3.7 BLM Land Designations, Classifications, Allocations, and Wilderness Inventory

Transcription

1 3.7 BLM Land Designations, Classifications, Allocations, and Wilderness Inventory Regulatory Setting, Planning, and Policy Guidance Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 Enacted in 1976, the FLPMA (43 SC 1701 et seq.) is a federal law that established the multiple use management framework for public lands, the principal tenets of which are that no single resource or use of public lands would dominate. The FLPMA enables the BLM to accomplish a variety of land actions, including but not limited to sales, withdrawals, acquisitions, exchanges, leases, permits, easements and rights-of-way and includes land use planning, range management, rights-of-way, and designated management areas. FLMPA directs the Secretary of the Interior to prepare and maintain an inventory of all public lands and their resource and other values (Section 201). Additionally, the Secretary is directed to develop, maintain, and, when appropriate, revise land use plans (Section 202). In developing and revising the land use plans, the Secretary shall: 1) use and observe the principles of multiple use and sustained yield set forth in this and other applicable law; 2) use a systematic interdisciplinary approach to achieve integrated consideration of physical, biological, economic, and other sciences; 3) give priority to the designation and protection of areas of critical environmental concern; 4) rely, to the extent it is available, on the inventory of the public lands, their resources, and other values; 5) consider present and potential uses of the public lands; 6) consider the relative scarcity of the values involved and the availability of alternative means (including recycling) and sites for realization of those values; 7) weigh long-term benefits to the public against short-term benefits; 8) provide for compliance with applicable pollution control laws, including State and Federal air, water, noise, or other pollution standards or implementation plans; and 9) to the extent consistent with the laws governing the administration of the public lands, coordinate the land use inventory, planning, and management activities of or for such lands with the land use planning and management programs of other Federal departments and agencies and of the States and local governments within which the lands are located, including, but not limited to, the statewide outdoor recreation plans developed under the Act of September 3, 1964 (78 Stat. 897), as December 2012

2 amended [16.S.C. 460l 4 et seq. note], and of or for Indian tribes by, among other things, considering the policies of approved State and tribal land resource management programs. In implementing this directive, the Secretary shall, to the extent he finds practical, keep apprised of State, local, and tribal land use plans; assure that consideration is given to those State, local, and tribal plans that are germane in the development of land use plans for public lands; assist in resolving, to the extent practical, inconsistencies between Federal and non-federal Government plans, and shall provide for meaningful public involvement of State and local government officials, both elected and appointed, in the development of land use programs, land use regulations, and land use decisions for public lands, including early public notice of proposed decisions which may have a significant impact on non-federal lands. Such officials in each State are authorized to furnish advice to the Secretary with respect to the development and revision of land use plans, land use guidelines, land use rules, and land use regulations for the public lands within such State and with respect to such other land use matters as may be referred to them by him. Land use plans of the Secretary under this section shall be consistent with State and local plans to the maximum extent he finds consistent with Federal law and the purposes of this Act. Title VI of FLPMA delineated the CDCA as a Designated Management Area. Most of the DRECP Plan Area is within the boundary of the CDCA, and is addressed in Section 601. Key portions of section 601 to the DRECP planning effort are: 1) the California desert contains historical, scenic, archeological, environmental, biological, cultural, scientific, educational, recreational, and economic resources that are uniquely located adjacent to an area of large population; 2) the California desert environment is a total ecosystem that is extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed; 3) the California desert environment and its resources, including certain rare and endangered species of wildlife, plants, and fishes, and numerous archeological and historic sites, are seriously threatened by air pollution, inadequate Federal management authority, and pressures of increased use, particularly recreational use, which are certain to intensify because of the rapidly growing population of southern California; 4) the use of all California desert resources can and should be provided for in a multiple use and sustained yield management plan to conserve these resources for future generations, and to provide present and future use and enjoyment, particularly outdoor recreation uses, including the use, where appropriate, of offroad recreational vehicles; 5) to insure further study of the relationship of man and the California desert environment, pre-serve the unique and irreplaceable resources, including archeological values, and conserve the use of the economic resources of the California desert, the public must be provided more opportunity to participate in such planning and management, and additional management authority must be December 2012

3 provided to the Secretary to facilitate effective implementation of such planning and management Antiquities Act of 1906 The Antiquities Act of 1906 grants the President authority to designate national monuments in order to protect objects of historic or scientific interest. While most national monuments are established by the President, Congress has also occasionally established national monuments protecting natural and historic features. Since 1906, the President and Congress have created more than 100 national monuments. National monuments are currently managed by the BLM, NPS, SFS and Service. No National Monuments are located within the DRECP planning area although the Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is within the California Desert Conservation Area Wilderness Act of 1964 Enacted in 1964, this act established the National Wilderness Preservation System of areas to be designated by Congress. It directed the Secretary of the Interior, within 10 years, to review every roadless area of 5,000 or more acres and every roadless island (regardless of size) within National Wildlife Refuge and National Park Systems and to recommend to the President the suitability of each such area or island for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, with final decisions made by Congress. The Secretary of Agriculture was directed to study and recommend suitable areas in the National Forest System. BLMadministered lands were brought under the direction of the Wilderness Act with the passage of FLPMA in Sections 603 and 201 of FLPMA also directed the BLM to conduct inventories and recommendations to the President for suitability of areas to be included in the system. The act provides criteria for determining suitability and establishes restrictions on activities that can be undertaken on a designated area. Criteria set by Congress within this act states that wilderness areas have the following characteristics: 1) Generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man s work substantially unnoticeable; 2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and confined types of recreation;3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and 4) may also contain ecological, geological or other features of scientific, educational, scenic or historical value. The Wilderness Act also set the accepted uses of designated wilderness areas and what uses are prohibited. The act sets special provisions for an agency s continuing management of existing or grandfathered rights such as mining and grazing and other agency mission related activities. Lands acquired through donation adjacent to designated wilderness may become part of the wilderness if the Secretary of the Interior December 2012

4 gives 60 days advance notice to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968) The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 (PL ; 16 SC 1271 et seq.) to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The Act is notable for safeguarding the special character of these rivers, while also recognizing the potential for their appropriate use and development. It encourages river management that crosses political boundaries and promotes public participation in developing goals for river protection. Rivers may be designated under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act by Congress or, if certain requirements are met, the Secretary of the Interior. Each river is administered by either a federal or state agency. Designated segments need not include the entire river and may include tributaries. For federally administered rivers, the designated boundaries generally average one-quarter mile on either bank in the lower 48 states and one-half mile on rivers outside national parks in Alaska in order to protect river-related values. Rivers are classified as wild, scenic or recreational. Within the Plan Area, the Amargosa River is designated as a wild and scenic river per the Act. BLM designated the Amargosa Area of Critical Environmental Concern to manage approximately 21,552 acres of public lands along three sections of the Amargosa River in southeastern Inyo and northeastern San Bernardino counties California Desert Protection Act of 1994 Covering an estimated 9.2 million acres, the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 was enacted To designate certain lands in the California Desert as wilderness, to establish the Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks, to establish the Mohave National Preserve, and for other purposes. The California Desert Protection Act recognizes the need to protect targeted desert wildland resources that face increasing threats. This protection is accomplished through designation of Wilderness administered by federal agencies, including BLM. Protection of these areas is important due to their unique scenic, historical, archeological, environmental, ecological, wildlife, cultural, scientific, educational, and recreational values used and enjoyed by millions of Americans for hiking and camping, scientific study and scenic appreciation (Public Law ) December 2012

5 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 In June 2000, the Department of Interior and BLM established the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) to provide for coordinated protection of the Bureau s conservation lands. On March 30, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (PL111-11),which Congressionally established the NLCS, to conserve, protect and restore nationally significant landscapes that have outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values for the benefit of current and future generations. The NLCS includes areas administered by the BLM such as national monuments, conservation areas, wilderness study areas, scenic trails or historic trails designated as a component of the National Trails System; components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System or components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and public land within the California Desert Conservation Area administered by the BLM for conservation purposes (Section 202 of the Act). The NLCS brings into a single system some of the BLM's premier designations. Inclusion in the NLCS does not create any new legal protections for these lands, but it does provide field offices with overall guidance and direction for management of the system. Lands within the NLCS will be referred to within this document as National Conservation Lands Executive Orders and EOs and require that all BLM lands be designated as open, closed, or limited for OHV use. Regulations for implementing these orders are found in 43 CFR Open area is defined as an area where all types of vehicle use is permitted at all times, anywhere in the area subject to the operating regulations and vehicle standards set forth in subparts 8341 and 8342 of 43 CFR nder the CDCA Plan, this designation applies to: 1) those lands in Multiple se Class I (defined in Section below) specifically designated as open for vehicle travel; and 2) certain sand dunes and dry lakebeds (listed in the CDCA Plan). Limited area is defined as an area restricted at certain times, in certain areas, and /or to certain vehicular use. nder the CDCA Plan, vehicle access will be on designated routes of travel in accordance with the rules for each Multiple se Class or Special Area, as outlined in the CDCA Plan. This designation applies to: 1) all lands in Multiple se Class L and M (defined in Section below), with differences outlined in the CDCA Plan; 2) any land in Multiple se Class I that is not specifically designated as open; 3) land in Multiple se Class C (defined in Section below) prior to its establishment as Wilderness by Congress; and 4) land in ACECs and Special Areas in accordance with the area s management plan December 2012

6 Closed area is defined as areas where off-road vehicle use is prohibited. nder the CDCA Plan this designation applies to: 1) all wilderness areas established by Congress unless exempted; 2) land in ACECs where provided for in the management plan for the ACEC; and 3) certain sand dunes and dry lakes (as listed in the CDCA Plan) CDCA Plan (1980) - Multiple se Guidelines The CDCA Plan Multiple se guidelines state that class designations govern the type and degree of land-use actions allowed within areas defined by class boundaries. All land-use actions and resource-management activities on public lands within a Multiple se Class delineation must meet the guidelines given for each class. The guidelines are arranged according to the resource management area and are detailed within Chapter 2 of the CDCA Plan (see CDCA Plan Table 1). The Bishop and Bakersfield RMPs do not have guidelines for MCs and do not use these designations. The Eastern San Diego County RMP made revisions to the CDCA Plan Multiple se Classes, but did not add new classifications or new specific guidelines BLM Manual 6320 Consideration of Lands with Wilderness Characteristics in the Land se Planning Process Managing the wilderness resource is part of the BLM s multiple use mission. Consistent with FLPMA and other applicable authorities, the BLM will consider the wilderness characteristics of public lands when undertaking land use planning. The BLM will use the land use planning process to determine how to manage lands with wilderness characteristics as part of the BLM s multiple-use mandate. When such lands are present, the BLM will examine options for managing these lands and determine the most appropriate land use allocations for them. Considering wilderness characteristics in the land use planning process may result in several outcomes including but not limited to: 1) emphasizing other multiple uses as a priority over protecting wilderness characteristics, 2) emphasizing other multiple uses while applying management restrictions (conditions of use, mitigation measures) to reduce impacts to wilderness characteristics, and 3) the protection of wilderness characteristics as a priority over other multiple uses. The BLM will continue to engage cooperating agencies, the public, and other interested parties in the land use planning process as it relates to the management of lands with wilderness characteristics. BLM policy for consideration of lands with wilderness characteristics is contained in Manual Note that lands identified for protection of wilderness characteristics in a land use plan are not managed as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, the December 2012

7 National Landscape Conservation System, nor recommended as wilderness study area or for wilderness designation CDCA Plan The CDCA Plan does not have goals and objectives related to lands with wilderness characteristics WEMO, NEMO, NECO, and WECO WEMO, NEMO, NECO, and WECO do not have goals and objectives related to lands with wilderness characteristics Bishop Resource Management Plan The Bishop RMP does not have goals and objectives related to lands with wilderness characteristics Eastern San Diego County Resource Management Plan The Eastern San Diego County RMP does not have goals and objectives related to lands with wilderness characteristics Bakersfield Resource Management Plan The Bakersfield RMP includes the following goal and objective related to lands with wilderness characteristics. The Goal is to ensure that adequate consideration and protection, where appropriate, is given to lands with wilderness characteristics outside of designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas and that these areas are managed so as not to impair these characteristics. The Objective is to provide a management framework to protect wilderness characteristics as an integral component of multiple use management of Planning Area BLM lands when it is consistent with other goals and objectives of the RMP BLM Manual 6330 Management of Wilderness Study Areas The purpose of BLM Manual 6330, Management of Wilderness Study Areas, is to continue to provide policy on the non-impairment standard to BLM personnel for use when managing Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), which are part of the BLM s NLCS. This policy specifically applies to: 1) WSAs identified by the wilderness review required by Section 603 of FLPMA and currently under review by Congress (this includes Instant Study Areas:), sometimes referred to as 603 WSAs ; 2) legislative WSAs (WSAs established by Congress); and 3) WSAs identified during the land use planning process under the authority of Section 202 of FLPMA, sometimes referred to as 202 WSAs. This includes those 202 WSAs that December 2012

8 were identified after Wilderness Study Reports were submitted to Congress. This policy does not apply to areas designated by Congress as Wilderness or to other lands that may have wilderness characteristics. BLM s objectives for implementing this policy are to: A. Consistent with relevant law, manage and protect WSAs to preserve wilderness characteristics so as not to impair the suitability of such areas for designation by Congress as wilderness. B. Provide policy guidance for prolonged stewardship of WSAs until Congress makes a final determination on the management of WSAs BLM Manual 6340 Management of Designated Wilderness The purpose of BLM Manual 6340, Management of Designated Wilderness, is to provide guidance to BLM personnel on managing BLM lands that have been designated by Congress as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. These lands are also managed as part of the NLCS. The BLM s objectives for implementing this policy are to: A. Manage and protect BLM wilderness areas in such a manner as to preserve wilderness character. B. Manage wilderness for the public purposes of recreational, scenic, scientific, education, conservation, and historic use while preserving wilderness character. C. Effectively manage uses permitted under Section 4(c) and 4(d) of the Wilderness Act of 1964 while preserving wilderness character BLM Manual 6400 Wild and Scenic Rivers Policy and Program Direction for Identification, Evaluation, Planning, and Management BLM Manual 6400, Wild and Scenic Rivers, contains the BLM s policy and program direction for the identification, evaluation, and management of eligible and suitable wild and scenic rivers and the management of designated components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This program guidance is provided to fulfill obligations contained in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, as amended, and other relevant laws and policies. Eligible and suitable wild and scenic rivers are managed by the BLM s NLCS where the river is located inside an NLCS unit, and eligible and suitable rivers are managed by BLM s Assistant Director, Natural Resources and Planning, where the river is located outside an NLCS unit. Designated wild and scenic rivers are managed by the BLM s NLCS. Manual 6400 provides policy and program guidance for wild and scenic rivers consistent with the NLCS December 2012

9 mission of conserving, protecting, and restoring nationally significant landscapes recognized for their outstanding cultural, ecological, and scientific values. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 currently protects more than 200 rivers in 35 states and Puerto Rico. The objectives of this guidance are to: A. Comply with the Wild and Scenic River Act, subject to valid existing rights, by protecting and enhancing the free-flowing condition, water quality, and outstanding remarkable values of each designated wild and scenic river. B. Comply with the Wild and Scenic River Act and FLPMA, subject to valid existing rights, by identifying, evaluating, and managing potential additions to the National System. C. Develop and consider management alternatives during the land use planning process and during project- and activity-level analysis that would protect and, where feasible, enhance the free-flowing condition, water quality, and outstandingly remarkable values of BLM-identified eligible and suitable rivers. D. Protect the free-flowing condition, water quality, and outstandingly remarkable values of congressionally authorized study rivers in accordance with the Wild and Scenic River Act and FLPMA Existing Conditions National Conservation Lands National Conservation Lands Identified under Public Law Public law states that public land within the California Desert Conservation Area administered by the Bureau of Land Management for conservation purposes are to be included within the NLCS. BLM identifies lands that are components of the NLCS as National Conservation Lands. Approximately 3.9 million acres within the CDCA, including wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, national scenic and historic trails, and other special areas described above are already components of the National Conservation Lands as identified through acts of Congress. Many other areas of the CDCA are managed for conservation purposes under administrative designations made through the land use planning process. These include ACECs and Desert Wildlife Management Areas (DWMAs). The DRECP is a major planning effort for the CDCA and provides the BLM and the public with an opportunity to evaluate December 2012

10 existing administratively designated conservation areas and consider new areas. The plan also provides an opportunity to identify which areas could be managed as components of the National Conservation Lands. nder the various plan alternatives, the DRECP will consider all lands within the CDCA boundary as identified in FLPMA for possible inclusion in the NLCS. Because lands managed under the Caliente/Bakersfield, Bishop, and Eastern San Diego County RMPs are not within the CDCA boundary, BLM is not considering NLCS designations on those lands Wilderness The BLM, Forest Service, National Park Service, and SFWS all manage Congressionally Designated Wilderness as a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Wilderness in California is managed according to the Wilderness Act of 1964, the California Desert Protection Act of 1994, regulations for Wilderness management at 43 CFR 6300, BLM Manual MS-6340, and Wilderness Management Plans. Wilderness is generally managed to preserve the area in its natural state, to keep it undeveloped and untrammeled by human actions, and to provide opportunities for solitude and primitive forms of recreation. Travel in Wilderness is limited to foot or equestrian conveyance. Motorized vehicles, bicycles, and any other form of mechanized equipment are prohibited in these areas to protect the solitude, primitive nature, and biological values of these special places. The Wilderness Act reserved to Congress the right to make future wilderness designations. The DRECP Plan Area contains 2,853,969 acres of designated Wilderness within BLMadministered lands. BLM and NPS are the Wilderness managers within the DRECP Plan Area. Wilderness areas are also found on NPS managed lands, these are discussed in Section 3.2, Outdoor Recreation. Table Designated Wilderness Acres within BLM-Administered Lands in the DRECP Plan Area by Total Acres Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains 786,272 Imperial and Borrego Valley 52,992 Kingston and Funeral Mountains 611,947 Mojave and Silurian Valley 166,252 Owens River Valley 10,609 Panamint Death Valley 36,493 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes 152, December 2012

11 Table Designated Wilderness Acres within BLM-Administered Lands in the DRECP Plan Area by Total Acres Piute Valley and Sacramento Mountains 402,788 Providence and Bullion Mountains 549,204 West Mojave and Eastern Slopes 85,149 Total 2,853, National Monuments No National Monuments are located within the DRECP planning area, although the Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains National Monument is within the CDCA Wild and Scenic Rivers The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act provides three levels of protection, including wild, scenic, and recreational: 1. Wild rivers are free of dams, generally inaccessible except by trail, and represent vestiges of primitive America. 2. Scenic rivers are free of dams, with shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads. 3. Recreational rivers are readily accessible by road or railroad, may have some development along their shorelines, and may have been dammed in the past. The Amargosa River is the only wild and scenic river within the DRECP Plan Area. Different segments of the Amargosa River from south of Shoshone to an area east of the Death Valley Wilderness Area have been designated as either wild, scenic, or recreational National Historic and Scenic Trails In 1968, Congress established the National Trails System and designated the first national trails. The National Trails System consists of National Historic Trails and National Scenic Trails. National Historic Trails are extended trails that closely follow a historic trail or route of travel of national significance. Designation identifies and protects historic routes, historic remnants, and artifacts for public use and enjoyment. National Scenic Trails are extended trails that provide maximum outdoor recreation potential and for the December 2012

12 conservation and enjoyment of the various qualities of the areas they pass through, which include: scenic, historical, natural, and cultural. The BLM, NPS, Forest Service, and several other agencies are responsible for the management of National and Historic Trails. National Scenic and Historic Trails in the Plan Area include the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, and the Old Spanish National Historic Trail. These trails are described in more detail In Section 3.4, Visual Resources. National Historic and Scenic Trails within BLM-administered lands are shown in Figure Wilderness Study Areas To accomplish the mandate of Section 603 of FLPMA, the BLM developed a wilderness review process containing three phases: inventory, study, and reporting. The inventory phase of this process, initiated in 1978, involved examining the public lands to determine and locate the existence of areas containing wilderness characteristics that met the criteria established in the Wilderness Act. Areas clearly lacking wilderness characteristics were sorted out from lands that might have those characteristics. This intensive inventory was then followed by a 90-day public review period, after which final wilderness study areas were identified. This inventory process and a general description of all of wilderness study areas in the CDCA are given in California Desert Conservation Area Wilderness Inventory (1979) and the Record of Decision for wilderness recommendations in the California Statewide Wilderness Study Report (1991). To be designated as a Wilderness Study Area, an area had to have the following characteristics: Size roadless areas of at least 5,000 acres of public lands or of a manageable size Naturalness generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature Opportunities provides outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreation In addition, Wilderness Study Areas often have special qualities such as ecological, geological, educational, historical, scientific, and scenic values. Since 1980, Congress has reviewed these areas and has designated some as Wilderness and released others for nonwilderness uses. ntil Congress makes a final determination on a Wilderness Study Area, the BLM manages these areas to preserve their suitability for designation as Wilderness. Within the Plan Area, there are five Wilderness Study Areas encompassing 371,278 acres (Figure and Table 3.7-2). These include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Kingston Range December 2012

13 Avawatz Mountains Death Valley Soda Mountains Cady Mountains Great Falls Basin Table Wilderness Study Area Acres within BLM-Administered Lands in the DRECP Plan Area by Total Acres Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains 0 Imperial and Borrego Valley 15 Kingston and Funeral Mountains 11,693 Mojave and Silurian Valley 260,225 Owens River Valley 19,312 Panamint Death Valley 22,580 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes 0 Piute Valley and Sacramento Mountains 0 Providence and Bullion Mountains 57,453 West Mojave and Eastern Slopes 0 Total 371, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern To qualify as an ACEC, an area must meet the FLPMA relevance and importance criteria in 43 CFR and must require special management. A natural or cultural resource may be determined relevant if special management attention is required to protect and prevent irreparable damage to important historic, cultural, or scenic values; fish and wildlife resources; or other natural systems or processes; or to protect life and safety from natural hazards. A natural or cultural resource may be found to be important if it has qualities that give it special worth, consequence, meaning, distinctiveness or cause for concern (e.g., if the resource is endangered, threatened, or vulnerable; or if the resource is fragile, sensitive, rare, or irreplaceable). The CDCA Plan states that the goals of the ACEC program are to: 1. Identify and protect the significant natural and cultural resources requiring special management attention found on BLM-administered lands in the CDCA December 2012

14 2. Provide for other uses in the designated areas, compatible with the protection and enhancement of the significant natural and cultural resources. 3. Systematically monitor the preservation of the significant natural and cultural resources on BLM-administered lands, and the compatibility of other allowed uses with these resources (BLM 1999). There are 95 ACECs, totaling 3,929,663 acres, within the Plan Area (Figure and Table 3.7-3). Table ACEC Acres within BLM-Administered Lands in the DRECP Plan Area by Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Imperial and Borrego Valley Kingston and Funeral Mountains Mojave and Silurian Valley Owens River Valley Panamint Death Valley Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes Piute Valley and Sacramento Mountains Providence and Bullion Mountains West Mojave and Eastern Slopes Total Total Acres Mohave Ground Squirrel Wildlife Habitat Management Area and Flat Tailed Horned Lizard Management Areas Through amendment to the CDCA Plan, the BLM has established the Mohave Ground Squirrel Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WEMO ROD 2006). The BLM has also amended the CDCA Plan to adopt the Flat Tailed Horned Lizard Rangewide Management Strategy, which includes five Management Areas. (Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Interagency Coordinating Committee 2003). The BLM has evaluated these areas through the DRECP and determined that they meet the requirements for ACEC designation, therefore, these areas will be addressed in the ACEC sections of this document December 2012

15 Lands with Wilderness Characteristics Although the wilderness review process pertaining to Section 603 of FLPMA has been completed, Sections 201 and 202 of FLPMA direct the BLM to prepare and maintain on a continuing basis an inventory of all public lands and their resources and other values, and when appropriate, revise land use plans. This includes an inventory of lands with wilderness characteristics that are outside of the areas designated as WSAs or units of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The BLM shall describe such inventoried lands as Lands with Wilderness Characteristics, share this information with the public, and integrate this information into its land management decisions. Lands outside of designated wilderness or wilderness study areas are inventoried during the land use planning process under the authority of Section 201 of FLPMA to determine if they possess wilderness characteristics. To be classified as lands with wilderness characteristics, they must possess sufficient size, naturalness, and outstanding opportunities for either solitude or primitive and unconfined recreation. BLM may identify one or more alternatives that will protect identified lands with wilderness characteristics unless BLM determines that impairment of wilderness characteristics is appropriate and consistent with applicable requirements of law and other resource management considerations (See also BLM Land se Planning Handbook, H , Appendix C, subparagraph K, Wilderness Characteristics; see also BLM IM ). Lands identified for management to protect wilderness characteristics through the land use planning process do not become wilderness or wilderness study areas. Only Congress can designate wilderness. The BLM completed a wilderness characteristics inventory for those lands that could potentially be impacted within DFAs proposed under the DRECP Plan. The results of this inventory are shown in Table and Figure There are approximately 502,500 acres of lands with wilderness characteristics within BLM-administered lands inventoried in the Plan Area December 2012

16 Table Lands with Wilderness Characteristics within BLM-Administered Lands in the DRECP Plan Area by Total Acres Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains 120,020 Imperial and Borrego Valley 42,083 Kingston and Funeral Mountains 42,633 Mojave and Silurian Valley 62,572 Owens River Valley 7,465 Panamint Death Valley 79,534 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes 1,920 Piute Valley and Sacramento Mountains 0 Providence and Bullion Mountains 127,466 West Mojave and Eastern Slopes 18,807 Total 502, CDCA Plan Multiple se Classes The BLM is the single largest land manager in the Plan Area, managing approximately 9,929,083 acres for multiple use and sustained yield pursuant to FLPMA, the CDCA Plan, as well as the Eastern San Diego County, Caliente/Bakersfield, and Bishop RMPs. The CDCA Plan includes the following four Multiple se Classes: Class C (Controlled se): These lands are to be preserved in a natural state, and access generally is limited to non-motorized, non-mechanized means (e.g., by foot or horseback). Class L (Limited se): These lands are managed to protect sensitive, natural, scenic, ecological, and cultural resource values. They provide for generally lower intensity and carefully controlled multiple uses that do not significantly diminish resource values. Class M (Moderate se): These lands are managed in a controlled balance between higher intensity use and protection. A wide variety of uses, such as mining, livestock grazing, recreation, and energy and utility development are allowed. Any damage caused by permitted uses must be mitigated. Class I (Intensive se): These lands are managed for concentrated use to meet human needs. Reasonable protection is provided for sensitive natural values, and mitigation of impacts and rehabilitation of impacted areas will occur when possible. The types and intensity of uses associated with each class are summarized in Table 1 of the CDCA Plan (BLM 1999). The Multiple se Classes and their associated guidelines provide December 2012

17 for uses and values that maximize or enhance those values. For example, in areas with high sensitive, natural, scenic, ecological, or cultural resource values, low intensity use (i.e., Class C or L) is prescribed to enhance those values. The CDCA Plan also requires route designations for specific roads and trails within Multiple se Classes and motorized vehicle area designations. Routes of travel are designated as open, closed, or limited for motorized-vehicle use. Several BLM OHV recreation areas designated under the CDCA Plan as open for motorized vehicle use occur in the Plan Area. These areas are discussed in in Section 3.2, Outdoor Recreation Multiple se Classes by DRECP Multiple se Classes found within the CDCA Plan that are also contained within the DRECP Plan ecoeregions are described below. Eastern San Diego County, Bakersfield, and Bishop RMPs did not designate MCs. The DRECP ecoregion Multiple se Classes are detailed in Table below and shown in Figures through Figure December 2012

18 Table Multiple se Class Acres within BLM-Administered Lands in the DRECP by (acres) Subarea Class C Class L Class M Class I nclassified Cadiz Valley and Chocolate 770, , ,895 25,435 96,159 Mountains Subarea Imperial and Borrego Subarea 56, , ,935 91, ,963 Kingston and Funeral Mountains 640, , ,730 11,256 32,704 Subarea Mojave and Silurian Subarea 172, , ,633 41,488 88,783 Owens River Valley Subarea 9,652 56,375 10, ,636 Panamint Death Valley Subarea 34, ,742 41,682 97,527 15,889 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern 142, , , , ,009 Slopes Subarea Piute Valley and Sacramento 406, , , ,427 Mountains Subarea Providence and Bullion 581, , ,584 42,566 35,450 Mountains Subarea West Mojave and Eastern Slopes 84, , ,474 67,009 1,596,782 Subarea Total 2,897,934 7,085,491 2,995, ,348 3,324, December 2012

19 6 Mono Esmeralda DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary Wilderness Areas Bureau of Land Management Lincoln V Fresno Nye Owens River Valley Inyo V V 136 V 190 Tulare V 372 Las Vegas Clark Kern Ridgecrest V 178 Panamint Death Valley Kingston and Funeral Mountains V 127 V Mohave 395 San Bernardino Mojave and Silurian Valley West Mojave and Eastern Slopes V 58 Barstow Los Angeles Lancaster Palmdale V 138 Los Angeles Long Beach 710 V 2 V 91 Orange 15 V 247 Hesperia 40 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern V 38 Slopes San Twentynine Bernardino Palms V V 62 Riverside 60 V 243 Riverside Coachella V 74 Providence and Bullion Mountains V Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Piute Valley Lake and Sacramento Havasu Mountains City LaPaz P a c i f i c O c e a n 5 15 Escondido San Diego V 94 San Diego V 78 V 86 V 111 Imperial Borrego Valley Imperial V 78 V 34 El Centro 8 Yuma Yuma V 98 8 I Miles V 75 M E X I C O Sources: FIGRE Wilderness Areas Managed by BLM within the DRECP Plan Area Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-1.mxd 11/19/2012

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21 6 Mono Esmeralda DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary BLM National Monuments Lincoln V Fresno Nye Owens River Valley Inyo V V 136 V 190 Tulare V 372 Las Vegas Clark Kern Ridgecrest V 178 Panamint Death Valley Kingston and Funeral Mountains V 127 V Mohave 395 San Bernardino Mojave and Silurian Valley West Mojave and Eastern Slopes V 58 Barstow Los Angeles Lancaster Palmdale V 138 Los Angeles Long Beach 710 V 2 V 91 Orange 15 V 247 Hesperia 40 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern V 38 Slopes San Twentynine Bernardino Palms V V 62 Riverside 60 V 243 Riverside Coachella V 74 Providence and Bullion Mountains V Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Piute Valley Lake and Sacramento Havasu Mountains City LaPaz P a c i f i c O c e a n 5 15 Escondido San Diego V 94 San Diego V 78 V 86 V 111 Imperial Borrego Valley Imperial V 78 V 34 El Centro 8 Yuma Yuma V 98 8 I Miles V 75 M E X I C O Sources: FIGRE National Monuments Managed by BLM within the DRECP Plan Area Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-2.mxd 11/19/2012

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23 V 178 DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary BLM Wild Scenic River Class Recreational Scenic Wild Kingston and Funeral Mountains Panamint Death Valley V 127 Locator Mojave and Silurian Valley I Sources: Miles FIGRE WildandScenicRiverManagedbyBLMwithintheDRECPPlanArea Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-3.mxd 11/19/2012

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25 6 Mono V Esmeralda DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary National Trails Juan Bautista de Anza Trail Lincoln Old Spanish Trail Pacific Crest Trail 93 Fresno Nye Owens River Valley Inyo V V 136 V 190 Tulare V 372 Las Vegas Clark Kern Ridgecrest V 178 Panamint Death Valley Kingston and Funeral Mountains V 127 V Mohave 395 San Bernardino Mojave and Silurian Valley West Mojave and Eastern Slopes V 58 Barstow Los Angeles Lancaster Palmdale V 138 Los Angeles Long Beach 710 V 2 V 91 Orange 15 V 247 Hesperia Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern V 38 Slopes San Twentynine Bernardino Palms V V 62 Riverside 60 V Riverside Coachella V Providence and Bullion Mountains V Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Piute Valley Lake and Sacramento Havasu Mountains City LaPaz I Sources: P a c i f i c O c e a n Miles 5 Escondido San Diego V 94 V 75 San Diego V 78 V 86 M E X I C O V 111 Imperial Borrego Valley Imperial V 78 V 34 El Centro 8 Yuma Yuma V 98 8 FIGRE National Historic and Scenic Trails Managed by BLM within the DRECP Plan Area Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-4.mxd 11/19/2012

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27 6 Mono Esmeralda DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary BLM Wilderness Study Areas Lincoln V Fresno Nye Owens River Valley Inyo V V 136 V 190 Tulare V 372 Las Vegas Clark Kern Ridgecrest V 178 Panamint Death Valley Kingston and Funeral Mountains V 127 V Mohave 395 San Bernardino Mojave and Silurian Valley West Mojave and Eastern Slopes V 58 Barstow Los Angeles Lancaster Palmdale V 138 Los Angeles Long Beach 710 V 2 V 91 Orange 15 V 247 Hesperia Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern V 38 Slopes San Twentynine Bernardino Palms V V 62 Riverside 60 V Riverside Coachella V Providence and Bullion Mountains V Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Piute Valley Lake and Sacramento Havasu Mountains City LaPaz I Sources: P a c i f i c O c e a n Miles 5 Escondido San Diego V 94 V 75 San Diego V 78 V 86 M E X I C O V 111 Imperial Borrego Valley Imperial V 78 V 34 El Centro 8 Yuma Yuma V 98 8 FIGRE Wilderness Study Areas Managed by BLM within the DRECP Plan Area Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-5.mxd 11/19/2012

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29 Please note this comparative evaluation provides an illustrative view into the data, information and type of analyses that will be presented 6 DRECP Boundary DRECP s Mono County Boundary Esmeralda BLM Areas of Critical Environmental Concern Lincoln 395 V Nye Fresno 374 V Owens River Valley 95 Inyo V V Tulare Las Vegas V 372 (! Kingston and Funeral Mountains 178 V V 160 Panamint Death Valley 15 Ridgecrest V 127 Kern San Bernardino Mojave and Silurian Valley 395 West Mojave and Eastern Slopes V Barstow (! Lancaster (! 5 Los Angeles V 138 V 2 15 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes V 38 Riverside 60 V V 91 V 243 Orange Riverside Coachella V 74 Escondido P a c i f i c 5 San Diego (! 94 V V 75 I San Diego (! 25 Miles Sources: 10 (! (! O c e a n V V 0 (! Twentynine Palms (! (! Long Beach Lake Havasu City (! San Bernardino Piute Valley and Sacramento Mountains Providence and Bullion Mountains Hesperia 10 (! V Palmdale (! Los Angeles! ( Mohave (! Clark Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains V V 111 V Imperial Borrego Valley La Paz Imperial V 78 V 34 El Centro 8 (! V 98 Yuma (! Yuma 8 M E X I C O FIGRE Areas of Environmental Concern Managed by BLM within the DRECP Plan Area Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-6.mxd 11/19/2012

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31 6 Mono Esmeralda DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary BLM Wilderness Inventory nits Inventoried, Yes Wilderness Characteristics Lincoln Inventoried, No Wilderness Characteristics V Fresno Nye Owens River Valley Inyo V V 136 V 190 Tulare V 372 Las Vegas Clark Kern Ridgecrest V 178 Panamint Death Valley Kingston and Funeral Mountains V 127 V Mohave 395 San Bernardino Mojave and Silurian Valley West Mojave and Eastern Slopes V 58 Barstow Los Angeles Lancaster Palmdale V 138 Los Angeles Long Beach 710 V 2 V 91 Orange 15 V 247 Hesperia Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern V 38 Slopes San Twentynine Bernardino Palms V V 62 Riverside 60 V Riverside Coachella V Providence and Bullion Mountains V Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Piute Valley Lake and Sacramento Havasu Mountains City LaPaz I Sources: P a c i f i c O c e a n Miles 5 Escondido San Diego V 94 V 75 San Diego V 78 V 86 M E X I C O V 111 Imperial Borrego Valley Imperial V 78 V 34 El Centro 8 Yuma Yuma V 98 8 FIGRE Lands with Wilderness Characteristics Managed by BLM within the DRECP Plan Area Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-7.mxd 11/19/2012

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33 M O J A V E N AT I O N A L P R E S E R V E Providence and Bullion Mountains DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary V Multiple se Class Intensive Moderate Controlled Limited nclassified Piute Valley and Sacramento Mountains Land Management Military Tribal State Park Mohave National Park Lake Havasu City San Bernardino V 62 J O S H A T R E E N AT I O N A L PA R K Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes V 177 V 72 Riverside Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains 10 Blythe LaPaz V 111 V 95 Imperial Locator Imperial Borrego Valley Brawley V 86 V 78 V 115 Yuma I Sources: El Centro Miles 8 FIGRE Multiple se Classes within the Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-8.mxd 11/19/2012

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35 V 74 V 195 DRECP Boundary DRECP Subarea Riverside County Boundary Multiple se Class Intensive Moderate Controlled V 111 Cadiz Valley and Chocolate Mountains Subarea Limited nclassified Land Management Military V 86 Imperial Tribal State Park LaPaz National Park V 78 Imperial Borrego Valley Subarea A n z a - B o r r e g o D e s e r t S P V 78 San Diego V 115 Locator El Centro 8 V 186 Calexico V 98 Yuma V 95 Fortuna Foothills I V Miles M E X I C O Yuma Sources: FIGRE Multiple se Classes within the Imperial and Borrego Valley Subarea Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig3.7-9.mxd 11/19/2012

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37 V 374 V 95 DRECP s Intensive Military V 165 Nye County Boundary Moderate Tribal V 373 Pahrump V 52 V 146 DRECP Boundary V 159 V V V 53 Multiple se Class V 604 Controlled Land Management V 95 State Park Limited National Park nclassified V 16 V 190 V 178 Clark V 164 D E AT H V A L L E Y N AT I O N A L PA R K Inyo Kingston and Funeral Mountains Locator Panamint Death Valley V 127 Mojave and Silurian Valley 15 M O J A V E N AT I O N A L P R E S E R V E Providence and Bullion Mountains San Bernardino West Mojave and Eastern Slopes Miles I Sources: FIGRE Multiple se Classes within the Kingston and Funeral Mountains Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig mxd 11/19/2012

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39 Ridgecrest V 178 Panamint Death Valley D E AT H VA L L E Y N AT I O N A L PA R K DRECP Boundary DRECP s County Boundary Multiple se Class Intensive Moh V 127 Controlled Moderate Limited nclassified Kingston Land Management Funeral Mountains Military Tribal State Park National Park Mojave and Silurian Valley Kern M O J A V E N AT I O N A L P R E S E R V E Locator West Mojave and Eastern Slopes San Bernardino V 58 Barstow 15 V Providence and Bullion Mountains ntura S a d d l e b a c k B u0 t t2.5 e 5 S P I Miles V 247 Pinto Lucerne Valley and Eastern Slopes Sources: FIGRE Multiple se Classes within the Mojave and Silurian Valley Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan(DRECP) M:\JOBS4\6287\common_gis\Preliminary_Analysis\Figures\fig mxd 11/19/2012