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<br />CHAPTER FOUR <br /> <br />Impacts from Wildlife Habitat Management. <br />Vegetation treatments and seediogs and plantiogs <br />designed to increase shrub densities on uplands and <br />riparian areas would result in improved bydrologic <br />and soil erosion conditions on these areas. <br /> <br />The addition of more berbivores through <br />reintroduction and supplemental releases of big game <br />species, wbere tbe erosion coodition is below the <br />slight to moderate condition class, would result in <br />additional accelerated erosion and increased sediment <br />yields. <br /> <br />Impacts from Uvestock GrazIng Management. <br />Restricting livestock use in some riparian areas to <br />proper utilization levels would improve bydrologic <br />conditions on tbese areas. <br /> <br />Vegetation treatments designed to increase basal <br />ground cover, sucb tbat a slight to moderate erosion <br />condition class is attained or maintained, would <br />result in a decrease in sediment and soil erosion <br />yields on tbese areas. On lands wbere the basal <br />ground cover remains below tbat needed to achieve a <br />slight to moderate class, accelerated erosion and <br />sediment yields would continue. <br /> <br />Continuing to manage 320 acres of public land in tbe <br />Wildcat Creek drainage as unavailable for livestock <br />grazing would belp maintain and protect the water <br />quality of Crested Butte. <br /> <br />Impacts from Forest Management. Harvest of forest <br />products and associated road construction would <br />increase sediment production and soil compaction. <br /> <br />Impacts from Recreation Management. Designating <br />43,462 acres of public land as closed to ORV use and <br />restricting OHV use to designated routes yearlong on <br />92,927 acres would reduce sediment yields and <br />erosion rates. <br /> <br />Impacts from Fire Management. Wildfires tend to <br />result in sbort-term increases in sediment production. <br />However, in areas wbere existing vegetation conditions <br />are poor for watersbed protection, fire can allow for <br />a natural vegetation type conversion that provides <br />additional watershed cover/protection. Typical fire <br />suppression activities, sucb as clearing flTe lines, and <br />tbe use of suppression vehicles and beavy equipment, <br /> <br />could decrease watersbed productivity by removing or <br />damaging protective vegetation and increasing <br />sediment production. <br /> <br />CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON SOIL AND WATER <br />RESOURCES <br /> <br />Hydrologic functions of riparian areas, water quality <br />and stream cbannel stability would be expected to <br />improve in tbe Long Gulcb Demonstration Area, and <br />riparian areas. Future water quantity protection <br />would be provided wbere minimum stream flows are <br />secured. Sediment and erosion rates would be <br />expected to decrease wbere surface-disturbing <br />activities are reduced, and wbere basal vegetation <br />cover is increased. <br /> <br />On the remainder of the planning area, sediment and <br />erosion rates would slightly increase. <br /> <br />IMPACTS ON RIPARIAN ZONES <br /> <br />IMPACTS FROM PROPOSED MANAGEMENT <br />ACTIONS <br /> <br />Impacts from RIparian Zones Management. Projects <br />designed to stabilize streambaoks and increase <br />vegetation cover and conditions would improve overall <br />riparian zone conditions. <br /> <br />Impacts from Locatable Minerals Management. <br />Continuing withdrawals that segregate federal mineral <br />estate from mineral entry and location would prevent <br />the removal of vegetation and deterioration of other <br />resources due to mining, road construction and <br />associated activities on about 92 miles of identified <br />riparian zones from potential vegetation loss and <br />other disturbances associated with mining locatable <br />minerals. About 27 of tbese miles are within areas <br />baving a high likelihood for the potential for the <br />occurrence of locatable minerals. Tbe remainder of <br />identified riparian zones, about 642 miles, would be <br />open to mineral entry and location, and if mining <br />were to occur, some loss of vegetation and other <br />mining-associated disturbances could occur. About <br />102 of tbese miles are within areas with a high <br />potential for the occurrence of locatable minerals. <br />Reclamation requirements would limit tbese impacts <br />to tbe sbort -term. <br /> <br />4-4 <br />