NEPA--Environmental Assessment
NEPA--Environmental Assessment
NEPA--Environmental Assessment
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Silverton Grazing Risk <strong>Assessment</strong><br />
monitoring the occurrence, distribution, and use patterns of bighorn sheep in BLM<br />
portions of the Silverton Landscape. Monitoring information would then be used to inform<br />
and revise the Risk <strong>Assessment</strong> process for the affected allotments. Annual monitoring<br />
activities could include coordinated ground counts, expanded aerial counts, radio/GPS<br />
collars, etc. A key component of the monitoring plan should be to implement a system for<br />
immediate cross-agency sharing of bighorn sighting reports and monitoring information<br />
to keep all parties informed about bighorn use of the upper Animas River Basin.<br />
Table 2. Risk rating of allotments under Alternative 2 (current management) and<br />
under Alternative 3 (the preferred alternative) in the Silverton Landscape grazing<br />
analysis area.<br />
Allotment (Agency)<br />
Red Mountain (FS)<br />
Elk Creek (FS/BLM)<br />
Deer Park (FS/BLM)<br />
Engine Creek/Deer Creek (FS)<br />
Gladstone (BLM)<br />
Eureka/California Gulch (BLM)<br />
Picayne/Mineral Point (BLM)<br />
Maggie Gulch (BLM)<br />
Overlap with<br />
Bighorn Herd<br />
Allotment Risk under Risk under<br />
Status Alternative 2 Alternative 3<br />
Active Low Low<br />
Active Low Low<br />
Active Low Low<br />
S71 Active High Moderate<br />
S71 Active Low Low<br />
S33 Active High Moderate<br />
S33 Active High Moderate<br />
Active Moderate Moderate<br />
West Lime (FS) Vacant High Low - Closed<br />
Little Molas/West Needles (FS) S71 Vacant High Low - Closed<br />
Minnie Gulch (BLM) S33 Vacant High Low - Closed<br />
Needles Mountains (FS) S71 Vacant High Low - Closed<br />
Graysill (FS) Vacant Low Low<br />
Flume (FS) S71 Vacant Low Low – Forage<br />
Reserve<br />
Silverton Watershed (FS) Closed Low Low<br />
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