WSPC07444

• File Number: 7630.500
• Description: Wild and Scenic - Rio Grande River
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 9/1/1989
• Author: DOI-BLM
• Title: San Luis Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement - Draft - Volume II - Chapters 4-Appendices
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Onl583

CHAPTER 4

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES

Chapter 4 describes the physical. biological, social, and
economic consequences of implementing tbe resource
management alternatives described in chapter 3. Only those
resources or resource uses are discussed that would be
significantly affected as a result of implementation of the
proposed management actions of the various alternatives.

Botb adverse and beneficial impacts, based on the effects
of tbe alternative management actions, were analyzed. The
impact analysis reflects the consequences or results of these
alternative actions (described in detail in chapter 3) on the
affected environment (described in detail in chapter 2).

Mitigating measures designed to avoid or reduce the
environmental impacts were incorporated into the various
alternative management actions. Impacts identified in this
chapter are considered unavoidable net effects based on these
prescribed mitigation measures.

Chapter 4 describes those assumptions made for tbe analysis,
provides an analysis of the environmental consequences or
impacts tbat would result from implementing eacb
alternative, and compares and summarizes the cumulative
impacts for each resource and resource use by alternative.

ASSUMPTIONS FOR ANALYSIS

An interdisciplinary approacb was used to develop and
analyze environmental consequences. The general assump-
tions and guidelines used to define the process include:

General Assumptions

It is assumed that implementing actions from decisions made
in all alternatives within this resource management plan
(RMP) would be in compliance with all valid existing rights,
Federal regulations, Bureau policies, and other requirements.

It is assumed that implementation of the approved resource
management plan (ARMP) would begin 30 days after the
ARMP and record of decision (ROD) are signed by the
state director and tbat all implementation actions would
subsequently conform to the specific ARMP decisions.

The life of the plan is assumed to be approximately 15
to 20 years. Changes or effects described during the life
of tbe plan would be short term unless otherwise stated
and would occur during or immediately following
implementation of an action. Short-term impacts would
occur within the 5-year period immediately following
implementation; long-term impacts would occur over a
5- to 20-year period, or longer.

Each alternative is analyzed assuming adequate finances and
personnel would be available to implement the decisions
of the plan.

It is assumed that only significant cbanges or effects, wbich
vary by resource, resource use, and alternative, are analyzed.
Also, those actions with significant changes or effects that
would subsequently be fully mitigated by existing Bureau
and Bureau-adopted stipulations would not need to be
analyzed. It is also assumed that there would be no net
adverse unavoidable change or effect.

Effects, for the purpose of this analysis, are the net
unavoidable changes, impacts, etc., to a resource or resource
use after mitigation.

The stated net unavoidable effects would be monitored and
continually evaluated during the life of the plan. Where
necessary, adjustments in the actions would be made to
achieve the minimum level possible of consequential effects
based on the data from plan action monitoring.

Effects from actions not covered in this plan or accompanying
documents would be analyzed as needed tbrough plan
amendments/environmental assessments or environmental
impact statements. This additional analysis would be done
in accordance witb Bureau planning/environmental
guidance prior to BLM consideration for approval of that
action.

Resources and resource uses (including those within the Rio
Grande River wild and scenic proposal) witb insignificant
net unavoidable effects in all alternatives are analyzed in
the management common to all alternatives section of
chapter 3 and are not addressed further in this chapter.
Those resources or resource uses include: Climate Air
Quality, Soils, Water Resources, Geology and Topogr~phy,
Vegetation, Access and Transportation Management,
Wilderness Management, Fire Management, and Hazards
Management The four environmental elements that would
be affected by wild and scenic river designation and all
other resources and resource uses are analyzed in this chapter.

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