U.S. Department ofthe Interior BureauofLandManagement RockSpringsDistrictOffice Green RiverResourceArea October1997 Record of Decision and Green River Resource Management Plan bLM LIBRARY SLDG 50, ST-16QA DERALCENTER P.O. BOX 25047 DENVER, COLORADO 80225 TheBureauofLandManagementisresponsibleforthebalancedmanagementofthepubliclandsand resourcesandtheirvariousvaluessothattheyareconsideredinacombinationthatwillbestservethe needsoftheAmericanpeople. Managementisbasedupontheprinciplesofmultipleuseandsustained yield;acombinationofusesthattakeintoaccountthelongtermneedsoffuturegenerationsforrenewable andnonrenewableresources. Theseresourcesincluderecreation,range,timber,minerals,watershed, fishandwildlife,wildernessandnatural,scenic,scientificandculturalvalues. BLM/WY/PL-97/027+1610 ^^r & --- TABLE OF CONTENTS RECORDOFDECISIONfortheGREENRIVERRESOURCEMANAGEMENT PLANENVIRONMENTALIMPACTSTATEMENT ROD-1 DECISION ROD-1 WILDERNESSSTUDYAREAS ROD-1 SPECIALMANAGEMENTAREADESIGNATIONS ROD-1 AreasofCriticalEnvironmentalConcern ROD-1 SpecialRecreationManagementAreas ROD-2 PROTESTS ROD-2 DEFERREDDECISIONSINTHESTEAMBOATMOUNTAIN,ANDGREATER SANDDUNESACECSANDADJOININGAREAS ROD-4 ALTERNATIVES ROD-5 AlternativesConsideredinDetail ROD-5 AlternativesandManagementOptionsEliminatedfromDetailedStudy ROD-5 TheSelectedPlan ROD-5 PUBLICPARTICIPATIONANDCONSISTENCY ROD-6 MONITORINGANDEVALUATION ROD-6 PUBLICAVAILABILITYOFTHISDOCUMENT ROD-7 RECORDOFDECISIONandAPPROVEDRESOURCEMANAGEMENT PLANfortheGREENRIVERRESOURCEAREA ROD-9 ABBREVIATIONS 1 GREENRIVERRESOURCEMANAGEMENTPLAN 3 INTRODUCTION 3 AIRQUALITYMANAGEMENT 3 CULTURAL,NATURALHISTORY,ANDPALEONTOLOGICALRESOURCEMANAGEMENT 4 HistoricTrails 4 CongressionallyDesignatedHistoricTrailsandAssociatedHistoricSites 4 OtherHistoricTrailsandHistoricSites 4 RockArtSites 5 OtherSites 5 OtherCulturalandPaleontologicalManagementActions 6 FIREMANAGEMENT 7 FORESTSANDWOODLANDSMANAGEMENT 7 HAZARDOUSMATERIALSANDOTHERHAZARDS 8 LANDSANDREALTYMANAGEMENT 9 LandOwnershipAdjustment 9 Utility/TransportationSystems 9 Withdrawals/Classifications 10 DesertLandEntries 10 Access 10 LIVESTOCKGRAZINGMANAGEMENT 10 MINERALSMANAGEMENT 11 LeasableMinerals 12 FluidLeasables(OilandGas) 12 FluidLeasables(Geothermal) 12 SolidLeasables(Coal) 13 AreasofBLM-AdministeredPublicLandSurfaceOverlyingState-OwnedCoal 14 PreferenceRight(Coal)LeaseApplications(PRLAs) 14 SolidLeasables(Sodium/Trona) 14 OtherLeasables 14 CONTENTS SaleableMinerals 14 LocatableMinerals 15 GeophysicalF.xploration 15 OFF-ROADVEHICLEMANAGEMENT 15 RECREATIONRESOURCEMANAGEMENT 16 WindRiverFrontSpecialRecreationManagementArea 17 EasternUnit 17 WesternUnit 18 SPECIALSTATUSSPECIESMANAGEMENT 19 Candidate,Sensitive,andThreatenedandEndangeredPlantSpeciesManagement 19 VEGETATIONMANAGEMENT 19 RiparianVegetationManagementActions 20 VISUALRESOURCEMANAGEMENT 21 WATERSHED/SOILSMANAGEMENT 21 WILDHORSEMANAGEMENT 23 WILDERNESSRESOURCEMANAGEMENT 23 WILDLIFEMANAGEMENT 24 SPECIALDESIGNATIONMANAGEMENTAREAS 25 Introduction 25 ActionsthatApplytotheEntireACEC 27 ActionsUniquetotheSageCreekWatershed 28 ActionsUniquetotheCurrantCreekWatershed 28 ActionsUniquetotheRedCreekWatershed 28 GeneralArea 29 AdditionalorDifferentItemsSpecifictotheWesternPortionoftheGreaterSandDunesArea 29 AdditionalorDifferentItemsSpecifictotheEasternPortionoftheGreaterSandDunesArea 30 CrookstonRanchandBoarsTusk 31 DeferredDecisionsintheEasternPortionoftheGreaterSandDunesArea 31 NaturalCorralsACEC 31 OregonButtesACEC 32 PineSpringsACEC 32 SouthPassHistoricLandscapeACEC 33 SteamboatMountainACEC 35 DeferredDecisionsintheSteamboatMountainACEC 35 ConsiderationstobeAddressedinDevelopingtheCAP 36 WhiteMountainPetroglyphsACEC 36 OtherManagementAreas 37 MonumentValleyManagementArea 37 PineMountainManagementArea 37 ManagementActionsUniquetotheFourJBasinPortionofthePineMountainManagementArea 39 RedDesertWatershedManagementArea 39 SugarloafBasinManagementArea 40 ManagementofBLM-AdministeredPublicLandsThatMeettheWildand ScenicRiversSuitabilityFactors 41 GLOSSARY 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY 55 CONTENTS Tables TABLE - LANDANDMINERALOWNERSHIPSANDADMINISTRATIVE 1 JURISDICTIONSWITHINTHEGREENRIVERRMPPLANNINGAREA 58 TABLE2 - RIGHTS-OF-WAYAVOIDANCEANDEXCLUSIONAREAS 59 TABLE3 - WITHDRAWALSREVOKEDORRETAINED 60 TABLE4 - WITHDRAWALSTOBEPURSUED 61 TABLE5 - ESTIMATEDANNUALALLOWABLECUT 61 TABLE6 - ACCESSNEEDS 62 TABLE7 - AREASOFOILANDGASLEASERESTRICTIONSBYHYDRO- CARBONPOTENTIAL 63 TABLE8 - SEASONALRESTRICTIONSFORALLSURFACEDISTURBANCEACTIVITIES 65 TABLE9 - AREASCLOSEDTOCOALEXPLORATIONANDSODIUMPROSPECTING 66 TABLE 10 - SUMMARYDESCRIPTIONOFCOALSCREENINGPROCESSRESULTS ANDCOALMANAGEMENTACTIONS 67 TABLE 11 - AREASCLOSEDTOMINERALMATERIALSALES 68 TABLE 12 - AREASCLOSEDTOGEOPHYSICALVEHICLES&EXPLOSIVECHARGES 69 TABLE 13 - ORVDESIGNATIONS 70 TABLE 14 - VRMCLASSES 73 TABLE 15 - WILDHORSEAPPROPRIATEMANAGEMENTLEVELS 73 Figures Figure 1 - PlanningProcess 74 Figure2 - UnplannedIgnitionsFireDecisionChart 75 Maps MapROD-l - JackMorrowHillsCAPArea ROD-8 Map 1 - GeneralLocation 77 Map 2 - OtherAgencyAdministeredLand 78 Map 3 - SelectCulturalResourceSitesandHistoricTrails 79 Map 4 - FireManagement 80 Map 5 - TimberCompartments 81 Map 6 - LandTenureAdjustmentParcels 82 Map 7 - Rights-of-WayExclusionAreas 83 Map 8 - Rights-of-WayAvoidanceAreas 84 Map 9 - Rights-of-WayWindowsandCommunicationSites 85 Map 10 - ExistingWithdrawals 86 Map 11 - PublicWaterReserves 87 Map 12 - RoadAccessNeeds 88 Map 13 - NoLeaseAreas 89 Map 14 - NoSurfaceOccupancyAreas 90 Map 15 - BigGameCrucialWinterRangesandParturitionAreas 91 Map 16 - SageGrouseSeasonalRestrictionAreas 92 Map 17 - RaptorSeasonalRestrictionAreas 93 Map 18 - LeasewithControlledSurfaceUseStipulations 94 Map 19 - Coal/SodiumPotential 95 Map20 - Off-RoadVehicleDesignations 96 1 CONTENTS Maps (continued) Map21 - RecreationUseAreas 97 Map22 - SpecialRecreationManagementAreas 98 Map23 - SpecialStatusPlantSpecies 99 Map24 - VisualResourceManagement 100 Map25 - WatersandFloodplains 101 Map26 - AreasofHydrologicConcern 102 Map27 - WildHorseHerdManagementAreas 103 Map28 - WildernessStudyAreas 104 Map29 - SouthPassHistoricLandscape 105 Map30 - SweetwaterRiver-PotentiallySuitableforWildandScenicRiverConsideration 106 Map31 - CoalDevelopmentPotentialArea 128 Map32 - CoalScreeningProcess: UnsuitableAreas 129 Map33 - CoalScreeningProcess: AlternativeB 130 Map34 - CoalScreeningProcess: AlternativeC 131 Map35 - CoalScreeningProcess: AcceptableforSubsurfaceMiningOnly 132 Map36 - CoalScreeningProcess: AcceptableForCoalMiningwithAppropriateMitigation 133 Map37 - CoalScreeningProcess: UnsuitableandUnacceptableAreas 134 MapA - LandStatus,ACECs.andOtherManagementAreas Pocket Appendices APPENDIX1 - ACECCRITERIA 107 APPENDIX2 - WYOMINGBUREAUOFLANDMANAGEMENT(BLM)MITIGATIONGUIDE.... 11 APPENDIX3 - 1995COALSCREENINGPROCESSSUMMARY 115 APPENDIX4-1 - IDENTIFICATIONANDCLASSIFICATIONOFBLM-ADMINISTERED PUBLICLANDSWITHINTHEGREENRIVERRESOURCEMANAGEMENTPLAN PLANNINGAREADETERMINEDTOMEETTHEWILDANDSCENICRIVERS ELIGIBILITYCRITERIA 135 APPENDIX4-2 - WILDANDSCENICRIVERSSUITABILITYREVIEWOFBLM- ADMINISTEREDPUBLICLANDSALONGTHEREDCREEKUNIT,CURRANTCREEK UNIT,PACIFICCREEK,NORTHFORKOFBEARCREEK,CANYONCREEK,THE SWEETWATERRIVER,THEBIGSANDYRIVER,ANDTHEGREENRIVERINTHE GREENRIVERRESOURCEMANAGEMENTPLANPLANNINGAREA 153 APPENDIX5-1 - STANDARDPRACTICES,BESTMANAGEMENTPRACTICES, ANDGUIDELINESFORSURFACEDISTURBINGACTIVITIES 157 APPENDIX5-2 - ENVIRONMENTALANALYSISANDMITIGATIONOFOILAND GASDEVELOPMENTANDOTHERSURFACEDISTURBINGACTIVITIES 163 APPENDIX5-3 - EROSIONCONTROL,REVEGETATION,ANDRESTORATIONPLAN(ERRP)... 165 APPENDIX6 - GENERALCULTURALPRESCRIPTIONS 167 APPENDIX7 - PROCEDURESFORPROCESSINGAPPLICATIONSINAREAS OFSEASONALRESTRICTION 169 APPENDIX8-1 - LANDSIDENTIFIEDASPOSSIBLYSUITABLEFORDISPOSAL 171 APPENDIX8-2 - DISPOSALCRITERIA 173 APPENDIX8-3 - ACQUISITIONSTOBEPURSUEDWITHWILLINGPARTIESONLY 175 APPENDIX9-1 - ALLOTMENTMONITORINGANDCATEGORIES 177 CONTENTS Appendices (continued) APPENDIX9-2 - STANDARDOPERATINGPROCEDURESFORRANGEIMPROVEMENTS ANDVEGETATIONMANIPULATIONS 179 APPENDIX9-3 - STANDARDSFORHEALTHYRANGELANDSANDGUIDELINES FORLIVESTOCK GRAZINGMANAGEMENTFORPUBLICLANDSADMINISTERED BYTHEBUREAUOFLANDMANAGEMENTINTHESTATEOFWYOMING 183 APPENDIX9-4 - RESOURCEMONITORINGANDEVALUATION ALLOTMENTS 189 APPENDIX10-1 - BIOLOGICALASSESSMENT 191 APPENDIX10-2 - BIOLOGICALOPINION 213 RECORD OF DECISION for the GREEN RIVER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DECISION ThedecisionistoselectandapprovetheattachedGreenRiverResourceManagementPlan(RMP),toguide thefuturemanagementofthepubliclandsandresourcesadministeredbytheBureauofLandManagement (BLM),intheGreenRiverResourceArea. TheGreenRiverRMPsupersedesallpreviousland-useplanning decision documents forthe Green River Resource Area. The Green RiverRMPwas prepared underthe regulations(43CFR1600)forimplementingthelanduseplanningrequirementsoftheFederalLandPolicyand ManagementAct(FLPMA). Anenvironmental impactstatement(EIS)waspreparedfortheGreenRiverRMP incompliancewiththeNationalEnvironmentalPolicyActof1969(NEPA). AcopyoftheEnvironmental ImpactStatement(EIS)fortheGreenRiverRMPisonfileintheGreenRiverResourceAreaOffice. ThedecisionsintheGreenRiverRMPprovidegeneralmanagementdirectionandallocationofusesforthe BLM-administeredpubliclandsandresourcesintheplanningarea. TheselectionandapprovaloftheGreen RiverRMPisbasedupontheanalysisofenvironmentalimpactsoffouralternativemanagementplans,public comments,andconsultationwithfederal,state,andlocalgovernmentsandagencies,andupontheconsideration of5 planning issues: 1) minerals resource management and rights-of-way; 2) land tenure adjustment and resourceaccessibility;3)resourceusesaffectingvegetation,soils,air,andwatershedvalues;4)recreationand culturalresourcemanagement;and5)specialmanagementareas. TheattachedGreenRiverRMPistheproposedRMPpresentedintheGreenRiverRMPFinalEIS,published inApril, 1996,withminorcorrectionoferrorsandwordingclarification. TheGreenRiverRMPprovidesa balancebetweenproductionandcommodityuseswithprotectionoftheenvironment. ItrepresentstheBLM's preferredmanagementplanalternativefortheGreenRiverResourceAreaandoneoftheenvironmentally preferredalternatives,intermsofminimizingenvironmentalimpactsandguidingtheusesofthepubliclands intheresourcearea. ThisalternativebestmeetstheBureau'sstatutorymissionundertheFederalLandPolicy andManagementAct,andidentifiesactionstoprotectresourcesandtoavoidorminimizeenvironmentalharm whileallowingforcommodityuses. AlternativeCoftheEIS,whichwouldplacemorerestrictionsonlanduses thantheapprovedRMP,alsoqualifiesasanenvironmentallypreferredalternative. WILDERNESS STUDYAREAS TheBureau'srecommendationstotheSecretaryoftheInterioronWildernessStudyAreas(WSAs)inthe GreenRiverResourceAreahavebeenmadeunderseparatedocumentation. Theseareaswereaddressedin separateWildernessEISandWildernessreportdocumentswhicharealsoonfileintheGreenRiverResource AreaOffice. ThedecisionsregardingwildernessareadesignationsaremadebyCongress. WhenCongress makestheWildernessdecisionsfortheWSAsintheGreenRiverResourceArea,theywillbeincorporatedinto theGreenRiverRMP. SPECIALMANAGEMENTAREADESIGNATIONS Thereareuniqueandimportantareas,values,orresourcesonBLM-administeredlandswithintheGreen River Resource Area that meet the criteria for protection and management under special management designations. AreasofCritical EnvironmentalConcern ThefollowingdesignationsforAreasofCriticalEnvironmentalConcern(ACEC)areretained(ormodified) orestablished. TheACECdesignationsapplyonlytoBLM-administeredpubliclandsurface. ROD-1 RECORDOFDECISION PriorACEC DesignationsRetained(orModified): CedarCanyonACEC (approximately2,550acres) GreaterRedCreekACEC (approximately131,890acres-originallyRedCreekACEC,expandedfrom55,880 acrestoincluderelevantandimportantvaluesintheCurrantCreekandSageCreekDrainages) GreaterSandDunesACEC (approximately38,650acres) NaturalCorralsACEC (approximately 1,276acres) OregonButtesACEC (approximately3.450acres) PineSpringsACEC (approximately6,030acres,expandedfrom90acrestoincludeadjacentrelevantand importantvalues) WhiteMountainPetroglyphsACEC (approximately20acres). NewACECDesignations: SouthPassACEC (approximately53,780acres) SpecialStatus(Candidate)PlantsACEC (approximately900acres) SteamboatMountainACEC (approximately43,270acres). SpecialRecreationManagementAreas The BLM-administeredpubliclandsin sixareasaredesignatedSpecial Recreation ManagementAreas (SRMAs). TheseSRMAsaretheKillpeckerSandDunes,theOregonandMormonPioneerNationalHistoric Trails,theContinental Divide National ScenicTrail, theContinental Divide SnowmobileTrail,the Green River,andtheWindRiverFront. TheremainderoftheBLM-administeredpubliclandsintheGreenRiver ResourceAreaaredesignatedanExtensiveRecreationManagementArea(ERMA)(seeMap22). PROTESTS Eightprotestsweresubmittedduringthe30-dayprotestperiodfortheProposedGreenRiverRMP. Allof the protests were respondedtoand resolved by the Directorofthe Bureau ofLand Management (BLM). Resolutionoftheprotests requiredsome minorcorrections andwordingclarificationbutdidnotresult in changinganyoftheproposedGreenRiverRMPdecisions. FouradditionallettersweresubmittedtotheDirectorduringtheprotestperiod.Theselettersweresubmitted bypartieswhoeitherhadnotparticipatedintheplanningprocessandhadnostandingtosubmitprotests,did not protest a proposed decision in the proposed plan, or simply asked for clarification and information. ResponsestotheconcernsraisedintheseletterswereprovidedeitherbytheDirectorortheWyomingBLM StateDirector. TheRockSpringsGrazingAssociationsubmittedaprotest(1)objectingtothepotentialBLMacquisition of44squaremilesofnon-FederallandinSweetwaterCounty(whichappearedtoincludemany"livewaters" onprivateandstateadministeredlands), withoutanymaterialanalysis; (2)statingthatthe BLM madeno analysisoftheeffectsoftheProposedRMPontheadjacentprivatelandsasaresultofdesignatingandmanaging ACECs;and(3)statingthatsubstantialchangesweremadebetweenthedraftEISfortheRMPandthefinalEIS fortheRMP(differencesbetweenthepreferredplaninthedraftEISandtheproposedplaninfinalEISwere alsoaprotestissuewiththeWyomingStateGrazingBoard,andtheWyomingOutdoorCouncil). TheWyomingStateGrazingBoard,GaryZakotnik,BigSandyConservationDistrict,VermillionRanch LimitedPartnership,andThomanRanchprotestedportionsoftheproposedRMPrelatingtolivestockgrazing issues. TheThomanRanchalsoprotestedportionsoftheproposedRMPrelatingtowildhorsesandcandidate plantspecies. TheNationalWildlifeFederationsubmittedaproteststatingthattheproposedRMP(1)didnotincorporate thenewregulatoryprioritiesforprotectingthefundamentalsofrangelandhealth,thatitsetthelevelsoflivestock grazingtoohigh,andthatitinappropriatelyprovidedthatrangelandmonitoringmustbecompletedbefore ROD-2