BLM LIBRARY if 80 73 372 Management Situation Analysis Rawlins Resource Management Plan to Mimf . Prepared for the Bureau of Land Management Rawlins Field Office July 2002 US. DEPARTMENTOF THE INFERIOR BUREAU Of LAND WAKAGEVIEXT s n 4 - Bobz | Allen | Hamilton- ft 105OZ?|fell Preliminary Draft MANAGEMENT SITUATION ANALYSIS Rawlins Resource Management Plan Prepared for: The Bureau of Land Management July 2001 BLM Library Denver Federal Center Bldg. 50, OC-521 P.O. Box 25047 Denver, CO 80225 DRAFT Rawlins MSA - TOC, List of Tables/Figures July 2002 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS - CHAPTER 1.0 3 1.0. INTRODUCTION. Id. 4 1.1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION. 1-1 5 1.2. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR A NEW RAWLINS RESOURCE 6 MANAGEMENT PLAN. 1 - h 7 1.3. PURPOSE AND USE OF THE MANAGEMENT SITUATION ANALYSIS 1 > | u 8 1.4. SYNOPSIS OF THE MAJOR PLANNING PROCESS STEPS. 1 > | u 9 1.5. MANDATES AND AUTHORITIES FOR PREPARATION OF THE | 10 PINED ALE RMP/EIS... L> u 11 1.6. CONSTRAINTS/CONSISTENCY REQUIREMENTS WITH OTHER l 12 ENTITIES. Lu - l 13 1.7. PRELIMINARY PLANNING CRITERIA. Li s ( 14 1.8. MANAGEMENT ISSUES. 1-s | o 15 Page i of xx DRAFT Rawlins MSA - TOC, List of Tables/Figures July 2002 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS - CHAPTER 2.0 2 2.0. CONTINUATION OF EXISTING MANAGEMENT DIRECTION & 3 ACTIONS BY LAND USE OR RESOURCE USES...24 4 2.1. AIR QUALITY.24 5 2.1.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-4 6 2.1.1. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-4 7 2.2. CULTURAL RESOURCES.2^ 8 2.2.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-5 9 Trails.2-5 10 National Natural Landmarks.2-5 11 2.2.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-5 12 General.2-5 13 Trails.2-6 14 National Natural Landmarks.2-6 15 2.3. FIRES.2£7 16 2.3.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-7 17 2.3.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-7 18 Full Suppression. 2-7 19 Full Suppression With Management Options.2-7 20 Limited Suppression.2-8 21 Limited Suppression With Consultation.2-8 22 2.4. FORESTRY.241 23 2.4.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-8 24 2.4.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-9 25 2.5. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.240 26 2.5.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-10 27 2.5.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-10 28 General.2-10 29 Management Actions Specific to Oil and Gas Field Operations.2-11 30 2.6. LANDS AND REALTY.241 31 2.6.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-11 32 2.6.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS. 2-12 33 2.6.2.1. Utility/Transportation Systems.2-12 34 2.6.2.2. Communication Sites.2-14 35 2.6.2.3. Landownership Adjustments.2-15 36 2.6.2.4. Access.2-16 37 2.6.2.5. Withdrawals.2-17 38 2.6.2.6. Classifications.2-17 39 Classification and Multiple Use Act (C&MU) of 1964.2-17 40 Other Classifications.2-18 41 2.7. LIVESTOCK GRAZING.248 42 2.7.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-19 43 2.7.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-19 44 2.7.2.1. Management Actions General.2-19 45 2.7.2.2. Management Actions (pertaining to the Great Divide planning area).2-20 Page ii of xx DRAFT Rawlins MSA - TOC, List of Tables/Figures July 2002 . . . 1 2 1 23 Management Actions Specific to the Medicine Bow Grazing EIS 2 Area.2-23 3 2.8. MINERALS.2^4 4 2.8.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-24 5 2.8.1.1. Leasable Minerals.2-24 6 Coal.2-24 7 Oil and Gas.2-25 8 Other Leasable Minerals.2-25 9 2.8.1.2. Locatable Minerals.2-25 10 2.8.I.3. Salable Minerals.2-25 11 2.8.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-25 12 2.8.2.I. Leasable Minerals.2-25 13 Coal.2-25 14 Oil and Gas.2-26 15 Other leasable minerals.2-30 16 2.8.2.2 Locatable minerals.2-30 17 2.8.2.3. Salable Minerals.2-32 18 2.8.2.4. Geophysical Exploration.2-32 19 2.8.2.5. Geological Hazards.2-32 20 2.9. OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE USE.2^2 21 2.9.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-32 22 2.9.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-32 23 2.9.2.I. General Planning Area.2-33 24 2.9.2.2. Specific Problem Areas.2-33 25 2.9.2.3. Consolidation of Landownership.2-34 26 2.10. PALEONTOLOGY.234 27 2.10.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-34 28 2.10.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-34 29 2.11. RECREATION RESOURCES.2^35 30 2.11.1 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-35 31 2.11.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-35 32 2.11.2.1. Recreation Areas and Sites.2-35 33 Existing Sites.2-36 34 New Sites.2-36 35 2.11.2.2. Special Recreation Management Areas.2-36 36 Access to Recreation Areas.2-37 37 2.12. SOILS AND WATERSHED.237 38 2.12.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-37 39 2.12.1. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-38 40 2.13. TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS.239 41 2.13.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-40 42 Transportation and Access to Public Lands.2-40 43 Rights-of-Way.2-40 44 2.13.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-40 45 Transportation and Access to Public Lands.2-40 46 Rights-of-Way.2-41 Page iii of xx DRAFT Rawlins MSA - TOC, List of Tables/Figures July 2002 1 2.14. VEGETATION.2^2 2 2.14.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-42 3 2.14.1. General.2-42 4 2.14.2. Noxious weeds.2-42 5 Executive Order 13112.2-42 6 Rawlins Field Office.2-43 7 2.14.1.3. Sensitive Plants Management Decisions.2-43 8 2.14.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-44 9 2.14.2.1 General.2-44 10 2.14.2.2 Noxious weeds.2-44 11 Executive Order 13112.2-44 12 Rawlins Field Office...2-44 13 2.14.2.3. Sensitive Plants.2-47 14 Utes ladies’ tresses.2-49 15 Gibben’s Beardtongue Site (about 10 acres).2-49 16 Muddy Gap Cushion Plant Community (about 100 acres).2-50 17 Persistent Sepal Yellowcress.2-50 18 Laramie Columbine.2-51 19 Nelson’s Milkvetch.2-51 20 Cedar Rim Thistle.2-52 21 Weber’s Scarlet-Gilia.2-52 22 Pale Blue-eyed Grass.2-52 23 Laramie False Sagebrush.2-53 24 2.15. VISUAL RESOURCES.2^3 25 2.15.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-54 26 2.15.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-54 27 2.16. WATER QUALITY AND RIPARIAN.2^5 28 2.16.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVE.2-55 29 2.16.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-55 30 2.17. WILD HORSES.2^56 31 2.17.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-56 32 2.17.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-56 33 2.18. WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES.2^8 34 2.18.1. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES.2-59 35 2.18.1.1. Special Species...2-59 36 2.18.1.2. Fisheries.2-59 37 General.2-60 38 Resident Species.2-60 39 Sensitive, Threatened and Endangered Fish Species.2-60 40 Cutthroat trout....2-61 41 2.18.1.3. Raptor Concentration Areas.2-61 42 2.18.1.4. Winter Range for all Wildlife.2-61 43 2.18.1.5. White Pelican Island.2-61 44 2.18.2. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS.2-61 45 2.18.2.1. Special Species.2-61 46 2.18.2.2. Habitat Management Areas.2-62 Page iv of xx DRAFT Rawlins MSA - TOC, List of Tables/Figures July 2002 1 2.18.2.3. Fisheries.2-63 2 General Objectives.2-63 3 Management Actions specific to Resident Species.2-63 4 Management Actions specific to Sensitive, Threatened and Endangered 5 Fish Species.2-64 6 Management Actions Specific to the Colorado River Cutthroat Trout.2-64 7 2.18.2.4. Raptor Concentration Areas.2-65 8 2.18.2.5. Winter Range for all Wildlife.2-65 9 2.18.2.6. White Pelican Island.2-66 10 2.18.2.7. Other Areas Important to Wildlife.2-66 11 2.18.2.8. Other.2-67 12 2.19 SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREAS.2-68 13 2.19.1. AREAS OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN.2-68 14 2.19.1.1. Como Bluff. 2-68 15 Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management.2-69 16 Minerals Management.2-69 17 2.19.1.2. Sand Hills.2-69 18 Fire Management.2-69 19 Minerals Management.2-70 20 Off-Road Vehicle Management.2-70 21 Vegetation/Soils Management...2-70 22 Wildlife Habitat Management.2-70 23 Livestock Grazing Management.2-70 24 WSAs.2-71 25 2.19.1.3. Jep Canyon.2-71 26 Minerals Management.2-71 27 Vegetation/Soils Management.2-71 28 Livestock Grazing Management.2-72 29 2.19.1.4. Shamrock Hills Raptor Concentration Areas.2-72 30 Vegetation/Soils Management.2-72 31 Minerals Management.2-72 32 Livestock Grazing Management.2-73 33 2.19.1.5. Seminoe Raptor Concentration Area.2-73 34 Livestock Grazing Management.2-73 35 2.20 REFERENCES FOR RAWLINS CHAPTER 2 OF THE MSA.2-73 36 Page v of xx DRAFT Rawlins MSA - TOC, List of Tables/Figures July 2002 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS - CHAPTER 3.0 2 3.0 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT.34 3 3.1. AIR RESOURCES.M 4 3.1.1. CLIMATE. 3-1 5 3.1.1.1. Temperature...3;2 6 3.I.I.2. Precipitation.M 7 3.I.I.3. Dispersion.3^3 8 3.I.I.4. Wind Velocity.3^3 9 3.1.2. AIR QUALITY.3-4 10 3.1.2.1. Air Quality Regulations.3^4 11 3.1.2.1.1 Pollutants.3-4 12 Criteria Pollutants.3^4 13 Carbon Monoxide.3-4 14 Nitrogen and Sulfur Compounds.3-4 15 Ozone.3-5 16 Particulate Matter.3-5 17 Hazardous Air Pollutants.3^6 18 3.I.2.I.2. Wyoming and National Ambient Air Quality Standards.3-6 19 3.I.2.I.3. Prevention of Significant Deterioration.3-6 20 3.I.2.I.4. Regional Haze Regulations.3-7 21 3.I.2.2. Air Quality Characterization.3^8 22 3.I.2.2.I. Pollutant Concentrations.3-8 23 Carbon Monoxide.3^8 24 Nitrogen Dioxide.3J5 25 Sulfur Dioxide.3-10 26 Ozone.3-11 27 Particulate Matter.3-11 28 3.I.2.2.2. Visibility.3-11 29 3.I.2.2.3. Atmospheric Deposition.3-12 30 Wet Deposition.3-12 31 Dry Deposition.3-13 32 3.1.3. SUMMARY OF EXISTING AIR QUALITY.3-13 33 3.2. CULTURAL RESOURCES.Ml 34 3.2.1. PREHISTORY.3-14 35 3.2.2. HISTORY.3-16 36 3.2.2.1. Historical Context.3-16 37 3.2.2.2. Early Exploration.3-16 38 3.2.2.3. Transportation.3-16 39 3.2.2.4. Settlement.3-19 40 3.2.2.5. Oil and Gas Development.3-20 41 3.2.2.6. Economic Development and Government Programs.3-20 42 3.2.2.7. Ethno-historv.3-21 43 3.3. FIRE.Ml 44 3.3.1. SOURCES OF FIRE.3-23 45 3.3.1.1. Unplanned Fire.3-23 Page vi of xx