APPENDIX G

TRIBAL AND AGENCY CONSULTATION

TRIBAL CONSULTATION



BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

VEGETATION TREATMENTS PROGRAMMATIC EIS FOR THE

WESTERN U.S. AND ALASKA

Frequently

Asked

Questions

Project Description

Q. What is the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposing to do?

A. The BLM is proposing to treat soil and vegetation on an estimated 6 million acres

annually in the western U.S. and Alaska. The purpose of these treatments would be to

conserve and restore vegetation, fish and wildlife habitat, and watershed functions using

several treatment methods. Mechanical, manual, chemical, biological, and cultural (use of

goats and other animals) treatment methods, and prescribed fire, would be used to treat

vegetation.

Over half of the acres would be treated to restore historic fire regimes and reduce the risk of

wildfire on BLM-administered lands. An estimated one million acres damaged by wildfires

would be treated annually under the Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Program. The

remaining acreage would be managed under several BLM programs, and management would

primarily involve the control of noxious weeds and invasive plants, and the restoration of

damaged lands by seeding and replanting.

In addition, the BLM may be allowed to use several proposed herbicides that will be evaluated

in the EIS, as well as new chemicals that may be developed in the future.

Q. Where would the proposed actions occur?

A. The vegetation treatment actions would occur on public lands administered by the BLM in

the western U.S. and Alaska. The majority of these lands are in Alaska, Arizona, California,

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Q. Will the EIS include National Monuments and National Conservation Areas?

A. Yes, since they are included in the project area. These units will be analyzed as part of the

broad programmatic treatment area to the extent that conservation and restoration project

work, including invasive and noxious weed treatments, are allowed by the individual National

Landscape Conservation System proclamations.

Q. How is this project different from what the BLM is already doing?

A. The BLM is currently authorized under earlier National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) programmatic EISs to treat vegetation on approximately 500,000 acres in the western

U.S.; however, Alaska was not included in the analyses in these EISs. Under the proposed

program, the BLM would be able to treat several million more acres annually, and treatment

activities in Alaska would also be covered under this EIS.

Q. Why does the BLM need to treat several million more acres annually?

A. Numerous large wildfires in the west in recent years have made it imperative that wildfire

fuels be reduced to decrease the potential for future catastrophic wildfires. Over half of the

acres would be treated to restore historic fire regimes and to reduce risk of wildfire on BLMadministered lands, especially those near urban areas. Over a million acres of lands burned by

wildfires would be restored annually by seeding and planting. The remaining acres would be

treated under several BLM programs, and management would primarily involve the control of

noxious weeds and invasive plants.
Vegetation Treatments Programmatic EIS Page 2

EIS Development Process

Q. Why is the BLM developing this EIS?

A. The BLM is preparing a programmatic EIS to evaluate the impacts of treatments for the

conservation and restoration of vegetation, watershed, and fish and wildlife habitat on surface

lands administered by the BLM in the western U.S., including Alaska. The BLM is

developing the EIS to update and replace analyses contained in four existing vegetation

treatment EISs that were completed between 1986 and 1992. These documents are becoming

less useful because new information is now available, and conditions and circumstances

influencing treatment requirements have changed. For example, several new fire initiatives,

including the National Fire Plan, Integrated Weed Management Plan, and Great Basin

Restoration Initiative, have identified a need to do more vegetative treatments across the

landscape to reduce the risks of wildfires and to control noxious weeds. The EIS is also being

developed to analyze similar activities on BLM-administered lands in Alaska, which were not

included in the earlier EISs.

Q. What is the purpose of the EIS?

A. The EIS will: (1) provide a comprehensive analysis of BLM conservation and restoration

activities involving the treatment, modification, or restoration of vegetation, fish and wildlife

habitat, and watersheds; (2) provide a comprehensive programmatic NEPA document for use

by local BLM field offices for local land-use planning; (3) serve as a baseline cumulative

impact assessment; (4) assess human and environmental health risks from proposed new

herbicides and prescribed burning activities; and (5) consider state-specific activities,

including hazardous fuels treatments, to protect communities and restore desired natural fire

regimes.

Q. Is the EIS a land-use plan?

A. No, the EIS is neither a land-use plan nor an amendment to a land-use plan. As a

programmatic EIS, it will not determine land use on the public lands and will not address

specific agency management decisions developed under local land use plans.

Q. What is the difference between a programmatic EIS and project-specific EIS?

A. A programmatic EIS is designed to look at the broad, generic impacts associated with a

decision to fully implement a program. Because this EIS covers vegetation treatment activities

on 15 states, it is not realistically possible to assess site-specific impacts associated with the

program. A programmatic EIS also allows for the tiering of more site-specific NEPA

documents, such as land-use plans, eliminating the need for repetitive discussions of the same

issues. A project-specific EIS looks at impacts associated with a site-specific project, such as

vegetation treatment activities on 1,000 acres of BLM-administered lands.

Q. How will this EIS affect current and future local land-use plans?

A. There should be little effect on current land-use plans. However, the programmatic EIS

should minimize the need for cumulative impact documentation in future individual land-use

plans, revisions, amendments, and EISs. The EIS will act as an umbrella document under

which the local field offices can develop local land-use plans by providing comprehensive

general guidelines, and will serve as a baseline cumulative impact assessment.

Q. Who is developing the EIS?

A. The BLM Office of Rangelands, Soils, Water and Air in Washington, D.C., is leading the

project, supported by BLM technical resource specialists in BLM offices throughout the

western U.S. and Alaska. ENSR International, a third-party contractor, will conduct the public

meetings and prepare the EIS in accordance with BLM guidelines and oversight.
Vegetation Treatments Programmatic EIS Page 3

Q. Are there any other federal agencies involved in the effort?

A. There are no other federal agencies involved as cooperating agencies; however, the

project is being closely coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine

Fisheries Service, and Environmental Protection Agency.

Q. Are tribal, state, and local governments involved in the EIS process?

A. The BLM will coordinate closely with tribal, state, and local governments, the National

Association of Counties, and the Western Governors Association throughout development of

the EIS.

Q. How much has been done so far, and what is the next step?

A. The Notice of Intent to develop the EIS was published in the Federal Register on October

12, 2001, and a news release was distributed to the media, interested groups, and state

agencies by the BLM at the same time. A notice of the extension of the public comment

period and the schedule for scoping meetings was published in the Federal Register on

January 2, 2002, and a “Questions and Answers” information sheet was distributed on the

same date. Nineteen public scoping meetings will be held throughout the western U.S., and in

Alaska and Washington, D.C., during January through mid March.

Q. When is the EIS scheduled for completion?

A. The Draft EIS is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2002, and the Final EIS in late

summer 2003.

Potential Issues to Be Examined in the EIS

Q. Does this EIS involve controversial issues?

A. It is anticipated that most public scrutiny will focus on issues associated with the use of

prescribed fire and restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems, and the use of herbicides to control

noxious weeds and other vegetation. Specific issues to be addressed in the EIS include the

impacts of wildfires and prescribed fires on regional air quality; effects of herbicides on

human and environmental health; effects of treatment methods on threatened and endangered

species; and effects of treatment methods on resources used by Native Americans and Alaska

Native groups.

Q. What issues will this EIS not cover?

A. The EIS will not address vegetation management that is primarily focused on commercial

timber or other forest product enhancement and use, livestock forage enhancement and use,

abandoned mine land reclamation, and energy production. The EIS will not analyze fire

suppression operations and soil stabilization, except where related to vegetation treatment. The

EIS also will not make land use allocations, or evaluate off-road vehicle use of BLMadministered lands.

Q. Will there be an assessment of risks to the public and the environment from the use of

herbicides and prescribed burning?

A. A risk assessment will be done to determine the likely risks to humans and wildlife from

the treatments involving new herbicides proposed for use by the BLM, and from prescribed

burning. The EIS will not evaluate the risks from herbicides presently being used by the BLM,

which have already been evaluated in the earlier EISs, unless new information has become

available to suggest that these herbicides require further evaluation.

Q. Will the EIS include alternatives for treating vegetation and mitigation?

A. Yes, the EIS will include alternative proposals for treating vegetation, including the use of

preventive measures and operational procedures to reduce impacts to humans and the

environment.
Vegetation Treatments Programmatic EIS Page 4

Q. Will there be a process developed to determine which new chemicals the BLM can use to

control vegetation?

A. Yes, the EIS will also include protocol that the BLM should follow to evaluate new

chemicals that may be developed in the future, prior to their use by the agency. These

herbicides could only be used if they are: (1) registered for use by the EPA; (2) used for

treatment of appropriate vegetation types and at application rates specified on the label

directions; and (3) determined to be safe to humans and the environment based on a

toxicological and environmental impacts analysis of the herbicides by the BLM.

Public Involvement

Q. When will the public be able to make comments on the project?

A. NEPA regulations require federal agencies to seek public input during development of the

EIS. The public will have several opportunities to discuss this project with the BLM and to

make comments, such as:

• At public scoping meetings held in 19 cities from January 8 through March 12, 2002.

• By submitting comments on issues identified in the scoping process and any additional

issues that should be addressed, through March 29, 2002.

• By submitting comments through additional public comment periods associated with the

Draft EIS and Final EIS.

Q. How can the public comment on the program?

A. The public can provide formal comments to the court reporter who will be available

during each scoping meeting. Forms to submit written comment will also be available during

the scoping meeting, and at local BLM offices, and can be turned in to the BLM at the scoping

meeting or local office. These forms, or other written comments, can also be mailed to: Brian

Amme, Project Manager, Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 12000, Reno, NV 89520-

0006. Comments can also be faxed to Mr. Amme at (775) 861-6712.

Q. What will be done with these comments?

A. The comments will be compiled and summarized by major resource areas and issues in a

scoping summary report. Public comments, and the scoping summary report, will be used to

evaluate issues and concerns associated with the proposed program, and to develop alternative

programs to treat vegetation on BLM-administered lands. Alternative programs could involve

vegetation treatment using fewer treatment methods than are currently proposed by the BLM,

or different amounts of acres treated using each method. The scoping summary report will be

made available to the public in late spring.

Q. How can I find out more about the project, review the earlier EISs, and follow the

progress of the EIS?

A. A website is currently under construction on the BLM website (www.blm.gov) and will

be available in February 2002.








BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS CONSULTATION

















STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

CONSULTATION



ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

CONSULTATION





U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND NOAA

NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

CONSULTATION