SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected Environmentnot currently known. In accordance with the Army’s Species at Risk Program, DECAM has initiatedsurveys to determine population numbers and the distribution of sensitive plant species (DECAM2002a). Target species for sensitive plant surveys on FTC in 2006 and 2007 include dwarf milkweed,Arkansas River feverfew, Arkansas evening primrose, Pueblo goldenweed, and round-leaf fouro’clock (CNHP 2006).3.3.9.2 Pinon Canyon Maneuver SiteVegetation Community DescriptionsThe PCMS is characterized by flat to rolling, open terrain dominated by grasslands. Woodlands and avariety of shrub communities, most with a substantial grass understory, occupy higher ground and thesteep canyons leading down to the Purgatoire River beyond the eastern boundary of the PCMS.WetlandsNatural water bodies and wetlands are generally small and infrequent on the PCMS but are importantin contributing to wildlife habitat diversity. The total wetland area on the PCMS is estimated to beabout 370 acres, of which approximately 290 acres are man-made (USFWS 1991). Most wetlands onthe PCMS are associated with side canyons of the Purgatoire River and water developments. Playas(flat-bottomed depressions that are periodically covered by water) are also present, and additionalsmall wetlands are associated with springs and other water bodies such as erosion control impoundments,stock watering ponds, and the overflow from stock tanks associated with windmills.In 2002, USACE issued a Regional Permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1344)for Fort Carson and the PCMS Erosion Control Activities (USACE 2002b). This regional permit authorizesthe PCMS to conduct erosion control activities that may result in minimal individual andcumulative impacts to wetlands from dredge and fill activities. Typical erosion control measures includeerosion control impoundments, stock watering impoundments, banksloping of erosion courses,check dams, rock armor, hardened crossings, culverts, bridges, erosion control terraces, water diversions,water turnouts, and other erosion control activities approved by USACE.Noxious WeedsSeveral Colorado State-listed and county-listed (Las Animas County) noxious weeds have invadedboth natural and developed landscapes on the PCMS. The PCMS has targeted noxious weeds for prioritycontrol by preventing them from populating disturbed areas, controlling infestations to levelscompatible with other land management objectives, or eliminating the weed species from the area.Maintaining healthy native plant communities and revegetating disturbed areas, as necessary, are themost effective methods of preventing weed establishment and encroachment on the PCMS (DECAM2002a).WildlifeTypical wildlife habitat types on the PCMS include short-grass prairie, pinyon-juniper woodland, andaquatic and riparian communities. The dominant terrestrial habitat types on the PCMS are grasslands,shrublands, and woodlands. Aquatic habitats on the PCMS are very limited and consist of wetlands,riparian corridors, and open water (USFWS 1991). Existing data on wildlife species and descriptionsof wildlife habitats present on the PCMS are documented in the Fish and Wildlife Management Recommendations:Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site Las Animas County, Colorado (USFWS 1991) and theINRMP (DECAM 2002a).February 2008 3–174 2/25th SBCT Final EIS