NEPA--Environmental Assessment

conditions. However, there were isolated locations within wilderness (Highland Mary Lakes and
Continental Divide Trail) where conditions were noted to be of concern.
Purpose and Need for Action_______________________
The purpose of this action is to continue to authorize livestock grazing on all or portions of the
Silverton Landscape in such a manner that will meet or move existing resource conditions toward
desired conditions, and be consistent with the Forest Plan/RMP direction, standards and guidelines.
The site-specific need for those areas where desired conditions are currently being met is to maintain
or improve current conditions. The site-specific “need for change” for those areas which are not
meeting or moving toward desired conditions is to bring existing conditions up to, or moving
towards the desired conditions in a timely manner.
The site-specific “need for change” in vegetative conditions is to implement grazing management
practices that will improve conditions at the isolated sites that were noted to be in undesirable
condition.
The “need for change” regarding bighorn is to minimize the likelihood of contact between wild
sheep and domestic sheep and goats. This is easily and most effectively dealt with on allotments that
are not currently active by closing the allotments to domestic sheep grazing (Little Molas/West
Needles, Needles Mountains, and Minnie Gulch). The four active allotments with mapped overlap
between wild sheep and domestic sheep that would remain open to sheep grazing (Picayne/Mineral
Point, Engine Creek/Deer Creek, Eureka, and Gladstone) could meet desired conditions for bighorn
sheep through application of design criteria and maintaining current domestic sheep distribution
patterns.
The “need for change” in proposing to close the West Lime Allotment is that it would not meet
desired conditions for vegetation if it were to be re-stocked with livestock. This is due to the fact that
there is little suitable range in the allotment that is practical to be used. Most of the mapped suitable
range is in the high-use recreation areas of South Mineral Creek and Ice Lakes/Clear Lake Basins.
Attempts to graze the remaining suitable range would likely result in over-utilization leading to
unsatisfactory conditions. In addition, Ice Lakes/Clear Lake Basins have been used regularly in
summer by small numbers of bighorn sheep the past few years. It is unknown which herds these
bighorn sheep are coming from and thus restocking this allotment could create a substantial risk for
contact between domestic sheep and bighorn sheep.
This proposed action and analysis is needed at this time because in the early 1990’s, the courts
determined that livestock grazing permits should not be re-issued without sufficient NEPA analysis.
This put many livestock operations at risk until such time as these analyses could be completed. In
response, Congress passed the Rescissions Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-19 1995), which provided for
continuation of permit issuance if the only reason they could not be issued was lack of a NEPA
analysis. The Act directed the FS/BLM to develop and adhere to a schedule for completion of the
analyses. This project analysis is being undertaken as part of the schedule (SJNF 2005) that was
developed for the San Juan Public Lands.
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