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n"'''j'C: ~ t: 'J v '-' ...J CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE AND HABITAT Management actions identified in this alternative would greatly inlprove wildlife habitat conditions. Big game habitat in all areas would improve through the protection of special seasonal habitats such as crucial winter range, calving areas, and lambing areas. Upland bird habitat would be enhanced through protection of leks and wintering areas. IMPACTS ON FISHERY RESOURCES (AQUATIC HABITA1) Impaets from Fishery Resources (Aquatic Habitat) Management. Implementing measures in all plans for surface disturbance to prevent or mitigate damageiloss of fishery streaIll channels and riparian habitat would result in maintaining or improving the condition of fishery resources planning area-wide. Implementing fishery improvements and projects from activity plans would stabilize and restore stream banks and inlprove fishery resources as these plans are carried out. Impacts from Locatable Minerals Management. Withdrawing 78,922 acres of federal mineral estate from mineral entry and location would prevent the possible deterioration or complete loss of fIshery habitat on affected lands due to mining activities and associated road construction. The potential for habitat loss due to sedimentation and channelization would be greatest if mineral development were to occur in alluvial soils along or in streambanks within 101,550 acres of land with a high potential for the occurrence of locatable minerals that would not be withdrawn. Impacts from Saleable Minerals Management. FIShery streams would be protected from damage associated with roineral material disposal by mitigating measures designed to limit disturbance of the associated riparian vegetation. FIShery streams on 149,258 acres where mineral material disposal would not be authorized would be protected to a greater degree. Impacts from Soil and Water Resource Management. Vegetation treatments designed to reduce soil erosion ALTERNATIVE 0 IMPACTS would enhance aquatic habitat by decreasing the amount and frequency of sediments entering the streams. Acquisition of water rights, including instream flows, would ensure sufficient water to maintain the present fISb population. Increasing plant basal cover rather than increasing big game or livestock allocations would reduce sedimentation through increased ground cover. Impacts from livestock Grazing Management. Implementing livestock utilization limits, excluding of livestock from some areas and eliminating of season- long livestock use would decrease sedimentation of fIshery streams, stabilize streambanks and iocrease overhanging cover. FIShery habitat would improve through the improvement of water quality and the iocrease in aquatic vegetation and insects. Limiting total forage utilization to 20-40% in the uplands and maintaining a minimum stubble height of 4 ioches io riparian zones would result in rapid improvement of streambank cover, stre8lI1bank stability and would reduce sedimentation. Limiting fall livestock use io riparian zones to 4 days would allow plant residue to dissipate high flows which would trap sediments, thereby enhancing aquatic habitat. Impacts from Forest Management. Eliminating timber harvests io riparian areas and on slopes greater than 35% would prevent excessive erosion and accompanying sedimentation of aquatic habitat. Impacts from Recreation Management. Closing 57,851 acres to OHV use would prevent rulling and destruction of streambank cover, which would decrease sedimentation of stream bottoms in affected streams. The construction of recreation facilities and subsequent iocreased visitor use would damage streambank cover on an estinlated 1/2 mile of fIshery streams. 4-47