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<br />o <br />N <br />CJl <br />0) <br /> <br />management programs must utilize the planning system to identiJY management options. Thus, a <br />comprehensive approach to salinity control on public lands must fIrst be addressed in RMP's. <br />Nonpoint sources are identified through water-use inventories, watershed assessments, and <br />reconnaissance studies in high-priority watersheds. Land management actions tend to fit under one <br />of the following aspects of resource management: planning and administrative actions, vegetative <br />management, construction and maintenance, or use authorizations. <br /> <br />Plannim: and Administrative Actions: These are broad, general management actions that <br />establish a foundation or framework for future land-use decisions. They include planning documents <br />of all types, studies, inventories and other commitments to data collection, and science-based <br />management decisions. Although impacts on Colorado River Basin salinity are often not a direct <br />consideration during the formulation of management strategies, salinity reduction is often a <br />peripheral benefit that is realized as the strategies are implemented. The Forum would like salinity <br />control to be directly addressed in the future. <br /> <br />Vegetative Management: Actions taken to improve vegetative cover result in slower runoff <br />velocities, decreased amount of runoff, and decreased soil erosion. Decreasing the amount of runoff <br />and soil erosion on upland areas results in a decrease in the potential amount of salt leaving the <br />treated area. Vegetative management actions include; riparian area improvements, noxious weed <br />control, reclamation or revegetation, and prescribed bums. More knowledge is needed about the <br />favorable impacts related to salinity control by vegetation management. <br /> <br />Wild horse and burro herds can put additional pressure on fragile soils and riparian areas by <br />disrupting soils and plants through their physical movements and by the removal of ground cover <br />through grazing. The BLM can reduce such damage only by intensively managing the herds, by <br />influencing their movements, or protecting fragile orvnlnerable areas from exposure. Quantification <br />of wild horse and burro herd control efforts has not been made with respect to salinity control. <br /> <br />Construction and Maintenance Activities: Construction and maintenance activities are <br />concerned with engineering and construction of facilities that are primarily designed to decrease or <br />intercept runoff and soil erosion, and thereby limit the off site movement of saline water and <br />sediment. Qnce these facilities are constructed, they require periodic maintenance in order to keep <br />them working efficiently. Construction and maintenance activities include; road and trail <br />maintenance and closures, protective fencing and access control, development of springs and water <br />sources to improve livestock distribution, and erosion control and sediment-trapping structures. It <br />is not known what the total impact is from these construction and maintenance activities as to salt <br />contributions from BLM-administered lands. <br /> <br />Use Authorizations: The BLM must issue use authorizations before certain land-use <br />activities can take place on the public lands. Where saline soils are present, these use authorizations <br />contain stipulations designed to minimize off site movement of water and soil. Some important uses <br />that occur in saline areas and require authorizations; oil and gas development, grazing and off-road <br /> <br />4-13 <br /> <br />" <br />