West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

The CDCA Plan assigns a “multiple use class” designation to each parcel of public land,and provides land use and management guidelines for each class. These classes include:• Class C – controlled use, that is, wilderness areas.• Class L -- limited use, protecting sensitive, natural, scenic, ecological, and culturalresource values. Public lands designated as Class L are managed to provide for generallylower-intensity, carefully controlled multiple use of resources, while ensuring thatsensitive values are not significantly diminished.• Class M -- moderate use, providing for a controlled balance between higher intensity usesand resource protection.• Class I -- intensive use, providing for concentrated use of lands and rresources to meethuman needs.Within the western Mojave Desert, 457,721 acres are designated Class C, 1,269,313 acres ClassL, 877,042 acres Class M and 378,467 acres Class I. About 281,331 acres are unclassified.The CDCA Plan also adopted 12 “plan elements.” Each element provides desert-wideplanning decisions that focus on a major resource or issue of public concern. Management ofsensitive plant and animal species, including the designation of BLM crucial habitat and habitatmanagement areas, is provided by the wildlife element. Procedures for establishing a motorizedvehicle access network are set forth in the motorized vehicle access element.3.1.1.2 Areas of Critical Environmental ConcernThirty areas of critical environmental concern have been established by the BLM withinthe western Mojave Desert. These were designated by the 1980 CDCA Plan or added bysubsequent amendments to that plan. Specific management plans have been prepared for most ofthese areas. The ACECs that would be affected by the West Mojave Plan are described below 1 .Afton Canyon (4,726 acres): This ACEC protects a sensitive Mojave River ripariancommunity and the scenic canyon in which it is located. An Afton Canyon Natural Areamanagement plan (1989) was prepared in cooperation with the CDFG under the Sikes Act andcovers a larger area than the ACEC. The plan protects the ACEC and the adjacent desert habitatin the Cady Mountains, which is occupied habitat for bighorn sheep and contains nest sites forprairie falcon and golden eagle. Visitor facilities include two campgrounds, an equestriancampground, the Mojave Road, and interpretative signs and kiosks.1 The West Mojave Plan would not affect the following ACECs: Amboy Crater, Bedrock Springs, BigMorongo Canyon, Soggy Dry Lake Creosote Rings, Upper Johnson Valley Yucca Rings and Whitewater Canyon.Chapter 3 3-3