BLM: Battle Mountain District Drought Management Preliminary Environmental Assessment Available for 30 Day Public Comment Period

Battle Mountain, NV - According to the US Drought Monitor, Nevada is experiencing abnormally dry conditions and it is likely that a continuation of these conditions will lead to drought. Based on this information, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle Mountain District, has prepared a preliminary District Drought Management Environmental Assessment (EA). A 30 day comment period will close May 16, 2012. Comments received during the public review period will be analyzed and considered as part of the decision-making process.

Drought response actions allow for the rapid response to drought in order to alleviate the impacts of authorized uses and activities on natural resources that are at risk of being adversely affected by drought. The effects of drought are often times far reaching, impacting the environment and economy of an area. This EA focuses primarily on the environmental impacts of drought. Specific impacts depend on drought severity but often include:

• Increased number and severity of fires
• Lack of forage and drinking water
• Decreased vigor and production of plants
• Damage to plant species
• Increased wind and water erosion of soils
• Reduction and degradation of fish and wildlife habitat
• Increased death loss of wildlife, wild horses and burros and livestock

Drought is a recurring, unpredictable environmental feature, which must be included in planning. The drought response actions analyzed in the EA are needed to ensure that livestock and wild horse and burro management during drought does not adversely impact the range.

The EA analyzes a range of drought response actions that would be used to mitigate the effects of drought and to address emergency situations for grazing management, wild horse and burro management, wildlife needs, riparian resource concerns and a variety of other resources. These actions include partial or complete closures of allotments; reductions in livestock animal unit months; reductions in livestock grazing duration; changes in livestock season of use; changes in livestock management practices; targeted grazing of monotypic annual plant communities; temporary changes in kind or class of livestock; wild horse and burro removals; temporary water hauls; temporary above ground pipelines; and temporary fencing. The proposed actions and alternatives analyzed in the EA will prepare the BLM to quickly respond to drought conditions, to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of public lands within the Battle Mountain District.

The EA may be viewed at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html. Questions and written comments should be mailed to Douglas W. Furtado, District Manager, Battle Mountain District Office, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. Comments may also be provided through e-mail to this address: bmfoweb@blm.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

For more information call or email Casey Johnson at 775-635-4059, cdjohnson@blm.gov or Tessa Teems at 775-635-4067, tteems@blm.gov.

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/april/battle_mountain_district.html