BY) e Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans ................ 39 Description of the Proposed Action and Alternative ................+2+0005 39 « Proposed Action. .2...45.ey2e. 4e)eei s 39 « No Action Alternatives. 4... 2) eso. es ee 40 Affected Environment... .:c oo aacecein 3, as ee ee Pe 40 Environmental Consequences... 22 .).4:,. 445.4. y---) eee I 41 ¢ Impacts.of the Proposed Action). s.n.5 uci. p42ee)e 4] °- Impacts of the No Action Altemative (5.5 fo... sae 42 ¢ Cumulative Impacts, ...9iy cee wera Se cee 42 © | (Mitigation. 20 sais mite Secchi eee ree eae ee re eee 42 Consultation and Coordination jae.) pee Seeerieii eet ae 2 42 Finding of No Significant Impact/Decision Record ................-+++++++: 43 PART | — Introduction Background e Yuma District Interim Guidance for Fire Suppression in Wilderness Areas (1992) The Wilderness Act of 1964 laid the ¢ Buckskin Mountain/Cactus Plain foundation for the National Wilderness Habitat Management Plan (1977) Preservation System. On November 28, 1990 the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act, Any subsequent planning effort whose Public Law 101-628, designated 39 areas sphere of influence extends into this plan- in Arizona as wilderness and added them ning area shall address the provisions of to the system. The East Cactus Plain this document. Wilderness is one of five wilderness areas located in the Havasu Resource Area of Location/Access the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Yuma District. The planning area is located approxi- Plan Purpose mately 10 miles north of Bouse and 20 miles east of Parker in La Paz County, Arizona (Map 1). From Arizona State This plan will provide direction for Highway 72 at Bouse, drive northeast on managing the East Cactus Plain Main Street to Rayder Road, then north- Wilderness over the next 10 years. west on the paved Rayder Road which Management direction will be guided by: becomes a graded dirt road known as the Wilderness Act of 1964; the Arizona Swansea Road (County Road S31). Desert Wilderness Act of 1990; Title 43, Continue north on the left fork for 5.3 Code of Federal Regulations, Subpart miles to the CAP. Just north of the CAP 8560 (43 CFR 8560); and BLM Manual crossing is a public information board 8560. with a wilderness map and a sign which The planning area contains the entire identifies the area to the north and west as East Cactus Plain Wilderness (14,630 the East Cactus Plain Wilderness. acres) and the portion of the Central The East Cactus Plain Wilderness lies Arizona Project Aqueduct (CAP) right-of- west of Swansea Road for the next 5 way (approximately 240 feet wide and 4.6 miles, then south of the powerline mainte- miles long equalling 142 acres) that lies nance road which extends west for 5 between the CAP security fence and the miles from Midway to a wash containing wilderness boundary (Map 1). This is an a portion of the Parker 400 Off-Road interdisciplinary plan that supersedes and Race route. The wilderness lies south of amends the portions of the following the Parker 400 Off-Road Race route plans that address this planning area: which extends west nearly 2 miles. An unmaintained vehicle route in poor condi- e Havasu Resource Area Wildlife tion parallels the Muse Allotment fence Operations and Maintenance Plan outside the wilderness. These routes pro- (1994) vide legal and physical public access to the planning area. FOURTH A SQ 1 siWemll i SR 2 J 4 n"VeF Tho m1p son ARIZONA — ¥ U.S. Department of the Interior WILDERNESS AREA Bureau of Land Management ABANDONED Yuma District + AZ-SWANSEA Pa NIX RAILROAD GRADE EAST CACTUS PLAIN WILDERNESS AREA LOCATION MAP 0 SCALE 4 Basemap ©) ADOT a ee ee 1990 Miles Wilderness boundary along the powerline maintenance road. A substantially unnoticeable vehicle The wilderness boundary follows the route lies within the CAP right-of-way CAP canal right-of-way southeast for and parallels the southwest boundary of about 4.6 miles to Swansea Road. The the wilderness (Map 2). This route was right-of-way boundary on canal left last used in 1984 to remove a CAP barbed (upper) is not monumented or otherwise wire fence which was located along the identifiable on the ground. The BLM ~ right-of-way. The route is revegetated and issued a right-of-way reservation (Serial does not provide physical access by vehi- No. A-22075) to the Bureau of cle: Reclamation in 1986. Bureau of Reclamation maps of Granite Reef Wilderness Boundary Aqueduct - Reach 1 (January 1, 1984) indicate the right-of-way is generally 400 feet from the canal centerline for most of Starting at the northeast corner, the this length but expands to 1200 feet from wilderness boundary follows a powerline centerline at the Swansea Road bridge. west for approximately 4.8 miles. The Continuing northeast, the wilderness boundary is setback 70 feet south of the boundary is setback 100 feet west of cen- southernmost powerline or 25 feet south terline of the Swansea Road for about 5 from the center of the powerline mainte- miles. At an intersection known as nance road, whichever is located furthest Midway, the boundary follows a section south. Next, the boundary follows the line north for 0.3 mile to where the sec- wash south of the Parker 400 Off-Road tion line crosses the Swansea Road and is Race route west for 1.9 miles to the Muse again setback 100 feet west of centerline Allotment fenceline. The boundary fol- for an additional 0.1 mile to the powerline lows the fenceline south for 2.4 miles to at the northeast corner. the CAP right-of-way. Ownership/Land Use and closed basins. The dune field extends across an outwash plain (bajada) which runs from a small set of hills at the power- The BLM administers all land within line to the CAP. Elevations range from and surrounding the wilderness. No State 1,250 to 1,600 feet. The occurrence of or private surface or subsurface inholdings such an extensive stabilized dune field exist within the planning area. Public land within the Sonoran Desert Scrub bajada adjacent to the planning area on the east environment is unique in Arizona and may side of Swansea Road was used for mili- be unique in North America. The closed tary training during the World War II era basins formed by the crescent-shaped and is contaminated with ordnance; it is dunes provide a number of soil, vegeta- therefore possible that some ordnance tion, and wildlife habitat features around may be located across the road and within the slopes and in the basins. the planning area. There are no current adjacent military land withdrawals. Climate/Air/Water The area is characterized by the Planning Area Tropical-Subtropical Desert-land climatic Description zone and is included within the Lower Colorado River Valley subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. Temperatures range from Topography a low of near 30° F in the months of The planning area contains an exten- December and January to a high exceed- sive area of rolling and partially vegetated ing 120° F during July and August. sand dunes. The crescent-shaped Annual precipitation generally ranges (barchan) dunes form a series of ridges from 2 to 7 inches per year. Crescent-shaped barchan dunes.