WSP07926

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 3/1/1991
• Author: BLM
• Title: Gunnison Resource Area - Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement - Draft - Chapter 4 to end
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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livestock for a portion of allotment 6311, and would
preclude treatments on about 3,222 acres.

Impacts \'rom Wildlife Habitat Management.
Maintaining existing treatments and developing new
wildlife treatments on uplands and within riparian
areas, allocating new available lorage to meet
watershed objective fIrst, potentially reducing big
game numbers in GMUs 54, 55, 551, and a part of
GMU 64, and implementing other wildlife
mitigation measures would result in improved
livestock distribution and forage quality.

Not authorizing domestic sheep grazing in order to
prevent disease transfer to bighorn sheep in
allotment 6112 in unit E-2, and in parts of 14
allotments in unit E.l0 would result in a change of
class of livestock to cattle only in affected
allotments. Not authorizing domestic sheep grazing
in unit E.14 in order to reduce trampling within
sage grouse nesting habitat would result in a change
of class of livestock to cattle only in affected
allotments.

Eliminating all domestic livestock grazing on fI:Z.?
suitable acres in allotment 6200 in unit E-7 and E-9,
and on lands managed by the NPS, in order to
improve crucial big game winter range and to
protect sceuic values would reduce livestock
allocations by 114 AUMs. Not authorizing
domestic sheep grazing from October 15 through
April 15 on 1,465 acres in GMU 64 in allotment
6,056 to rednce forage competition with big game
during the winter would reduce livestock allocations
by 29 AUMs.

Restricting livestock management and treatments on
20,849 suitable acres in unit E-?, and on 97,954
suitable acres within GMUs 55, 66, 67, and 551 in
unit E-12 for big game crucial winter range
management, and on 35,852 acres of crucial sage
grouse nesting area in unit E-11 would possibly
increase costs and time for planning and
implementation, or operator's costs for livestock
management.

Impacts from Fishery Resources (Aquatic Habitat
Management). Pursuing and acquiring instream
flow appropriations On 113 miles of flshery streams

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE(E) IMPACTS

and implementing flshery resource mitigating
measures in activity plans to improve upon or
prevent damage to or loss of flshery stream
channels and associated riparian resources would
indirectly improve forage quantity and quality, over
the life of the plan.

Other companion impacts from flshery resource
management are discussed under Impacts from
Riparian Zone Management.

Impacts from Forest Management. Commercial
timber and woodland harvests would, over the life
of the plan, increase forage and help improve
livestock distribution on some of the 41,347 acres of
suitable commercial forest lands and 23,615 acres of
suitable woodlands available for harvest. Mitigating
measures and harvest restrictions, especially within
riparian areas, would help limit removal of forage in
affected areas during harvesting of forest products.

Impacts Crom Recreation Management. Restricting
livestock grazing treatments and projects, and
managing grazing to maintain recreation scttings on
40,374 suitable acres in unit &2 would possibly
limit future projects or preclude development of
some projects, and possibly increase BLM's or
operators' use supervision time or costs.
Designation of an additional 5,415 acres of public
land as closed to OHV traffic, and limiting OHV
traffic on 46,170 suitable acres to designated routes
yearlong (an additional 34,943 acres planning area-
wide) would reduce livestock harassment and
management concerns.

Impacts from Visual Resources Management. Not
permitting livestock grazing, other than trailing, on
1,060 suitable acres in unit E-4, American Basin
ACEC, in order to maintain and protect scenic
resources would reduce livestock allocation by 250
A UMs. Treatments would be excluded also on
these lands.

Not authorizing livestock grazing on 402 suitable
acres on allotment 6200 (Dillon Pinnacles ACEC,
unit E-9) would teduce livestock allocations, the
impact of which is discussed under wildlife habitat
management. Treatments would also be excluded.

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