Draft EIS Acronyms 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment AC-1 

LIST OF ACRONYMS 

ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern

AIM Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring

AIRFA American Indian Religious Freedom Act

AML Appropriate Management Level

AMP Allotment Management Plan

AMR Appropriate Management Response

AMS Analysis of the Management Situation

ANC Acid Neutralizing Capacity

AO Authorized Officer

AOI Annual Operation Instructions

APD Application for Permission to Drill

APHIS-WS Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—Wildlife Services

AQRV Air Quality Related Values

ASRC Areas of Significant Resource Concern

ATV All-Terrain Vehicle

AUM Animal Unit Months

BA Biological Assessment

BAER Burn Area Emergency Rehabilitation

BAR Burned Area Rehabilitation

BBS Breeding Bird Survey

Bcf Billion Cubic Feet

BF Board Feet

BLM Bureau of Land Management

BMP Best Management Practices

BO Biological Opinion

BOR Bureau of Reclamation

BpS Biophysical Setting

BTNF Bridger-Teton National Forest

CAA Clean Air Act

CAP Coordinated Activity Plan

CASTNet Clean Air Status and Trends Network

CBNG Coal Bed Natural Gas
Acronyms Draft EIS 

AC-2 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

CCAA Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances

CCF Hundred Cubic Feet

CEQ Council on Environmental Quality

CF Cubic Feet

CDNST Continental Divide National Scenic Trail

CDPA Coal Development Potential Area

CFR Code of Federal Regulation

CFS Cubic Feet per Second

CO Carbon Monoxide

COA Condition of Approval

COT Conservation Objectives Team

CRMP Coordinated Resource Management Plan

CRUWIN Crucial Winter Range

CSU Controlled Surface Use

dBA A-weighted Decibel

DDCT Density and Disturbance Calculation Tool

DFC Desired Future Condition

DOA Department of Agriculture

DOE Department of Energy

DOI Department of the Interior

DPC Desired Plant Community

dv Deciview

EEA Environmental Education Area

EIS Environment Impact Statement

ESD Ecological Site Descriptions

EO Executive Order

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ERMA Extensive Recreation Management Area

ESA Endangered Species Act

ES&R Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation

EVT Existing Vegetation Type

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FLAG Federal Land Managers’ Air Quality Related Values Workgroup

FLTFA Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act
Draft EIS Acronyms 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment AC-3 

FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976

FMA Forest Management Areas

FRCC Fire Regime Condition Class

FSH Forest Service Handbook

FSM Forest Service Manual

FUP Free Use Permits

FYPC Fossil Yield Potential Classification

GA Geographic Area

GAP Geographical Analysis Program

GHG Greenhouse Gas

GIS Geographic Information System

GLEES Glacier Lakes Ecosystem Experiments Site

HAF Habitat Assessment Framework

HAP Hazardous Air Pollutants

HBP Held By Production

HMA Herd Management Area

HMAP Herd Management Area Plans

HUC Hydrologic Unit Code

IDT Interdisciplinary Team

IM Instruction Memorandum

IMP Interim Management Policy

IMPROVE Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments

INRMP Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan

IRA Inventoried Roadless Area

ISR In Situ Recovery

JCR Job Completion Report

JMH Jack Morrow Hills

KSLA Known Sodium Leasing Area

LAU Lynx Analysis Unit

LBA Lease By Application

LEX Land Exchange

LOC Level of Concern

LRMP Land and Resource Management Plan

LUP Land Use Plan
Acronyms Draft EIS 

AC-4 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

LWCF Land and Water Conservation Fund

MA Management Area

MBF Thousand Board Feet

MBNF Medicine Bow National Forest

MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act

Mcf Thousand Cubic Feet

MET Meteorological Towers

MIS Management Indicator Species

MLA Mineral Leasing Act of 1920

MMS Minerals Management Service

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

MS Mitigation Strategy

MSL Mean Sea Level

MUTCD Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

MVUM Motor Vehicle Use Map

MW Megawatt

NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standard

NADP National Atmospheric Deposition Program

NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 

NASA National Aeronautic Space Administration

NDD National Diversity Database

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

NFMA National Forest Management Act of 1976

NFS National Forest System

NFSR National Forest System Road

NHN Natural Heritage Network

NHPA National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

NHT National Historic Trail

NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service

NNL National Natural Landmark

NOA Notice of Availability

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOI Notice of Intent

NPS National Park Service
Draft EIS Acronyms 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment AC-5 

NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service

NRHP National Register of Historic Places 

NSO No Surface Occupancy

NST National Scenic Trail

NTN National Trend Network

NTT National Technical Team

NVUM National Visitor Use Monitoring

NWI National Wetlands Inventory

OHV Off-Highway Vehicle

OHM Off-Highway Motorcycle

PAC Priority Areas for Conservation

PECE Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing Decisions

PEIS Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements

PFC Proper Functioning Condition

PFYC Potential Fossil Yield Classification

PRPA Paleontological Resource Preservation Act

PSD Prevention of Significant Deterioration

RAATS Reduced Agent-Area Treatments

RDF Required Design Features

RFD Reasonable Foreseeable Development

RMP Resource Management Plan

RNA Research Natural Area

ROS Recreation opportunity spectrum

RPA Renewable Resource Planning Act

R&PP Recreation and Public Purposes

ROD Record of Decision

ROW Right-of-Way

RSUA Recreation Special Use Authorization

SAD Sudden Aspen Decline

scf Standard Cubic Feet

SD/MA Special Designations/Management Areas

SDW Stock Driveways

SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act

S&G Standards and Guidelines
Acronyms Draft EIS 

AC-6 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

SGIT Sage-grouse Implementation Team

SIA Special Interest Area

SHPO State Historic Preservation Office

SIO Scenic Integrity Objective

SMS Scenery Management System

SRMA Special Recreation Management Area

SRP Special Recreational Permit

SSC Species of Special Concern

SUA Special Use Authorization

SUP Special Use Permit

SUPO Surface Use Plan of Operations

SUV Sports Utility Vehicle

SVR Standard Visual Range

T&C Terms and Conditions

T&E Threatened and Endangered

TBNG Thunder Basin National Grassland

TCP Traditional Cultural Properties

TES Threatened and Endangered Species

TLS Timing Limitation Stipulation

TMA Travel Management Areas

UGRBWGA Upper Green River Basin Working Group Area

USC United States Code

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USFS United States Forest Service

USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS United States Geological Survey

VOC Volatile Organic Compounds

VQO Visual Quality Objective

VRM Visual Resource Management

WA Wilderness Act

WAAQS Wyoming Ambient Air Quality Standards

WAFWA Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

WAPA Western Area Power Administration

WARMS Wyoming Air Resources Monitoring System
Draft EIS Acronyms 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment AC-7 

WDEQ Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality

WDEQ-AQD Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality-Air Quality Division

WGFD Wyoming Game and Fish Department

WGO Wyoming Governor’s Office

WGSGCP Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan

WHMA Wildlife Habitat Management Area

WHT Wild Horse Territories

WHTP Wild Horse Territory Plans

WIZ Water Influence Zone

WOGCC Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission

WSA Wilderness Study Area

WSO-RMG Wyoming BLM State Office-Reservoir Management Group

WSR Wild and Scenic River

WUG Western Utility Group

WUI Wildland Urban Interface

WYDOT Wyoming Department of Transportation

WYESFO Wyoming Ecological Services Field Office

WYL Winter Yearlong

WYNDD Wyoming Natural Diversity Database

YRL Yearlong
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-1 

GLOSSARY 

2008 WAFWA Sage-grouse MOU: A memorandum of understanding (MOU) among Western 

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and 

Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service 

Agency. The purpose of the MOU is to provide for cooperation among the participating state and 

federal land, wildlife management and science agencies in the conservation and management of sagegrouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitats and other sagebrush-dependent 

wildlife throughout the western United States and Canada and a commitment of all agencies to 

implement the 2006 WAFWA Conservation Strategy. 

2011 Partnership MOU: A partnership agreement among the United States Department of Agriculture 

Natural Resource Conservation Service, Forest Service, United State Department of the Interior, Bureau 

of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service. 2011. This MOU is for range management – to 

implement NRCS practices on adjacent federal properties. 

Abandoned Lek: A lek in otherwise suitable habitat that has not been active during a period of 10 

consecutive years. To be designated abandoned, a lek must be “inactive” in at least four nonconsecutive strutting seasons spanning the 10 years. The site of an “abandoned” lek should be surveyed 

at least once every 10 years to determine whether it has been re-occupied by sage-grouse. 

Aquatic Ecosystem: Waters of the United States, that serve as habitat for interrelated and interacting 

communities and populations of plants and animals. (40 CFR 230.3). The stream channel, lake or 

estuary bed, water, and biotic communities and the habitat features that occur therein. (FSM 2526.05)

Acquired Lands: Federal lands obtained by purchase, condemnation, exchange, or gift under laws other 

than public land laws. Legally defined as: “... land obtained by the United States through purchase or 

transfer from a State or private individual and normally dedicated to a specific use.” McKenna v. 

Wallis, 200 F. Supp. 468 (1961). See also Bobby Lee Moore, et al, 72 I.D. 505 (1965). 

Active Lek: Any lek that has been attended by male sage-grouse during the strutting season. 

Actively Managed: Management of the forestlands or woodlands by prescription to accomplish specific 

resource objectives. In addition, the forestlands are managed with an allowable sustainable periodic sale 

quantity (Schiche 2003). 

Activity Area: An area of land impacted by a management activity or activities. It can range from a few 

acres to an entire watershed. It is commonly a timber salecutting unit, a burn unit, or a pasture in an 

allotment. 

Activity Planning: Site-specific planning that precedes development. This is the most detailed level of 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning. An activity plan details management of one or more 

resources on a specific site. Examples are allotment management plans and recreation area management 

plans. Activity plans implement decisions made in the Resource Management Plan (RMP). 

Actual Use: Where, how many, what kind or class of livestock, and how long livestock graze on an 

allotment or on a portion or pasture of an allotment. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-2 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Adaptive Management: A systematic process for continually improving management policies and 

practices by learning from the outcomes of actions over time. It employs management programs that are 

designed to continuously compare selected policies or practices and is an integrated method for 

addressing uncertainty that focuses on implementing actions, thoroughly monitoring results, and 

modifying actions when warranted. It recognizes that the complex interrelationships of physical, 

biological, and social components of the ecosystem and how they would react to land management 

practices are often not fully understood when land-use management plans are developed. 

Administrative Access: A term used to describe access for resource management and administrative 

purposes such as fire suppression, cadastral surveys, permit compliance, law enforcement and military 

in the performance of their official duty, or other access needed to administer BLM-managed lands or 

uses. 

Age Class: A distinct aggregation of trees originating from a single natural event or regeneration activity, 

or grouping of trees, e.g. 10-year age class, as used in inventory or management. 

Allotment: An area of land designated and managed for livestock grazing. Allotments generally consist 

of BLM or National Forest System Lands but may also include other federally managed, state-owned, 

and private lands. An allotment may include one or more separate pastures. Livestock numbers and 

periods of use are specified for each allotment. 

Allotment Categorization: Grazing allotments and rangeland areas used for livestock grazing are 

assigned to an allotment category during resource management planning. Allotment categorization is 

used to establish priorities for distributing available funds and personnel during plan implementation to 

achieve cost-effective improvement of rangeland resources. Categorization is also used to organize 

allotments into similar groups for purposes of developing multiple use prescriptions, analyzing sitespecific and cumulative impacts, and determining trade-offs. 

Allotment Management Plan (AMP): A documented program developed as an activity plan, consistent 

with the definition at 43 USC 1702(k), that focuses on, and contains the necessary instructions for, 

management of livestock grazing on specified public lands to meet resource condition, sustained yield, 

multiple use, economic, and other objectives. 

Allowable Sale Quantity (ASQ): The quantity of timber that may be sold from the area of suitable land 

covered by the forest plan for a time period specified by the plan. This allowable sale quantity (ASQ) is 

usually expressed on an annual basis as the “average annual allowable sale quantity.” (FSM 1900)

Alluvium: Any sediment deposited by flowing water, as in a river bed, floodplain, or delta. 

Amendment: The process for considering or making changes in the terms, conditions, and decisions of 

approved RMPs or Management Framework Plans using the prescribed provisions for resource 

management planning appropriate to the proposed action or circumstances. Usually only one or two 

issues are considered that involve only a portion of the planning area. 

Animal Damage Control (ADC): The control of animals that are causing economic losses to agriculture, 

damage to property, or hazards to human health. Such control usually results in the killing of the 

offending animal(s). (See also Wildlife Services.) 

Animal Unit: Considered to be one mature cow of about 1,000 pounds (450 kg), either dry or with calf 

up to 6 months of age, or their equivalent, consuming about 26 pounds of forage/day on an oven dry 

basis. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-3 

Animal Unit Month (AUM): The amount of forage required for an animal unit for a period of 1 month. 

Anthropogenic Disturbances: Features include but are not limited to paved highways, graded gravel 

roads, transmission lines, substations, wind turbines, oil and gas wells, geothermal wells and associated 

facilities, pipelines, landfills, agricultural conversion, homes, and mines. 

Application for Permit to Drill (APD): An application to drill a well submitted by a lessee or operator 

to the BLM. The APD consists of a Drilling Plan that discusses downhole specifications and procedures 

(reviewed by the BLM) and a Surface Use Plan of Operations (reviewed and approved by Forest 

Service on National Forest System Lands) that examines surface uses, including access roads, well site 

layout, cut and fill diagrams, reclamation procedures, production facility locations, etc. 

Aquatic Ecosystem: Waters of the United States, that serve as habitat for interrelated and interacting 

communities and populations of plants and animals. (40 CFR 230.3) Waters of the United States, 

including wetlands, that serve as habitat for interrelated and interacting communities and populations of 

plants and animals. (FSM 2526.05) 

Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC): Areas within the public lands where special 

management attention is required (when such areas are developed or used or where no development is 

required) to protect and prevent irreparable damage to important historic, cultural, or scenic values, fish 

and wildlife resources, or other natural systems or processes, or to protect life and safety from natural 

hazards. The identification of a potential ACEC shall not, of itself, change or prevent change of the 

management or use of public lands. 

Assessment: The act of evaluating and interpreting data and information for a defined purpose. 

Authorized /Authorized Use: This is an activity (i.e., resource use) occurring on the public lands that is 

either explicitly or implicitly recognized and legalized by law or regulation. This term may refer to 

those activities occurring on the public lands for which the BLM, Forest Service, or other appropriate 

authority (e.g., Congress for RS 2477 rights-of-way, FERC for major, interstate rights-of-way), has 

issued a formal authorization document (e.g., livestock grazing lease/permit; right-of-way grant; coal 

lease; oil and gas permit to drill; etc.). Formally authorized uses typically involve some type of 

commercial activity, facility placement, or event. These formally authorized uses are often spatially or 

temporally limited. Unless constrained or bounded by statute, regulation, or an approved land use plan 

decision, legal activities involving public enjoyment and use of the public lands (e.g., hiking, camping, 

hunting, etc.) require no formal BLM or Forest Service authorization. 

Authorized Forest Officer: The Forest Service employee delegated the authority to perform specific 

duties, generally a regional forester, forest supervisor, district ranger, or minerals staff officer. 

Authorized Officer (BLM): Any employee of the BLM/Forest Service to whom authority has been 

delegated to perform the duties described. 

Availability (Oil and Gas): Availability of National Forest System lands, including national grasslands, 

for oil and gas leasing. Availability refers to lands that have not been formally prohibited from oil and 

gas leasing activities. 

Available Lands (Oil and Gas): Any lands subject to oil and gas leasing under the Minerals Leasing 

Act. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-4 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Avoid: Paraphrasing the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations (40 CFR 1508.20), 

avoidance means to circumvent, or bypass, an impact altogether by not taking a certain action, or parts 

or an action. Therefore, the term “avoid” does not necessarily prohibit a proposed activity, but it may 

require the relocation of an action, or the total redesign of an action to eliminate any potential impacts 

resulting from it. 

Avoidance/Avoidance Area: These terms usually address mitigation of some activity (i.e., resource use). 

Paraphrasing the CEQ Regulations (40 CFR 1508.20), avoidance means to circumvent, or bypass, an 

impact altogether by not taking a certain action, or parts of an action. Therefore, the term "avoidance" 

does not necessarily prohibit a proposed activity, but it may require the relocation of an action, or the 

total redesign of an action to eliminate any potential impacts resulting from it. 

Best Management Practices (BMPs): A suite of techniques that guide or may be applied to management 

actions to aide in achieving desired outcomes. BMPs are often developed in conjunction with land use 

plans, but they are not considered a planning decision unless the plans specify that they are mandatory. 

BMPs may be updated or modified without a plan amendment (BLM Manual Handbook H-1601-1). 

Big Game: Large species of wildlife that are hunted, such as elk, deer, bighorn sheep, moose, and 

pronghorn. 

Biological Assessment (BA): The gathering and evaluation of information on proposed endangered and 

threatened species and critical habitat and proposed critical habitat. Required when a management 

action potentially conflicts with endangered or threatened species, the BA is the way federal agencies 

enter into formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and describe a proposed action 

and the consequences to the species from the action. 

Biological Diversity: The variety of life forms and processes within an area. Included in the 

consideration of diversity are the complexities of genetic variation, number and distribution of species, 

and the ways in which the variety of biologic communities interact and function. 

Biotic: All the natural living organisms in a planning area and their life processes.

Board Foot: A unit of solid wood one foot square and one inch thick. 

Candidate Species: Any species included in the Federal Register notice of review that are being 

considered for listing as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Canopy: The uppermost layer consisting of the crowns of trees or shrubs in a forest or woodland. 

Casual Use: Casual use means activities ordinarily resulting in no or negligible disturbance of the public 

lands, resources, or improvements for example, activities that do not involve the use of mechanized 

earth-moving equipment or explosives or, in areas designated as closed to OHVs, do not involve the use 

of motorized vehicles. This can also be activities occurring by chance or taking place at irregular 

intervals without ceremony or formality. For examples for rights of ways see 43 CFR 2801.5.The 

definition related to 3809-surface management of locatable minerals is found at 43 CFR 3809.5. Other 

activities which do not unduly disturb surface resources. If, however, the authorized officer determines 

that appreciable impacts to surface resources may occur, he/she may require the potential applicant to 

obtain a land use authorization permit with appropriate terms and conditions under the provision of part 

2920 of this title. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-5 

Catastrophic Fire: A fire that has significant negative impacts on the health and productivity of 

ecosystems and other human values. 

Channel: An open conduit either naturally or artificially created that periodically or continuously 

transports moving water (and, in natural systems, also transports sediment, nutrients, and woody 

material) or forms a connecting link between two bodies of water. 

Checkerboard: This term refers to a land ownership pattern of alternating sections of Federal owned 

lands with private or State owned lands for 20 miles on either side of a land grant railroad (e.g. Union 

Pacific, Northern Pacific, etc.). On land status maps this alternating ownership is either delineated by 

color coding or alphabetic code resulting in a "checkerboard" visual pattern. 

Cherry-stemmed/Cherry-stemming: This term refers to a narrow, linear, intrusion or extrusion of a 

delineated block of Federal lands resulting in what appears on a map as a boundary inlet or peninsula. 

Although this term may be used in any resource program, the most common use is in relation to deadend road intrusions along WSA boundaries. 

Closed: Generally denotes that an area is not available for a particular use or uses; refer to specific 

definitions found in law, regulations, or policy guidance for application to individual programs. 

Closed Area or Trail: Designated areas and trails where the use of off-road vehicles is permanently or 

temporarily prohibited. The use of off-road vehicles in closed areas may be allowed only with the 

approval of the authorized officer. 

“Closed” Designation (OHV): Under this designation, vehicle travel is prohibited yearlong with no 

exceptions other than for emergency vehicles in emergency situations. Access by means other than 

motorized vehicles is permitted. 

Closed Road: A road or segment of road that is restricted from certain types of use during certain seasons 

of the year. The prohibited use and the time period of closure are specified. 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): The official, legal tabulation or regulations directing Federal 

Government activities. 

Collaboration: Working together, sometimes with individuals or groups of opposing points a view, to 

reach a common agreement. 

Commercial Forestland: Forestland that is now producing or is capable of producing at least 20 cubic 

feet of wood fiber per acre per year from commercial coniferous tree species and that has met certain 

economic, environmental, or multiple use criteria for inclusion in the commercial forestland base. 

Commodity: An economic good such as a product of agriculture or mining.

Common Variety Minerals: Category of minerals including varieties of sand, gravel, stone, pumicite, 

cinders, pumice (except that occurring in pieces over 2 inches on a side), clay, and petrified wood; 

authorized under the 1947 Materials Act and the 1955 Multiple Surface Use Act for sale as "salable 

minerals". (FSM 2800) 

Community: An assemblage of plant, animal, and/or human populations in a common spatial 

arrangement. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-6 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Condition of Approval: Condition or provision (requirement) under which an application for a permit to 

drill or sundry notice is approved. 

Conformance: That a proposed action shall be specifically provided for in the land use plan or, if not 

specifically mentioned, shall be clearly consistent with the goals, objectives, or standards of the 

approved land use plan. 

Connectivity: Condition in which the spatial arrangement of land cover types allows organisms and 

ecological processes (such as disturbance) to move across the landscape. Connectivity is the opposite of 

fragmentation. 

Conservation Plan: The recorded decisions of a landowner or operator, cooperating with a conservation 

district, on how the landowner or operator plans, within practical limits, to use his/her land according to 

its capability and to treat it according to its needs for maintenance or improvement of the soil, water, 

animal, plant, and air resources. 

Conservation Measures: Measures to conserve, enhance, and/or restore Greater Sage-Grouse habitat by 

reducing, eliminating, or minimizing threats to that habitat. 

Consistency: The proposed land use plan does not conflict with officially approved plans, programs, and 

policies of tribes, other federal agencies, and state, and local governments to the extent practical within 

Federal law, regulation, and policy. 

Contributing Segment: A trail segment that contributes to the significance of the trail, wherein it retains 

integrity of place, setting, feel, or association. This may include an intact trail segment, a good twotrack, an intact (unspoiled) setting, or a good historical association; thus, these trail segments retain 

elements that convey the nineteenth century "feel" to the visitor. If a piece of trail is destroyed, such as 

by a paved road, and the setting is compromised, then the trail segment is noncontributing. 

Controlled Surface Use (CSU): A category of stipulations that allows some use and occupancy of public 

land while protecting identified resources or values. The stipulation identifies the location protected, 

activities prohibited or restricted, and the resources protected. The extent of protection may range from 

a limited area for only one activity to all uses. Typically used in use authorizations. For the protected 

resource, some activities may be prohibited while others are allowed. Activities may be allowed but 

only under certain conditions. Examples include (1) seismic operations are prohibited within a certain 

distance of an unstable resource (i.e., historic structure) and (2) only tracked construction vehicles are 

allowed access to the site (see also Stipulation Category). 

Core Areas: The term “Core” is associated with state-designated areas identified as the most important 

for Greater Sage-Grouse. Some states utilize a distance surrounding the largest leks, while other states 

use other methods including designating all occupied habitat as Core. 

Corridor: A linear strip of land which has ecological, technical, economic, social, or similar advantages 

over other areas for the present or future location of transportation or utility rights-of-way within its 

boundaries.

Council On Environmental Quality (CEQ): An advisory council to the President of the United States 

established by the national Environmental Policy Act of 1969. It reviews federal programs for their 

effect on the environment, conducts environmental studies, and advises the President on environmental 

matters. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-7 

Cover: Cover is any part of an animal’s environment that provides protection and enhances the survival 

or reproduction of the animal. Wildlife cover has 2 components: 

• it provides shelter from adverse weather conditions (winter or thermal cover), and 

• it provides protection from predators (screening or escape cover) (Yarrow, 2009). 

Critical Habitat: An area occupied by a threatened or endangered species “on which are found those 

physical and biological features (1) essential to the conservation of the species, and (2) which may 

require special management considerations or protection.” These irreplaceable and vital areas are 

designated as critical by the Secretary of the Interior for the survival and recovery of listed threatened 

and endangered species. 

Crucial Habitat: Any particular range or habitat component that directly limits a community, population, 

or subpopulation to reproduce, and maintain itself at a certain level over the long term. 

Crucial Winter Range: The portion of the winter range to which a wildlife species is confined during 

periods of heaviest snow cover. Any portion of winter range that is the determining factor in a 

population’s ability to maintain and reproduce itself at a certain level over the long term may be crucial 

winter range. 

Cultural Heritage Resource: A fragile and nonrenewable remnant of human activity, occupation, or 

endeavor reflected in districts, sites, structures, buildings, objects, artifacts, ruins, works of art, 

architecture, or natural features. 

Cultural Resource Inventory: A descriptive listing and documentation, including photographs and 

maps, of cultural resources. Processes involved are locating, identifying, and recording of sites, 

structures, buildings, objects, and districts through library and archival research; collecting information 

from persons knowledgeable about cultural resources; and conducting on-the-ground field surveys of 

varying levels of intensity. (See also Cultural Resource Inventory Classes.) 

Cultural Resource Inventory Classes: A class I inventory is a professionally prepared study that 

includes a compilation and analysis of all reasonably available cultural resource data and literature, and 

a management-focused, interpretive, narrative overview, and synthesis of the data. The overview also 

defines regional research questions and treatment options 

A class II probabilistic field survey is a statistically based sample survey, designed to aid in 

characterizing the probable density, diversity, and distribution of cultural properties in an area, to 

develop and test predictive models, and to answer certain kinds of research questions. Within individual 

sample units, survey aims, methods, and intensity are the same as those applied in class III survey. 

Class III intensive survey describes the distribution of properties in an area; determines the number, 

location and condition of properties; determines the types of properties actually present within the area; 

permits classification of individual properties; and records the physical extent of specific properties. 

Cultural Resource Management Plan (CRMP): A plan designed to inventory, evaluate, protect, 

preserve, or make beneficial use of cultural resources and the natural resources that figured significantly 

in cultural systems. The objectives of such plans are the conservation, preservation, and protection of 

cultural values and the scientific study of those values. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-8 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Cultural Resource Site (cultural property): A physical location of past human activities or events. 

Cultural properties are extremely variable in size, ranging from the location of a single cultural resource 

feature to a cluster of cultural resource structures with associated objects. 

Cumulative Impact (Effect): The impact on the environment that results from the incremental impact of 

the action when added to other past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what 

agency (federal or non-federal) or person undertakes such other actions. Cumulative impacts can result 

from individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over a period of time. 

Deferred/Deferred Use: To set-aside, or postpone, a particular resource use(s) or activity(ies) on the 

public lands to a later time. Generally when this term is used the period of the deferral is specified. 

Deferments sometimes follow the sequence timeframe of associated serial actions (e.g., action B will be 

deferred until action A is completed, etc.). 

Designated Roads and Trails: Those roads and trails that are specifically identified by the BLM/Forest 

Service as the only allowable routes for motor vehicle travel in the specific area involved. Travel on 

designated roads and trails may be allowed seasonally or yearlong. Additional roads or trails may be 

constructed and authorized for travel as need dictates in conformance with the land use plan or activity 

plan. 

Desired Condition: Alluvial stream channels (i.e., those not formed in bedrock) are considered to be 

physically functioning properly when they can adjust their form and gradient, over a period of time, to 

transport the water, wood, and sediment being delivered to them. They are resilient to disturbance. 

Channel cross-section form is generally maintained, even with lateral migration of the channel, or is 

moving toward a form that allows for improved channel function. Instream levels of fine sediment are 

within a natural range except for short periods of time after disturbance. Stream bank stability reflects 

stream type and potential. 

Desired Future Condition: A future land or resource condition that achieves a set of compatible multiresource goals and objectives. 

Desired Plant Community: The vegetation community that provides the vegetation attributes required 

for meeting or exceeding RMP vegetation objectives. The desired vegetation community must be within 

an ecological site's capability to produce these attributes through natural succession, management 

action, or both (BLM Wyoming Instruction Memorandum 91-290, May 29, 1991). 

Destroyed Lek: A formerly active lek site and surrounding sagebrush habitat that has been destroyed and 

is no longer suitable for sage-grouse breeding. 

Developed Recreation: Recreation that requires facilities, resulting in concentrated use of an area. An 

example of a developed recreational site is a campground. Facilities might include roads, parking lots, 

picnic tables, restrooms, drinking water, and buildings.

Development: Active drilling and production of wells 

Development Area: Areas primarily leased with active drilling and wells capable of production in 

payable quantities. 

Direct Control: This is associated with urban development and high value areas and is defined as the 

immediate and complete extinguishments of a wildfire. Direct control also includes exposure protection 

in which critical resources, such as houses, are shielded from the fire. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-9 

Direct Impacts (Effects): Direct impacts are caused by the action and occur at the same time and place.

Directional Drilling (Oil and Gas): Drilling boreholes with the directional course of the hole planned 

before drilling. Such holes are usually drilled with rotary equipment at an angle to the vertical and are 

useful in avoiding obstacles or in reaching side areas or the mineral estate beneath a restricted surface. 

Discharge (Water): The rate of flow or volume of water flowing in a stream at a given place or within a 

given period of time. 

Discovery: The knowledge of the presence of valuable minerals within or close enough to a location to 

justify a reasonable belief in their existence. Discovery is extremely important to public lands mining 

because the Mining Law of 1872 provides that mining claims can be located only after a discovery is 

made. 

Dispersal: The movement, usually one way and on any time scale, of plants or animals from their point 

of origin to another location where they subsequently produce offspring.

Dispersed Recreation: Recreational use outside developed recreational sites. This includes activities 

such as scenic driving, hiking, bicycling, backpacking, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, horseback 

riding, cross-country skiing, and recreation in primitive environments.

Disposal: Transfer of ownership of a tract of public land from the United States to another party through 

sale, exchange, or transfer under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, Small Tracts Act, BankheadJones Farm Tenant Act, General Exchange Act or other appropriate authorities. 

Disruptive Activities: Those public land resource uses/activities that are likely to alter the behavior, 

displace, or cause excessive stress to existing animal or human populations occurring at a specific 

location and/or time. In this context, disruptive activity/activities refers to those actions that alter 

behavior or cause the displacement of individuals such that reproductive success is negatively affected, 

or an individual's physiological ability to cope with environmental stress is compromised. This term 

does not apply to the physical disturbance of the land surface, vegetation, or features. When 

administered as a land use restriction (e.g., No Disruptive Activities), this term may prohibit or limit the 

physical presence of sound above ambient levels, light beyond background levels, and/or the nearness 

of people and their activities. The term is commonly used in conjunction with protecting wildlife during 

crucial life stages (e.g., breeding, nesting, birthing, etc.), although it could apply to any resource value 

on the public lands. The use of this land use restriction is not intended to prohibit all activity or 

authorized uses. For actions other than those taken for human health and safety, regulatory compliance 

or emergency, BLM FOs must determine if any activity proposed in sage-grouse nesting, brood-rearing 

or WCA habitat is “disruptive” by determining if the activity would require people and/or the structure 

or activity to be present in these habitats for a duration of more than 1 hour during any one 24 hour 

period during the applicable season in the site-specific area.” 

Disturbance: A discrete event, either natural or human induced, that causes a change in the existing 

condition of an ecological system.

Diurnal: Describes a cyclic event recurring daily; or the nature or habit of an organism to be active 

during daylight hours. 

Diversity: The distribution and relative abundance of wildlife species, plant species, communities, 

habitats, or habitat features per unit of area. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-10 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Documented Lek: Any lek that has been identified as active, inactive, unknown, or occupied. 

Drainage (Oil and Gas): 1) Drainage occurs when oil and gas migrates in the subsurface from areas of 

high pressure to areas of lower pressure, such as is found near a producing well. 2) Production of 

migrated oil and gas without compensation to the owner and/or lessee from whose estate the 

hydrocarbons moved is called drainage.

Easement: A right held by a person or agency to make limited use of another’s real property for access or 

other purposes. 

Ecological Site: A kind of land with a specific potential natural community and specific physical site 

characteristics, differing from other kinds of land in that the site has the ability to produce distinctive 

kinds and amounts of vegetation and to respond to management. Ecological sites are defined and 

described with information about soil, species composition, and annual production. 

Ecosystem: A complete, interacting system of living organisms and the land and water that make up their 

environment; the home places of all living things, including humans. 

Emergency Use: These are activities occurring on the public lands outside the scope of normal resource 

use and operations, and which require immediate attention. Emergency use activities are typically 

driven by imminent concerns for human health and safety, or protection of property (e.g., wildfire 

suppression, HAZMAT response, disease outbreaks, etc.). Emergency use is typically exempted from 

other land use restrictions, with the exercise of reasonable and prudent care. 

Endangered Species: Any plant or animal species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a 

significant portion of its range, as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the authority of 

the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 

Enhance: The improvement of habitat by increasing missing or modifying unsatisfactory components 

and/or attributes of the plant community to meet sage-grouse objectives. 

Environmental Assessment (EA): Concise, analytical documents, authorized by the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, that are prepared with public participation to determine 

whether an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed for a particular project or action. If an EA 

determines an EIS is not needed, the EA becomes the document allowing agency compliance with 

NEPA requirements. 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): A document required by the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.” An EIS 

is a tool for decision making. It describes the positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed 

action, and it usually also lists one or more alternative actions that may be chosen instead of the action 

described in the EIS.

Ephemeral Channels/Streams: A defined channel formed in response to ephemeral surface flow 

conditions. Defined channels typically can be identified by an abrupt bank along a water flow path with 

evidence of scouring, sorting, and/or vegetation removal during flood events. These channels generally 

form in concave erosional features such as gullies, ravines, swales, etc. These channels are above the 

water table at all times, and lose water to the groundwater system. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-11

Ephemeral Surface Waters: Streams, lakes, or other surface water bodies that have open water only

during or immediately after periods of rainfall or snowmelt. These water bodies are above the water 

table at all times, and lose water to the groundwater system. 

Erosion: The wearing away of the land surface by running water, wind, ice, or other geological agents. 

Evaporation Pond: An industrial containment area designed to allow briny water to evaporate by using 

solar energy and wind. 

Exclusion Areas: An area on the public lands where a certain activity(ies) is prohibited to insure 

protection of other resource values present on the site. The term is frequently used in reference to 

lands/realty actions and proposals (e.g., rights-of-way, etc.), but is not unique to lands and realty 

program activities. This restriction is functionally analogous to the phrase "no surface occupancy" used 

by the oil and gas program, and is applied as an absolute condition to those affected activities. The less 

restrictive analogous term is avoidance area. 

Exotic Species: Species which occur in a given place, area, or region as the result of direct or indirect, 

deliberate or accidental introduction of the species by humans, and for which introduction has permitted 

the species to cross a natural barrier to dispersal.

Exploration: Active drilling and geophysical operations to: 

a. Determine the presence of the mineral resource; or 

b. Determine the extent of the reservoir or mineral deposit. 

Extensive Recreation Management Area (ERMA): BLM administrative units where recreation 

management is only one of several management objectives and where limited commitment of resources 

is required to provide extensive and unstructured types of recreation activities. These areas consist of 

the remainder of land areas not included in Special Recreation Management Areas (SRMA). 

Federal Lands: As used in this document, lands owned by the United States, without reference to how 

the lands were acquired or what federal agency administers the lands. The term includes mineral estates 

or coal estates underlying private surface but excludes lands held by the United States in trust for 

Indians, Aleuts, or Eskimos. (See also Public Land.) 

Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA): Public Law 94-579. October 21, 1976, 

often referred to as the BLM’ s “Organic Act,” which provides the majority of the BLM’s legislated 

authority, direction, policy, and basic management guidance. 

Federal Register (FR): A daily publication that reports Presidential and federal agency documents. 

Fire Management: The integration of knowledge of fire protection, prescribed fire, and fire ecology into 

multiple use planning, decisionmaking, and land management activities. Fire management places fire in 

perspective within the context of overall land management objectives. 

Fire Management Plan (FMP): A strategic plan that defines a program to manage wildland and 

prescribed fires and documents the fire management program in the approved land use plan. The plan is 

supplemented by operational procedures such as preparedness plans, preplanned dispatch plans, 

prescribed fire plans, and prevention plans. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-12 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Fire Regime Condition Class: A measure describing the degree of departure from historical fire 

regimes, possibly resulting in alterations of key ecosystem components such as species composition, 

structural stage, stand age, canopy closure, and fuel loadings. One or more of the following activities 

may have caused this departure: fire suppression, timber harvesting, livestock grazing, introduction and 

establishment of exotic plant species, introduced insects or disease, or other management activities. The 

fire regime condition classes defined as follows: 

• Condition Class 1: Fire regimes are within a historical range, and the risk of losing key 

ecosystem components from fire is low. Vegetation attributes (species composition and structure) 

are intact and functioning within an historical range. 

• Condition Class 2: Fire regimes have been moderately altered from their historical range. The 

risk of losing key ecosystem components from fire is moderate. Fire frequencies have departed 

from historical frequencies by one or more return intervals (either increased or decreased). This 

results in moderate changes to one or more of the following: fire size, frequency, intensity, 

severity, and landscape patterns. Vegetation attributes have been moderately altered from their 

historical range. 

• Condition Class 3: Fire regimes have been significantly altered from their historical ranges. The 

risk of losing key ecosystem components from fire is high. Fire frequencies have departed from 

historical frequencies by multiple return intervals. This results in dramatic changes to one or more 

of the following: fire size, frequency, intensity, severity, and landscape patterns. Vegetation 

attributes have been significantly altered from their historical range. 

Fire Suppression: All work and activities associated with fire-extinguishing operations, beginning with 

discovery and continuing until the fire is completely extinguished. 

Fishery: Habitat that supports the propagation and maintenance of fish. 

Flight Distance (Displacement Distance): That to which a person can approach a wild animal without 

causing it to flee.

Floodplain: The relatively flat area or lowlands adjoining river channel constructed by the river in the 

present climate and overflowed at times of high discharge. 

Flow Connected Surface Feature: A surface waterbody, including, but not limited to, a river, stream, 

lake, or pond, whose water is hydrologically connected to surface or groundwater. 

Forage: All browse and herbaceous foods available to grazing animals that may be grazed or harvested 

for feeding. 

Forage Reserve: A determination for an allotment, or a portion of an allotment, on which there is no 

current term permit obligation for some or all of the estimated livestock grazing capacity and where it 

has been determined to use the available forage for management flexibility when there is a loss of 

forage availability on other allotments because of factors such as drought, hail, or fire (either prescribed 

or wild).

Forest Crown Cover: The proportion of forested land area covered by tree crowns. 

Forest Management: The practical application of scientific, economic, and social principals to the 

administration and working of a forest for specified objectives.
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-13

Forest Resource: A community of one or more forest tree species in varying stages of ecological 

succession that constitutes the primary dominant life form by which certain understory plants and forest 

dwelling animals are associated, and in whole or part, dependent. (Schiche 2003) 

Forestland: See BLM/Forest Service Forestlands. 

Formation Fracturing: See Hydraulic Fracturing. 

Frac: See Hydraulic Fracturing. 

Fuelwood: Wood that is round, split, or sawn and/or otherwise generally refuse material cut into short 

lengths or chipped for burning.

Full Suppression: A fire suppression strategy requiring immediate and continuous aggressive attack to 

attain the suppression objectives with the least damage to property or loss of resources in the most costeffective manner possible. Such actions may include control, containment, or confinement of wildfire to 

attain land management objectives. 

Furbearing Animal: Badger, beaver, bobcat, marten, mink, muskrat, and weasel. 

Game Birds: Grouse, partridge, pheasant, ptarmigan, quail, wild turkey, and migratory game birds. 

Geophysical Operation: Prospecting for minerals or mineral fuels by measuring the various physical 

properties of the rocks and interpreting the results in terms of geologic features or the economic 

deposits sought. Physical measurements are taken at the surface, concerning the differences in the 

density, electrical resistance, or magnetic properties of the rocks. There are four main methods 

employed in geophysical prospecting: gravitational, magnetic, electrical, and seismic, with several 

modifications of each.

General Sage-Grouse Habitat: Is occupied (seasonal or year-round) habitat outside of priority habitat. 

These areas have been identified by the BLM/Forest Service in coordination with respective state 

wildlife agencies. 

Goal: A broad statement of a desired outcome. Goals are usually not quantifiable and may not have 

established time frames for achievement. 

Grazing Preference: The total number of animal unit months on public lands apportioned and attached 

to base property owned or controlled by a permittee, lessee, or an applicant for a permit or lease.

Grazing preference includes active use and use held in suspension. Grazing preference holders have a 

superior or priority position against others for the purpose of receiving a grazing permit or lease. 

Grazing System: A systematic sequence of grazing use and nonuse of an allotment to reach identified 

multiple-use goals or objectives. 

Guidelines: Guidelines are advisable actions that should be followed to achieve Grassland or forest goals 

and objectives. Deviations from guidelines must be analyzed during project-level analysis and 

documented in a project decision document, but do not require management plan amendments.” 

Habitat: A specific set of physical conditions that surround a species, group of species, or a large 

community. In wildlife management, the major constituents of habitat are considered to be food, water, 

cover, and living space. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-14 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Habitat Management Plan (HMP): An officially approved activity plan for a specific geographic area 

of public land. An HMP identifies wildlife habitat and related objectives, defines the sequence of 

actions to be implemented to achieve the objectives, and outlines procedures for evaluating 

accomplishments. 

Habitat Type: Place where an animal or plant normally lives, often characterized by a dominant plant 

form or physical characteristic.

Hazard Reduction: Any treatment of a hazard that reduces the threat of ignition and fire intensity or rate 

of spread. 

Hazardous Fuels: Excessive live or dead wildland fuel accumulations that increase the potential for 

uncharacteristically intense wildland fire and decrease the capability to protect life, property, and 

natural resources. 

Healthy Stream Channel Form and Function: Stream channel function includes both physical and 

biological attributes, and applies to intermittent and perennial water bodies. Function includes water 

transport, sediment transport, and transport of wood and chemicals (including nutrients) delivered to 

streams. Physical attributes of streams include landscape setting, cross-section form, longitudinal 

gradient, particle size distribution, and response/adjustment to disturbance. Biological attributes of 

streams include nutrient dynamics, biological productivity, and aquatic habitat characteristics. 

Herbaceous: Pertaining to or characteristic of an herb (fleshy-stem plant) as distinguished from the 

woody tissue of shrubs and trees. 

Herd Area: The geographic area identified as having been used by a herd as its habitat in 1971. 

Herd Management Area (HMA): Herd Management Areas shall be established for the maintenance of 

wild horse and burro herds. In delineating each herd management area, the authorized officer shall 

consider the appropriate management level for the herd, the habitat requirements of the animals, the 

relationships with other uses of the public and adjacent private lands, and the constraints contained in 

CFR 4710.4.” 

Hibernaculum: A shelter occupied during the winter by a dormant animal. 

Historic: Referring to the time after written records or after the Europeans first came and wrote about the 

people and events in America. 

Historical Lek: (Former term for “unoccupied lek”.) There are two types of unoccupied leks, “destroyed” 

or “abandoned.” Management protection will not be afforded to unoccupied leks. 

Historical Raptor Nests: Any raptor nest or site that has been destroyed but was historically recorded 

and documented. Temporal and spatial stipulations will not apply. 

Home Range: The area in which an animal travels in the scope of natural activities. 

Hydraulic Fracturing: The breaking or parting of reservoir rock through the use of injected fluids. 

Hydraulic fracturing is a method of stimulating production or injection at a specific depth in a formation 

of low permeability by inducing fractures and fissures in the formation by applying high fluid pressure 

to its face. Fluids (liquids, gases, foams, and emulsions) are injected into reservoir rock at pressures that 

exceed the strength of the rock and overcome internal stresses of the rock. The fluid enters the 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-15

formation and parts or fractures it. Sand grains, aluminum pellets, glass beads, or similar materials are 

carried in suspension by the fluid into the fractures. These are called propping agents or proppants. 

When the pressure is released at the surface, the fracturing fluid returns to the wellbore as the fractures 

partially close on the proppants, leaving paths with increased permeability for fluid flow. 

Identified 100-Year Flood Plains: Those areas delineated by the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency as having a 1 percent probability of being inundated in any given year. 

Impacts (or Effects): Consequences (the scientific and analytical basis for comparison of alternatives) as 

a result of a proposed action. Effects may be either direct, which are caused by the action and occur at 

the same time and place, or indirect, which are caused by the action and are later in time or farther 

removed in distance, but are still reasonably foreseeable, or cumulative. 

Implementation Plan: A site-specific plan written to implement decisions made in a land use plan. An 

implementation plan usually selects and applies best management practices to meet land use plan 

objectives. Implementation plans are synonymous with “activity” plans. Examples of implementation 

plans include interdisciplinary management plans, habitat management plans, and allotment 

management plans. 

Important Habitats: Areas of especially high value for a diversity of wildlife or areas that provide 

certain habitat elements essential to the existence of certain groups of wildlife. 

Inactive Lek: Any lek where sufficient data suggests that there was no strutting activity throughout a 

strutting season. Absence of strutting grouse during a single visit is insufficient documentation to 

establish that a lek is inactive. This designation requires documentation of either: 1) an absence of sagegrouses on the lek during at least two ground surveys separated by at least seven days. These surveys 

must be conducted under ideal conditions (April 1-May 7 (or other appropriate date based on local 

conditions), no precipitation, light or no wind, half-hour before sunrise to one hour after sunrise) or 2) a 

ground check of the exact known lek site late in the strutting season (after April 15) that fails to find 

any sign (tracks, droppings, feathers) of strutting activity. Data collected by aerial surveys should not be 

used to designate inactive status as the aerial survey may actually disrupt activities. 

Indicator Species: Species that indicate the presence of certain environmental conditions, seral stages, or 

previous treatment. One or more plant species selected to indicate a certain level of grazing use (See 

Management Indicator Species). 

Indirect Impacts (Effects): Indirect impacts are caused by the action and occur later in time or further 

removed in distance.

Infiltration Pond: An industrial containment area designed to allow groundwater recharge and the 

downward entry of water into the soil or other material. Infiltration impoundments constructed inchannel may allow for overflow under given storm events. 

Initial Attack: The actions taken by the first resources to arrive at a wildfire to protect lives and property, 

and prevent further extension of the fire. 

Integrated Ranch Planning: A method for ranch planning that takes a holistic look at all elements of the 

ranching operations, including strategic and tactical planning, rather than approaching planning as 

several separate enterprises. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-16 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Intensive Management: Use of proper distance restrictions, seasonal or timing restrictions, rehabilitation 

standards, and the application of the Wyoming Mitigation Guidelines for Surface-disturbing and 

Disruptive Activities to adequately protect the resources for which the intensive management is applied. 

Intensive management actions would be applied with the goal of maintaining or enhancing sensitive 

resources (plant communities, wildlife habitats, archeological or paleontological resources, etc.). 

Interdisciplinary Team: A group of individuals with different training, representing the physical 

sciences, social sciences, and environmental design arts, assembled to solve a problem or perform a 

task. The members of the team proceed to a solution with frequent interaction so that each discipline 

may provide insights on any stage of the problem, and disciplines may combine to provide new 

solutions. The number and disciplines of the members preparing the plan vary with circumstances. A 

member may represent one or more discipline or program interest. 

Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA): The Department of the Interior, Office of Hearings and 

Appeals, board that acts for the Secretary of the Interior in responding to appeals of decisions on the use 

and disposition of public lands and resources. Because the IBLA acts for and on behalf of the Secretary 

of the Interior, its decisions usually represent the Department’s final decision but are subject to the 

courts. 

Intermittent Surface Waters: Streams, lakes, or other surface water bodies that generally flow or 

contain during a portion of the year when they receive water from springs or during runoff from rain or 

snow. In the case of streams, this term can also refer to spatially noncontinuous flow because of 

groundwater interaction (i.e., portions of the stream are generally dry and portions are generally wet in 

most years). 

Inventoried Roadless Area: Undeveloped areas typically exceeding 5,000 acres that met the minimum 

criteria for wilderness consideration under the Wilderness Act and that were inventoried during the 

Forest Service’s Roadless Areas Review and Evaluation (RARE II) process, subsequent assessments, or 

forest planning. These areas are identified in a set of inventoried roadless area maps, contained in Forest 

Service Roadless Area Conservation, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Volume 2, dated 

November 2000, which are held at the National headquarters office of the Forest Service.

Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources: An irretrievable commitment of a resource 

is one in which the resource or its use is lost for a period of time. An irreversible commitment of a 

resource is one that cannot be reversed. NEPA §102(2)C requires a discussion of any irreversible or 

irretrievable commitments of resources that would be involved in a proposal should it be implemented. 

Jurisdiction: The legal right to control or regulate use of a transportation facility. Jurisdiction requires 

authority but not necessarily ownership. 

Landscape: A distinct association of land types that exhibit a unique combination of local climate, 

landform, topography, geomorphic process, surficial geology, soil, biota, and human influences. 

Landscapes are generally of a size that the eye can comprehend in a single view. 

Land and Resource Management Plan: A land use plan as prescribed by the Forest and Rangeland 

Renewable Resources Planning Act, as amended by the National Forest Management Act, that 

establishes, for a given area of land, land-use allocations, coordination guidelines for multiple-use, 

objectives, and actions to be achieved. 

Land Use Plan: A set of decisions that establish management direction for land within an administrative 

area, as prescribed under the planning provisions of FLPMA; an assimilation of land-use-plan-level 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-17

decisions developed through the planning process, regardless of the scale at which the decisions were 

developed. 

Land Locked: This term refers to the situation when any parcel of land (i.e., private, State, or Federal) 

has no legal access without crossing another ownership due to the existing land ownership pattern. 

Land Tenure Adjustment(s): This term refers to a change in land ownership patterns, or legal status, to 

improve their administrative manageability and/or their usefulness to the public. 

Large Scale Anthropogenic Disturbances: Features include but are not limited to paved highways, 

graded gravel roads, transmission lines, substations, wind turbines, oil and gas wells, geothermal wells 

and associated facilities, pipelines, landfills, agricultural conversion, homes, and mines. 

Late Brood Rearing Area: Habitat includes mesic sagebrush and mixed shrub communities, wet 

meadows, and riparian habitats as well as some agricultural lands (e.g. alfalfa fields, etc). 

Leasable Minerals: Minerals subject to lease by the Federal Government, such as coal, oil and gas, oil 

shale, potash, sodium, phosphate, and other minerals that may be acquired under the Mineral Leasing 

Act of 1920, as amended. The major leasable minerals in the planning area are oil and gas and coal. 

Geothermal resources are also leasable under the Geothermal Stream Act of 1970. 

Lease Notice: Provides more detailed information concerning limitations that already exist in law, lease 

terms, regulations, or operational orders. 

Lease Stipulations (Oil and Gas): Additional specific terms and conditions that modify the lease rights 

or change the manner in which an operation may be conducted.

Lek A traditional courtship display area attended by male sage-grouse in or adjacent to sagebrush 

dominated habitat. A lek is designated based on observations of two or more male sage-grouse engaged 

in courtship displays. Sub-dominant males may display on itinerant strutting areas during population 

peaks. Such areas usually fail to become established leks. Therefore, a site where less than five males 

are observed strutting should be confirmed active for two years before meeting the definition of a lek 

(Connelly et al 2000, Connelly et al. 2003, 2004). 

Lek Complex: A lek or group of leks within 2.5 km (1.5 mi) of each other between which male sagegrouse may interchange from one day to the next. Fidelity to leks has been well documented. Visits to 

multiple leks are most common among yearlings and less frequent for adult males, suggesting an agerelated period of establishment (Connelly et al. 2004). 

Lentic: Wetland or riparian areas with standing water habitat such as lakes, ponds, seeps, bogs, and 

meadows. 

Level of Acceptable Change: Federally established threshold of acceptable change to maintain 

conditions of acid-sensitive lakes. 

Level of Concern: Federally established atmospheric deposition threshold concentration amount related 

to undesirable effects on the ecosystem. 

Light Grazing: Light grazing is related to forage utilization, and can be expressed as livestock grazing 

that consumes no more than about 30% of the current year's growth of forage plants. Light refers to the 

effect on the landscape, which is measured through utilization monitoring. You may reduce the number 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-18 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

of animals by 30% and still not achieve "light grazing", if those animals that remain consume more than 

30% of the current year's forage growth. 

Limited Designation (OHV): Vehicle travel is restricted in some manner in the area. Restrictions could 

take many forms, but the most common are “limited to existing roads and trails;” which allows vehicle 

travel only on roads that were in existence at the time of designation or have been authorized for future 

uses; “limited to designated roads and trails,” which allows vehicle travel only on roads that BLM 

designates by signs; and “seasonal restrictions,” which restricts vehicle travel in an area or on certain 

roads during some portion of the year (such as wintertime vehicle restrictions to protect big game on 

crucial winter range). 

Under “limited to existing or designated roads and trails,” vehicle travel off roads is permitted only to 

accomplish necessary tasks and only if such travel would not result in resource damage. Necessary 

tasks are defined as work requiring the use of a motor vehicle. Examples include picking up big game 

kills, repairing range improvements, managing livestock, and conducting mineral activities, as 

described in the provisions of 43 CFR 3809.1-3. 

Livestock Conversion: A discretionary action changing permitted use from one class of animal to 

another. 

Locatable Minerals: Minerals subject to exploration, development, and disposal by staking mining 

claims as authorized by the Mining Law of 1872, as amended. This includes deposits of metallic 

minerals such as gold, silver, and other materials not subject to lease or sale, like some bentonites, 

limestone, talc, zeolites, etc.; see definition at 43 CFR 3830.10 and examples of minerals that are to be 

located by lode or placer claim at 43 CFR 3832.20. 

Lotic: Riparian areas with running water habitat such as rivers, streams, creeks, and springs. 

Lynx Analysis Unit (LAU): An LAU is a project analysis unit upon which direct, indirect, and 

cumulative effects analysis are performed. LAU boundaries should remain constant to facilitate 

planning and allow effective monitoring of habitat changes over time. An LAU is an area of at least the 

size used by an individual lynx, from about 25 to 50 square miles.

Management Decision: A decision made by the BLM/Forest Service to manage public lands. 

Management decisions include both land use plan decisions and implementation decisions. 

Management Indicator Species: A plant or animal species selected because their status is believed to (1) 

be indicative of the status of a larger functional group of species, (2) be reflective of the status of a key 

habitat type, or (3) act as an early warning of an anticipated stressor to ecological integrity. The key 

characteristic of a MIS species is that its status and trend provide insights to the integrity of the larger 

ecological system to which it belongs.

Master Development Plans: A set of information common to multiple planned wells, including drilling 

plans, Surface Use Plans of Operations, and plans for future production. 

Mineral: Any solid or fluid substance that can be extracted from the earth for profit. 

Mineral Entry: The filing of a claim on public land to obtain the right to any minerals it may contain. 

Mineral Estate: The ownership of minerals, including rights necessary for access, exploration, 

development, mining, ore dressing, and transportation operations. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-19

Mineral Location: The act of marking out and establishing rights by a claimant for mining purposes in 

accordance with the Mining Law of 1872, as amended. 

Mineral Materials: Materials such as common varieties of sand, stone, gravel, pumice, pumicite, and 

clay that are not obtainable under the mining or leasing laws but that can be acquired under the 

Materials Act of 1947, as amended; pursuant to the mineral material regulations at 43 CFR Part 3600 

(BLM administration) or 36 CFR 288C (Forest Service administration). 

Mining Claim: A parcel of land that a miner takes and holds for mining purposes, having acquired the 

right of possession by complying with the Mining Law and local laws and rules. There are four 

categories of mining claims: lode, placer, millsite, and tunnel site. 

Mitigation: Includes specific means, measures or practices that could reduce, avoid, or eliminate adverse 

impacts. Mitigation can include avoiding the impact altogether by not taking a certain action or parts of 

an action, minimizing the impact by limiting the degree of magnitude of the action and its 

implementation, rectifying the impact by repairing, rehabilitation, or restoring the affected environment, 

reducing or eliminating the impact over time by preservation and maintenance operations during the life 

of the action, and compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or 

environments. 

Modification (Oil and Gas Leasing): Modifications are similar to exceptions, but broader in scope, and 

involve a fundamental change to the provision of the stipulation. They can be granted either temporarily 

or for the duration of the lease. A modification may, therefore, include an exemption from or alternation 

to a stipulated requirement. Depending on the specific modification, the stipulation may or may not 

apply to all other sites within the leasehold to which the restrictive criteria applied. 

Monitoring: The orderly collection, analysis, and interpretation of resource data to evaluate progress 

toward meeting management objectives. This process must be conducted over time in order to 

determine whether or not management objectives are being met. Monitoring also includes observations 

to evaluate baseline (i.e., pre-activity) conditions, evaluation of whether activities met desired goals and 

permit requirements (implementation monitoring), and evaluation of how well mitigation measures 

protected resource conditions (effectiveness monitoring). 

Moraine: An accumulation of boulders, stones, and other earth debris carried and deposited by a glacier. 

Multiple Use: Management of the public lands and their various resource values so that they are used in 

the combination that will best meet the present and future needs of the American people; making the 

most judicious use of the land for some or all of these resources or related services over areas large 

enough to provide sufficient latitude for periodic adjustments in use to conform to changing needs and 

conditions; the use of some land for less than all of the resources; a combination of balanced and 

diverse resource uses that takes into account the long-term needs of future generations for renewable 

and non-renewable resources, including, but not limited to, recreation, range, timber, minerals, 

watershed, wildlife and fish, and natural scenic, scientific and historical values; and harmonious and 

coordinated management of the various resources without permanent impairment of the productivity of 

the land and the quality of the environment with consideration being given to the relative values of the 

resources and not necessarily to the combination of uses that will give the greatest economic return or 

the greatest unit output, as provided in the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act. 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): The allowable concentrations of air pollutants in 

the ambient (public outdoor) air. National ambient air quality standards are based on the air quality 

criteria and divided into primary standards (allowing an adequate margin of safety to protect the public 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-20 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

health) and secondary standards (allowing an adequate margin of safety to protect the public welfare). 

Welfare is defined as including, but not limited to, effects on soils, water, crops, vegetation, humanmade materials, animals, wildlife, weather, visibility, climate, and hazards to transportation, as well as 

effects on economic values and on personal comfort and well-being. 

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA): The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

[42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.] was signed into law on January 1, 1970. The Act establishes national 

environmental policy and goals for the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of the environment 

and provides a process for implementing these goals within the federal agencies. The Act also 

establishes the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). 

National Forest System: The term used to include the National Forests, National Grasslands, and other 

related lands that the Forest Service has administers responsibility. 

National Forest System Lands: Federal lands designated by Executive order or statute as national 

forests, national grasslands, or purchase units, or other lands under the administration of the U.S. Forest 

Service. 

National Historic Trail: A congressionally designated trail that is an extended, long-distance trail, not 

necessarily managed as continuous, that follows as closely as possible and practicable the original trails 

or routes of travel of national historic significance. The purpose of a National Historic Trail is the 

identification and protection of the historic route and the historic remnants and artifacts for public use 

and enjoyment. A National Historic Trail is managed in a manner to protect the nationally significant 

resources, qualities, values, and associated settings of the areas through which such trails may pass, 

including the primary use or uses of the trail. 

National Register of Historic Places (NRHP): The official list of United States government’s historic 

districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation. Authorized by the 

National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is a national 

program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect 

America’s historic and archeological resources. 

National Scenic Trail: A congressionally designated trail that is a continuous and uninterrupted 

extended, long-distance trail so located as to provide for maximum outdoor recreation potential and for 

the conservation and enjoyment of the nationally significant resources, qualities, values, and associated 

settings and the primary use or uses of the areas through which such trails may pass. National Scenic 

Trails may be located so as to represent desert, marsh, grassland, mountain, canyon, river, forest, and 

other areas, as well as landforms that exhibit significant characteristics of the physiographic regions of 

the Nation.

National Wild and Scenic Rivers (WSR): The system of congressionally designated rivers and their 

immediate environments that have outstanding scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, 

cultural, and other similar values and are preserved in a free-flowing condition. 

Necessary Tasks: Administrative duties or work requiring the use of motor vehicles, such as retrieving 

big game kills, repairing range improvements, management of livestock, geophysical exploration 

activities and other types of leasable mineral exploration activity (other than casual use), or performing 

mining claim functions resulting in less than 5 acres of surface disturbance as described in 43 CFR 

3809. Mining claimants may exercise their rights to cause more than 5 acres disturbance as part of 

exploring for or mining locatable minerals 36 CFR 3809.5. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-21

No Surface Occupancy (NSO): Land use allocation or approval restriction used when surface 

disturbance cannot be mitigated and must be prohibited. The land use decision or stipulation identifies 

the NSO area and allowed or excepted uses in the area. NSO stipulations are used on oil and gas leases 

where drilling and/or operations impacts cannot be adequately mitigated but fluid mineral resources 

may be recovered by directional drilling. Exclusion Area designations in the Realty Program are NSO 

land use decisions. This stipulation can be used to prohibit other surface disturbing or disruptive 

activities such as commercial recreational activities, mining, and timber harvest (see also Stipulation 

Category) (IBWY-2007-029). 

Noncommercial Forestland: Land that is not capable of yielding at least 20 cubic feet of wood per acre 

per year of commercial species; also, land that is capable of producing only noncommercial tree 

species. 

Non-Point Source Pollution: A pollution source that is not specific in location. The source of the 

discharge is dispersed, not well defined, or constant. 

[3809] Notice-level Mining Activities: A notice is required for exploration activity greater than casual 

use that will cause surface disturbance of 5 acres or less on BLM-administered lands and split-estate. 

On National Forest System lands, a notice of intent to operate is required from any person proposing to 

conduct operations which might cause significant disturbance of surface resources (36 CFR 228.4(a)). 

Mining activity, regardless of acreage disturbed, may not be conducted under a notice filed under the 

current regulations. For activities under BLM jurisdiction, the content of the notice will determine 

whether the operation qualifies as a notice-level operation and will not cause undue and unnecessary 

degradation (43 CFR 3809.21). For activities under Forest Service jurisdiction, the content of the notice 

will determine whether the operation is causing or will likely cause significant disturbance of surface 

resources, which would require a plan of operations (36 CFR 228.4(a)(4)). 

Noxious Weeds: A plant species designated by federal or State law as generally possessing one or more 

of the following characteristics: aggressive and difficult to manage; parasitic; a carrier or host of serious 

insects or disease; or nonnative, new, or not common to the United States. 

Objective: A concise, time-specific statement of measurable, planned results that respond to preestablished goals. An objective forms the basis for further planning to define the precise steps to be 

taken and resources to be used in achieving identified goals 

Occupied Lek: A lek that has been active during at least one strutting season within the prior 10 years. 

Occupied Habitat: The area currently used by Greater Sage-Grouse during any point in its life history. 

This use may be for a short amount of time (i.e., migration) or used throughout the year. In addition, 

this includes areas used inconsistently and/or seasonally.

Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV): Any motorized tracked or wheeled vehicle designed for cross-country 

travel over any type of natural terrain. Exclusions (from Executive Order 11644, as amended by 

Executive Order 11989) are non-amphibious registered motorboats; any military, fire, emergency, or 

law enforcement vehicle while being used for emergency purposes; any vehicle whose use is expressly 

authorized by the authorizing officer or otherwise officially approved; vehicles in official use; and any 

combat support vehicle in times of national defense emergencies. 

Off-Highway Vehicle Management Designations: Designations that apply to all off-road vehicles 

regardless of the purposes for which they are being used. Emergency vehicles are excluded. The Off 

Road Vehicle (ORV) designation definitions have been developed in cooperation with representatives 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-22 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

of the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Park Service, and BLM State and District personnel. It is recognized 

that there are differences between OHVs and over-the-snow vehicles in terms of use and impact. 

Therefore, travel by over-the-snow vehicles is permitted off existing routes and in all open or limited 

areas (unless otherwise specifically limited or closed to over-the-snow vehicles) if they are operated in 

a responsible manner without damaging the vegetation or harming wildlife. Designations include— 

Closed: Vehicle travel is prohibited in the area. Access by means other than motorized vehicle is 

permitted. 

Open: Vehicle travel is permitted in the area (both on and off roads) if the vehicle is operated 

responsibly in a manner not causing, or unlikely to cause significant, undue damage to or disturbance of 

the soil, wildlife, wildlife habitat, improvements, cultural, or vegetative resources or other authorized 

uses of the public lands. 

Limited: 

1) Vehicle travel is permitted only on existing roads and vehicle routes that were in existence prior 

to the date of designation in the Federal Register. Vehicle travel off existing vehicle routes is 

permitted only to accomplish necessary tasks and only if such travel does not result in resource 

damage. Random travel from existing vehicle routes is not allowed. Creation of new routes or 

extensions and/or widening of existing routes is not allowed without prior written agency 

approval. 

2) Vehicle travel is permitted only on roads and vehicle routes designated by BLM. In areas where 

final designation has not been completed, vehicle travel is limited to existing roads and vehicle 

routes as described above. Designations are posted as follows: 

a) Vehicle route is open to vehicular travel. 

b) Vehicle route is closed to vehicular travel. 

3) Vehicle travel is limited by number or type of vehicle. Designations are posted as follows: 

a) Vehicle route limited to 4-wheel drive vehicles only. 

b) Vehicle route is limited to motorbikes only. 

c) Area is closed to over-the-snow vehicles. 

4) Vehicle travel is limited to licensed or permitted use. 

5) Vehicle travel is limited to time or season of use. Posted as follows: 

a) Seasonal closure to all motor vehicles (the approximate dates of closure are indicated). 

6) Where specialized restrictions are necessary to meet resources management objectives, other 

limitations may also be developed. Posted as follows: Recreational OHV Play Areas. 

Offsite Mitigation: Compensating for resource impacts by replacing or providing substitute resources or 

habitat at a different location than the project area. 

Oil and Gas Lease: A legal contract granting the right to explore for, develop and produce oil and gas 

resources for a specific period of time under certain agreed-upon terms and conditions.

Open Designation (OHV): Under this designation, vehicle travel is permitted in the area (both on and off 

roads) if the vehicle is operated responsibly in a manner that will not cause significant undue damage to 

the soil, wildlife, vegetation, cultural resources, or other important resources on the public lands. 

Overstory: The portion of vegetation in a forest that forms the uppermost foliage layer. 

Paleontological Resources (Fossils): The physical remains or traces of plants and animals preserved in 

soils and sedimentary rock formations. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-23

Particulate Matter (PM): Fine liquid or solid particles suspended in the air and consisting of dust, 

smoke, mist, fumes, and compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen, and metals. 

Partners: an association of individuals or groups with like interests due to the scope or location of a 

project on federal lands or in regard to a federal permitting process. 

Parturition Area: Documented birthing areas commonly used by females. They include calving areas, 

fawning areas, and lambing grounds. These areas may be used as nurseries by some big game species. 

Passerine Birds: Birds of the order Passeriformes, which includes perching birds and songbirds such as 

blackbirds, jays, finches, warblers, and sparrows. More than half of all birds belong to this order. 

Personal Income: The sum of wage and salary disbursements, other labor income, proprietors’ income, 

rental income of persons, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and transfer payments to 

persons, less personal contributions for social insurance. 

Perennial Surface Waters: Streams, lakes, or other surface water bodies that flow or contain water yearround in most years. These water bodies are primarily fed by groundwater during the low-flow season. 

These systems would generally only dry up during drought conditions. In the case of streams, this term 

can refer to the persistence of surface waters along a channel (i.e., few reaches where the infiltration 

into the stream aquifer exceeds the flow).

pH: A measure of acidity or hydrogen ion activity. Neutral is pH 7.0. All values below 7.0 are acidic, and 

all values above 7.0 are alkaline. 

Plan: A document that contains a set of comprehensive, long-range decisions concerning the use and 

management of BLM-administered resources in a specific geographic area. 

Plan of Operations: A [3809] Plan of Operations is required for all locatable mining exploration activity 

greater than 5 acres or surface disturbance greater than casual use on certain special category lands. 

Special category lands are described under 43 CFR 3809.11(c) and include such lands as designated 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, lands within the National Wilderness Preservation System, 

and areas closed to off-road vehicles, among others. In addition, a plan of operations is required for 

activity greater than casual use on lands patented under the Stock Raising Homestead Act with Federal 

minerals where the operator does not have the written consent of the surface owner (43 CFR 3814 & 

3809.31(d)). The Plan of operations needs to be filed in the BLM field office with jurisdiction over the 

land involved. The Plan of Operations does not need to be on a particular form but must address the 

information required by 43 CFR 3809.401(b). The distinction between a Notice of Intent and a Plan of 

Operation (POO) are different for the Forest Service and not tied to acres of disturbance. A POO is 

required if ‘any operation is causing or will likely cause significant disturbance of surface resources’ 36 

CFR 228.4. 

Planning Area: A geographical area for which land use and resource management plans are developed 

and maintained. 

Planning Criteria: The standards, rules, and other factors developed by managers and interdisciplinary 

teams for their use in forming judgments about decision making, analysis, and data collection during 

planning. Planning criteria streamline and simplify the resource management planning actions. 

Planning Base: Law, regulation, policy, land use plan decisions (e.g., RMPs, Resource Management Plan 

Amendments, and Management Framework Plan Amendments), NEPA documents (e.g., EISs 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-24 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Administrative Determinations, EAs, and Categorical Exclusion Reviews), and supporting data (e.g., 

automated databases, research, and evaluations). 

Point Source Pollution: Any discernable, confined, and discrete conveyance, including, but not limited 

to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, or container from which pollutants 

are or may be discharged to a receiving water body, wetland, etc. 

Policy: This is a statement of guiding principles, or procedures, designed and intended to influence 

planning decisions, operating actions, or other affairs of the BLM or Forest Service. Policies are 

established interpretations of legislation, executive orders, regulations, or other presidential, secretarial, 

or management directives. 

Population: A group of organisms, all of the same species, that occupies a particular area. The term is 

used to refer to the number of individuals of a species within an ecosystem or of any group of like 

individuals. 

Potential Wild And Scenic River: A body of water or estuary or a section, portion, or tributary thereof, 

including rivers, streams, creeks, runs, kills, nills, and small lakes that possess free-flowing condition 

and outstandingly remarkable values and therefore may have potential for addition to the National 

System. 

Preference: See Grazing Preference. 

Prehistoric: Information about past events prior to the recording of events in writing. The period of 

prehistory differs around the world depending upon when written records became common in a region. 

Prescribed Fire: Any fire ignited by management actions to meet specific objectives. A written, 

approved prescribed fire plan must exist, and NEPA requirements must be met, prior to ignition. 

Prescribed Fire Plan (Burn Plan): This document provides the prescribed fire burn boss information 

needed to implement an individual prescribed fire project. 

Prescription: Measurable criteria that define conditions under which a prescribed fire or wildland fire for 

resource benefit may be used to guide selection of appropriate management responses and indicate 

other required actions. Prescription criteria may include safety, economic, public health, environmental, 

geographic, administrative, social, or legal considerations. 

Primary Paved Road: This road provides access between major points and includes major and minor 

highways. See the Forest Service definition listed under Roads 

Primary Unpaved Road: This road is regularly maintained, wide enough for at least two vehicles, 

provides access between major points, and serves a large area branching from it. 

Priority Sage-grouse Habitat: Areas that have been identified as having the highest conservation value 

to maintaining sustainable sage-grouse populations. These areas would include breeding, late broodrearing, and winter concentration areas. These areas have been identified by the BLM/Forest Service in

coordination with respective state wildlife agencies. 

Produced Water: Groundwater produced in conjunction with the extraction of minerals. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-25

Proper Functioning Condition (PFC): A riparian-wetland area is considered to be in proper functioning 

condition when adequate vegetation, landform, or large woody debris is present to dissipate stream 

energy associated with high water flow, thereby reducing erosion and improving water quality; filter 

sediment, capture bedload, and aid floodplain development; improve flood-water retention and groundwater recharge; develop root masses that stabilize streambanks against cutting action; develop diverse 

ponding and channel characteristics to provide the habitat and the water depth, duration, and 

temperature necessary to fish production, waterfowl breeding, and other uses; and support greater 

biodiversity. The functioning condition of riparian-wetland areas is a result of interaction among 

geology, soil, water, and vegetation (Prichard, et al. 1998). There are two categories of wetlands—lentic 

areas, which are created by a stable water table such as playas, fens, around lakes, marshes etc., and 

lotic areas, which are in riverine environments. 

Proposed Species: Species that have been officially proposed for listing as threatened or endangered by 

the Secretary of the Interior as determined by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. A proposed rule has 

been published in the Federal Register.

Public Domain: The term applied to any or all of those areas of land ceded to the Federal Government by 

the Original States and to such other lands as were later acquired by treaty, purchase or cession, and are 

disposed of only under the authority of Congress. 

Public Lands: As used in this document, federally owned surface or mineral estate specifically 

administered by BLM/Forest Service. 

Range Improvement: The term range improvement means any activity, structure or program on or 

relating to rangelands which is designed to improve production of forage; change vegetative 

composition; control patterns of use; provide water; stabilize soil and water conditions; and provide 

habitat for livestock and wildlife. The term includes, but is not limited to, structures, treatment projects, 

and use of mechanical means to accomplish the desired results. 

Range Trend: The direction of change in range condition over time, either toward or away from desired 

management objectives. 

Rangeland: Land on which the indigenous (climax or natural potential) vegetation is predominantly 

grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs and is managed as a natural ecosystem. If plants are 

introduced, they are managed similarly. Rangelands include natural grasslands, savannas, shrublands, 

many deserts, tundras, alpine communities, marshes and meadows.

Raptor: Bird of prey with sharp talons and strongly curved beaks such as hawks, owls, vultures, ravens, 

and eagles. 

Raptor Concentration Area (RCA): A localized area where raptors congregate that may provide 

thermal protection, increased forage availability, and a minimal level of stress-inducing disturbances. 

Reasonably Foreseeable Development (RFD): A projection of likely exploration, development, and 

production of oil and gas within a study area based on existing and credible geologic data, technology, 

economics, and activity trends. 

Reclamation: The suite of actions taken within an area affected by human disturbance, the outcome of 

which is intended to change the condition of the disturbed area to meet pre-determined objectives 

and/or make it acceptable for certain defined resources (e.g., wildlife habitat, grazing, ecosystem 

function, etc.). 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-26 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS): BLM ROS Classes: A planning process that provides a 

framework for defining classes of outdoor recreation environments, activities, and experience 

opportunities. The settings, activities, and opportunities for experiences are arranged along a continuum 

or spectrum of six classes: primitive, back country, middle country, front country, rural, and urban. The 

resulting analysis defines specific geographic areas on the ground, each of which encompasses one of 

the six classes. 

Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) Forest Service Classes: 

• Primitive: The area is characterized by an essentially unmodified natural environment of fairly 

large size. Interaction between users is very low and evidence of other users is minimal. The area 

is managed to be essentially free from evidence of human-induced restrictions and controls. 

Motorized use within the area is not permitted. 

• Semi-primitive Nonmotorized: The area is characterized by a predominately natural or naturalappearing environment of moderate to large size. Interaction between users is low, but there is 

often evidence of other users. The area is managed in such a way that minimum on-site controls 

and restrictions may be present, but would be subtle. Motorized recreation is not permitted, but 

local roads used for other resource management activities may be present on a limited basis. Use 

of such roads is restricted to minimize impact on recreational opportunities. 

• Semi-primitive Motorized: The area is characterized by a predominately natural or natural 

appearing environment of moderate to large size. The concentration of users is low, but there is 

often evidence of other users. The area is managed in such a way that minimum on-site controls 

and restrictions may be present, but would be subtle. Motorized use of local primitive or collector 

roads with predominately natural surfaces and trails suitable for motor bikes is permitted. 

• Roaded Natural: The area is characterized by predominately natural-appearing environments 

with moderate evidence of the sights and sounds of people. Such evidence is usually harmonious 

with the natural environment. Interaction between users may be moderate to high, with evidence 

of other users prevalent. Resource modification and utilization practices are evident but 

compatible with the natural environment. Conventional motorized use is allowed and 

incorporated into construction standards and design of facilities. 

• Roaded Natural Nonmotorized (Dakota Prairie only): The area is closed to motorized use, yet 

has been heavily modified or is not large enough to be set aside as semi-primitive nonmotorized. 

• Roaded Modified: An area characterized by a natural environment that has been substantially 

modified by structure and vegetative manipulation. No on-site facilities are present except signing 

at major road junctions. Moderate evidence of other users on roads is present. Minimal site 

controls of users are present, except for gated roads. 

• Rural: The area is characterized by a natural environment that has been substantially modified by 

development of structures, vegetative manipulation, or pastoral agricultural development. 

Resource modification and utilization practices may be used to enhance specific recreational 

activities and to maintain vegetative cover and soil. Sights and sounds of humans are readily 

evident, and the interaction between users is often moderate to high. A considerable number of 

facilities are designed for use by a large number of people. Facilities are often provided for 

special activities. Moderate user densities are present away from developed sites. Facilities for 

intensified motorized use and parking are available. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-27

• Urban: The area is characterized by a substantially urbanized environment, although the 

background may have natural-appearing elements. Renewable resource modification and 

utilization practices are often used to enhance specific recreational activities. Vegetative cover is 

often exotic and manicured. Sights and sounds of humans are predominant on the site. Large 

numbers of users can be expected both on the site and in nearby areas. Facilities for highly 

intensified motor use and parking are available, with forms of mass transit often available to carry 

people throughout the site. 

Reference State: The reference state is the state where the functional capacities represented by soil/site 

stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity are performing at an optimum level under the natural 

disturbance regime. This state usually includes, but is not limited to, what is often referred to as the 

potential natural plant community. 

Required Design Features: Means, measures, or practices intended to reduce or avoid adverse 

environmental impacts. A suite of features that would establish the minimum specifications for certain 

activities (i.e., water developments, mineral development, and fire and fuels management) and mitigate 

adverse impacts. These design features would be required to provide a greater level of regulatory 

certainty than through implementation of Best Management Practices. In general, the design features 

are accepted practices that are known to be effective when implemented properly at the project level. 

However, their applicability and overall effectiveness cannot be fully assessed except at the projectspecific level when the project location and design are known. Because of site-specific circumstances, 

some features may not apply to some projects (e.g., a resource is not present on a given site) and/or may 

require slight variations from what is described in the EIS/RMP amendment (e.g., a larger or smaller 

protective area). All variations in design features would require appropriate analysis and disclosure as 

part of future project authorizations. Additional mitigation measures may be identified and required 

during individual project development and environmental review. 

Research Natural Area (RNA): A physical or biological unit in which current natural conditions are 

maintained as much as possible. These conditions are ordinarily achieved by allowing natural, physical, 

and biological processes to prevail without human intervention. However, under unusual circumstances, 

deliberate manipulation may be utilized to maintain the unique feature that the RNA was established to 

protect.

Response to Wildland Fire: Specific actions taken in response to a wildland fire to implement protection 

and fire use objectives (WO IM 2009-112 which transmitted and adopted Guidance for Implementation 

of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy dated February 13, 2009). 

Restoration: Implementation of a set of actions that promotes plant community diversity and structure 

that allows plant communities to be more resilient to disturbance and invasive species over the long 

term. The long-term goal is to create functional, high quality habitat that is occupied by sage-grouse. 

Short-term goal may be to restore the landform, soils and hydrology and increase the percentage of 

preferred vegetation, seeding of desired species, or treatment of undesired species.

Resource Damage: Damage to any natural or cultural resources that results in impacts such as erosion, 

water pollution, degradation of vegetation, loss of archeological resources, or the spread of weeds. 

Resource Management Plan (RMP): A land use plan as prescribed by the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act that establishes, for a given area of land, land-use allocations, coordination guidelines 

for multiple-use, objectives, and actions to be achieved. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-28 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Restriction/Restricted Use: A limitation or constraint on public land uses and operations. Restrictions 

can be of any kind, but most commonly apply to certain types of vehicle use, temporal and/or spatial 

constraints, or certain authorizations.

Right-of-Way: Public land authorized to be used or occupied for the construction, operation, 

maintenance, and termination of a project or facility passing over, upon, under, or through such land (36 

CFR 251.51) pursuant to a ROW. A ROW grant is an authorization to use a specific piece of public 

land for a specific project, such as roads, pipelines, transmission lines, and communication sites. The 

grant authorizes rights and privileges for a specific use of the land for a specific period of time. The 

privilege that one person or persons particularly described may have of passing over the land of another 

in some particular line. 

Right-of-Way Corridor: A parcel of land (often linear in character) that has been identified through the 

land use planning process as being a preferred location for existing and future utility rights-of-way and 

that is suitable to accommodate one or more rights-of-way that are similar, identical, or compatible. 

Corridors may accommodate multiple pipelines (such as for oil and gas), electricity transmission 

lines, and related infrastructure, such as access and maintenance roads, compressors, pumping 

stations, and other structures. 

Riparian: Referring to or relating to areas adjacent to water or influenced by free water associated with 

streams or rivers on geologic surfaces occupying the lowest position in the watershed. (see definition 

for Lentic and Lotic). (See also Wetland/Riparian.) 

Riparian Area: A form of wetland transition between permanently saturated wetlands and upland areas. 

These areas exhibit vegetation or physical characteristics reflective of permanent surface or subsurface 

water influence. Lands along, adjacent to, or contiguous with perennially and intermittently flowing 

rivers and streams, glacial potholes, and the shores of lakes and reservoirs with stable water levels are 

typical riparian areas (See BLM Manual 1737). Included are ephemeral streams that have vegetation 

dependent upon free water in the soil. All other ephemeral streams are excluded. 

Riparian Communities: Communities of vegetation associated with either open water or wetlands. 

Examples are cottonwood and willow communities, meadows, aspens near water sources, and other 

trees, grasses, forbs, and shrubs associated with water. 

River Eligibility: Qualification of a river for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System 

through the determination (professional judgment) that it is free-flowing and, with its adjacent land 

area, possesses at least one river-related value considered to be outstandingly remarkable. 

Road: A vehicle route that has either been improved and maintained by mechanical means to ensure 

relatively regular and continuous use, or been established where vehicle travel has created two parallel 

tracks lacking vegetation. 

Road Functional Classification-(Forest Service): The way in which a road services land and resource 

management needs and the character of services it provides. Functional classification for roads include 

the following: 

• Forest Arterial Road: A Forest road that provides service to large land areas and usually 

connects with other arterial roads or public highways. (FSH 7709.54) 

• Forest Collector Road: A Forest road that serves smaller land areas than an arterial road. 

Usually connects forest arterial roads to local forest roads or terminal facilities. (FSH 7709.54) 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-29

• Forest Local Road: A Forest road that connects terminal facilities with forest collector, forest 

arterial or public highways. Usually Forest local roads are single purpose transportation facilities. 

(FSH 7709.54. 

Road Maintenance Level - Defines the level of service provided by, and maintenance required for, a 

specific road, consistent with road management objectives and maintenance criteria. There are five 

maintenance levels: 

• Maintenance Level 1: Assigned to intermittent service roads during the time they are closed to 

vehicular traffic. The closure period is one year or longer. Basic custodial maintenance is 

performed. 

• Maintenance Level 2: Assigned to roads open for use by high-clearance vehicles. Passenger car 

traffic is not a consideration. 

• Maintenance Level 3: Assigned to roads open and maintained for travel by a prudent driver in a 

standard passenger car. User comfort and convenience are not considered priorities. 

• Maintenance Level 4: Assigned to roads that provide a moderate degree of user comfort and 

convenience at moderate travel speeds. 

• Maintenance Level 5: Assigned to roads that provide a high degree of user comfort and 

convenience. Normally, roads are double-laned and paved or aggregate-surfaced with dust 

abatement. 

Roadless Areas: Undeveloped areas that meet eligibility criteria for wilderness consideration under the 

Wilderness Act (36 CFR 219.17). (See Inventoried Roadless Area.)

Roads, Primitive Roads and Trails: Roads, primitive roads or trails that have been specifically 

designated for motorized use through a public implementation-level National Environmental Policy Act 

process in accordance with 43 CFR, Part 8340. 

Runoff: The total stream discharge of water, including both surface and subsurface flow, usually 

expressed in acre-feet of water yield. 

Sage-grouse Breeding Habitats: Breeding habitats are composed of leks, nesting and early broad rearing 

habitats. 

Sage-grouse Disruptive Activity: Those Public Land resource uses/activities that are likely to alter the 

behavior, displace, or cause excessive stress to existing sage-grouse populations occurring at a specific 

location and/or time. In this context, disruptive activity/activities refers to those actions that alter 

behavior or cause the displacement of individuals such that reproductive success is negatively affected, 

or an individual's physiological ability to cope with environmental stress is compromised. This term 

does not apply to the physical disturbance of the land surface, vegetation, or features. Examples of 

disruptive activities may include noise, human foot or vehicle traffic, domestic livestock roundups, or 

other human presence regardless of the activity. When administered as a land use restriction (e.g., No 

Disruptive Activities), this term may prohibit or limit the physical presence of sound above ambient 

levels, light beyond background levels, and/or the nearness of people and their activities.

Sage-grouse Winter Habitats: During winter, sage-grouse feed almost exclusively on sagebrush leaves 

and buds. Suitable winter habitat requires sagebrush above snow. Sage-grouse tend to select wintering 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-30 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

sites where sagebrush is 10 to 14 inches above the snow. Sagebrush canopy cover used by sage-grouse 

above the snow may range from 10 to 30%. Foraging areas tend to be on flat to generally southwest 

facing slopes and windswept ridges. 

Salable Minerals: Minerals that may be disposed of through sales and free use permits under the 

Materials Act of 1947, as amended. Included are common varieties of sand, stone, gravel, and clay (See 

also Mineral Materials). 

Sawtimber: Trees containing at least one eight foot sawlog and meeting regional specifications for 

freedom from defect. Softwood trees must be at least eight inches in diameter at breast height (4.5 feet 

above the ground). (Forest Standards). 

Scenery Management System (SMS): A planning and management tool used to delineate, define, and 

integrate scenery resources in land and resource management planning. An SMS inventory is required 

for every Forest Plan revision.”

Scenic Integrity: An indicator of an areas visual appearance, either stated as an objective or current 

condition, related to the characteristic landscape.” 

Scenic Integrity (Existing or Objective): State of naturalness or, conversely, the state of disturbance 

created by human activities or alteration. Integrity is stated in degrees of deviation from the existing 

landscape character in a national grassland or forest. The scenic integrity levels are: 

• Very High (Unaltered): Preservation. This level refers to landscapes where the valued landscape 

character is intact with only minute, if any, deviations. The existing landscape character and sense 

of place is expressed at the highest possible level. 

• High (Appears Unaltered): Retention: This level refers to landscapes where the valued 

landscape character appears intact. Deviations may be present but must repeat the form, line, 

color, texture and pattern common to the landscape character so completely and at such scale that 

they are not evident. 

• Moderate (Slightly Altered): Partial retention: This level refers to landscapes where the valued 

landscape character appears slightly altered. Noticeable deviation must remain visually 

subordinate to the landscape character being viewed. 

• Low (Moderately Altered): Modification: This level refers to landscapes where the valued 

landscape character appears moderately altered. Deviations begin to dominate the valued 

landscape character being viewed, but they borrow valued attributes such as size, shape, 

vegetative type changes or architectural styles outside the landscape being viewed. They should 

not only appear as valued character outside the landscape being viewed but compatible or 

complimentary to the character within. 

• Very Low (Heavily Altered): Maximum Modification. This level refers to landscapes where 

the valued landscape character appears heavily altered. Deviations may strongly dominate the 

valued landscape character. They may no borrow from valued attributes such as size, shape, 

vegetative type changes or architectural styles within or outside of the landscape being viewed. 

However, deviations must be shaped and blended with the natural terrain (landforms) so that 

elements such as roads, and structures do not dominate the composition. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-31

• Unacceptably Low: This level refers to landscapes where the valued landscape character being 

viewed appears extremely altered. Deviations are extremely altered. Deviations are extremely 

dominate and borrow little if any form, line, color, texture, pattern, or scale from the landscape 

character. Landscapes at this level of integrity need rehabilitation. 

Scenic Resource: Attributes, characteristics, and features of landscapes that provide varying responses 

from, and varying degrees of benefits to, humans.

Scenic Quality: The relative worth of a landscape from a visual perception point of view. Scenic quality 

is rated as Class A (high), Class B (medium), or Class C (low). 

Scoping: The process of identifying the range of issues, management concerns, preliminary alternatives, 

and other components of an environmental impact statement or land-use planning document. It involves 

both internal and public viewpoints. 

Season of Use: A livestock grazing permit term and condition identifying the time during which livestock 

graze a given area to achieve management and resource condition objectives. 

Secondary Paved Road: This is a paved road, not a highway, with other roads of lesser quality 

branching from it. It is not usually striped and connects primary roads and major points. Refer to Forest 

Service functional levels and maintenance levels. 

Secondary Unpaved Road: This one-lane road is regularly maintained with other roads of lesser quality 

branching from it. It usually connects primary roads and major points.

Section 110 Inventory: Refers to Section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as 

amended. Section 110 of the Act directs federal agencies to establish a preservation program for the 

identification, evaluation, and nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, cultural properties 

that are under the agencies' jurisdiction or control. Section 110 also directs federal agencies to 

coordinate their respective preservation programs with the State Historic Preservation Offices, local 

governments, and Indian tribes (110.a.2.D). 

Sensitive Soils: Land areas that have a moderate to very high hazard for soil compaction, erosion, or 

displacement. These soils include, but are limited to, red soils, saline soils, sandy soils, highly 

calcareous, and shallow. 

Sensitive Species: Those species designated by a State Director, usually in cooperation with the State 

agency responsible for managing the species and state natural heritage programs. They are those species 

that: (1) could easily become endangered or extinct in a state; (2) are under status review by the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service and/or National Marine Fisheries Service; (3) are undergoing significant 

current or predicted downward trends in habitat capability that would reduce a species’ existing 

distribution; (4) are undergoing significant current or predicted downward trends in population or 

density such that federal listing, proposal, or candidate status may become necessary; (5) typically have 

small and widely dispersed populations, or (6) inhabit ecological refugia or other specialized or unique 

habitats. 

Sensitive Species (Forest Service): Those plant and animal species identified by a regional forester for 

which population viability is a concern, as evidenced by: 

• Significant current or predicted downward trends in population numbers or density. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-32 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

• Significant current or predicted downward trends in habitat capability that would reduce a 

species' existing distribution 

Seral Stage: The relatively transitory communities that develop under plant succession generally 

described as early, mid, and late seral stages. The mix of seral or successional stages on the landscape 

can be the result of disturbances, topography and soil, climate, uses of the land, management 

prescriptions, vegetation classification categories, and evaluation procedures. 

Shrub: A plant that has persistent woody stems and a relatively low growth habit, and that generally 

produces several basal shoots instead of a single bole. 

Size Class: Tree size recognized by distinct ranges, usually of diameter or height. 

Smoke Management: Application of fire intensities and meteorological processes to minimize 

degradation of air quality during prescribed fires or fires for resource benefit. 

Spatial Management: As used in this document, intensive control of the location and level of surface 

disturbance that is allowed in a particular area. 

Special Area Designation: A title conferred on a specified area through the land use planning process, 

which identifies the area as being in need of special management attention. Examples of special area 

designations include Special Recreation Management Areas, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, 

Special interest area, and Wildlife Habitat Management Areas. 

Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA): A public lands unit identified in land use plans to 

direct recreation funding and personnel to fulfill commitments made to provide specific, structured 

recreation opportunities (i.e., activity, experience, and benefit opportunities). Both land use plan 

decisions and subsequent implementing actions for recreation in each SRMA are geared to a 

strategically identified primary recreation-tourism market – destination, community, or undeveloped, as 

well as a corresponding and distinguishing recreation management strategy. Recreation settings or 

natural resource settings are prescribed as part of the land-use allocation decision. Subsequent 

implementing actions, as identified in the activity planning framework, are proactive and address 

management, marketing and visitor information, and monitoring and administration. 

Special Status Species: Proposed species, listed species, and candidate species under the Endangered 

Species Act; state-listed species; and BLM State Director-designated sensitive species (see BLM 

Manual 6840—Special Status Species Policy). 

Split Estate: This is the circumstance where the surface of a particular parcel of land is owned by a 

different party than the minerals underlying the surface. Split estates may have any combination of 

surface/subsurface owners: Federal/State; Federal/private; State/private; or percentage ownerships. 

When referring to the split estate ownership on a particular parcel of land, it is generally necessary to 

describe the surface/subsurface ownership pattern of the parcel. 

Standard (BLM): A description of the physical and biological conditions or degree of function required 

for healthy, sustainable lands (e.g., land health standards). 

Standard (Forest Service): Standards are actions that must be followed or are required limits to 

activities in order to achieve Grassland objectives. Site-specific deviations from standards must be 

analyzed and documented in management plan amendments. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-33

Standard Lease Term: The terms incorporated into every oil and gas lease. Standard lease terms require 

compliance with all laws and regulations to ensure protection of other energy, mineral, and surface 

resources, such as soil, water, vegetation, cultural, and threatened and endangered species. It is 

important to recognize that the authorized officer has the authority to modify the siting and design of 

facilities, control the rate of development and timing of activities as well as require other mitigation 

under Sections 2 and 6 of the standard lease terms (BLM Form 3100-11 and 43 CFR 3101.1-23). 

Stakeholders: Individuals or groups who are involved in or affected by a course of action that is being 

proposed in a project plan affecting federal lands or a federal permitting process. 

State: A state is comprised of an integrated soil and vegetation unit having one or more biological 

communities that occur on a particular ecological site and that are functionally similar with respect to 

the three attributes (soil/site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity) under natural 

disturbance regimes. 

State Listed Species: Species proposed for listing or listed by a state in a category implying but not 

limited to potential endangerment or extinction. Listing is either by legislation or regulation. 

Stipulation: A condition or requirement attached to a lease or contract, usually dealing with protection of 

the environment or recovery of a mineral. 

Stipulation Category: Land use decisions or authorization requirements intended to mitigate impacts of 

surface disturbing or disruptive activities. These include RMP decisions, oil and gas lease stipulations, 

conditions of approval, and terms and conditions. These stipulations may prohibit surface use, allow 

surface use under certain conditions, or allow surface use during certain times (see also No Surface 

Occupancy, Controlled Surface Use, and Timing Limitation). 

Stochastic: Randomly determined event, chance event, a condition determined by predictable processes 

and a random element. 

Strutting Ground: An area used by sage-grouse in early spring for elaborate, ritualized courtship 

displays. See also Lek. 

Substrate: The mineral or organic material that forms the bed of a stream; the base upon which an 

organism lives; the surface on which a plant or animal grows or is attached. 

Succession: The progressive replacement of plant communities on a site which leads to a potential 

natural plan community, attaining stability.

Suppression: All the work of extinguishing or containing a fire, beginning with its discovery. 

Surface Discharge: The release of produced water onto the unconfined land surface or into an existing 

drainage system. 

Surface Disturbance: Suitable habitat is considered disturbed when it is removed and unavailable for 

immediate sage-grouse use. 

a. Long-term removal occurs when habitat is physically removed through activities that replace 

suitable habitat with long term occupancy of unsuitable habitat such as a road, powerline, well 

pad or active mine. Long-term removal may also result from any activities that cause soil mixing, 

soil removal, and exposure of the soil to erosive processes. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-34 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

b. Short–term removal occurs when vegetation is removed in small areas, but restored to suitable 

habitat within a few years (< 5) of disturbance, such as a successfully reclaimed pipeline, or 

successfully reclaimed drill hole or pit. 

c. Suitable habitat rendered unusable due to numerous anthropogenic disturbances 

d. Anthropogenic surface disturbance are surface disturbances meeting the above definitions which 

result from human activities. 

Surface Disturbing Activities: An action that alters the vegetation, surface/near surface soil resources, 

and/or surface geologic features, beyond natural site conditions and on a scale that affects other Public 

Land values. Examples of surface disturbing activities may include: operation of heavy equipment to 

construct well pads, roads, pits and reservoirs; installation of pipelines and power lines; and the conduct 

of several types of vegetation treatments (e.g., prescribed fire, etc.). Surface disturbing activities may be 

either authorized or prohibited (WY IB-2007-029). 

Surface Management: Operations conducted on BLM administered lands pursuant to the 43 CFR 

Subpart 3809 regulations. The three levels of operations under these regulations are defined in this 

glossary include Casual Use, Notice and Plan of Operations. Use and Occupancy of mining claims 

pursuant to 43 CFR Subpart 3715 that is reasonably incident to Notices and Plans of Operations may 

also take place pursuant to review and approval by the BLM Authorized Official (AO).

Surface Occupancy: Placement or construction on the land surface of semi-permanent or permanent 

facilities requiring continual service or maintenance. Casual use is not included. 

Surface Use(s): These are all the various activities that may be present on the surface or near-surface 

(e.g., pipelines), of the public lands. It does not refer to those subterranean activities (e.g., underground 

mining, etc.) occurring on the public lands or federal mineral estate. When administered as a use 

restriction (e.g., No Surface Use [NSU]), this phrase prohibits all but specified resource uses and 

activities in a certain area to protect particular sensitive resource values and property. This designation 

typically applies to small acreage sensitive resource sites (e.g., plant community study exclosure, etc.), 

and/or administrative sites (e.g., government ware-yard, etc.) where only authorized, agency personnel 

are admitted. 

Take: As defined by the Endangered Species Act, “to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, 

capture, or collect, or attempt to engage in any such conduct.” 

Temporal Management: As used in this document, intensive control of the period during which BLM 

will allow activities that are physiologically disturbing or disruptive to normal wildlife activities such as 

elk migration. 

Temporary/Temporary Use: This term is used as the opposite of the term permanent/ permanent use. It 

is a relative term and has to be considered in the context of the resource values affected and the nature 

of the resource use/uses/activity/activities taking place. Generally, a temporary activity is considered to 

be one that is not fixed in place and is of short duration. 

Thermal Cover: Cover used by animals to ameliorate the effects of weather. Optimally, thermal cover is 

provided by a stand of coniferous trees, 30 to 60 acres in size, at least 40 feet tall, with a canopy cover 

of at least 70 percent. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-35

Threatened Species: Any plant or animal species defined under the Endangered Species Act as likely to 

become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range; 

listings are published in the Federal Register as determined by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and 

the Secretary of Interior. 

Thrust Fault: A reverse fault that is characterized by a low angle of inclination with reference to a 

horizontal plane. 

Timing Limitation: A stipulation that prohibits surface disturbing or disruptive activities during 

specified times to protect identified resource values during sensitive periods (see also Stipulation 

Category). The stipulation does not apply to the operation or maintenance of production facilities unless 

the finding analysis demonstrates the continued need for such mitigation and the insufficiency of less 

stringent, project-specific mitigation measures.” 

Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) Site: A cultural resource known to be perceived by a specified 

social and/or cultural group as important in maintaining the cultural identity, heritage, or well-being of 

the group. In the planning area, this mainly pertains to cultural sites that are sensitive to Native 

American tribes. 

Transition: A shift between two states. Transitions are not reversible by simply altering the intensity or 

direction of factors that produced the change. Instead, they require new inputs such as revegetation or 

shrub removal. Practices, such as these, that accelerate succession are often expensive to apply. 

Trophy Game Animal: Black bear, grizzly bear, or mountain lion. 

Turbidity: An interference to the passage of light through water due to insoluble particles of soil, 

organics, microorganisms and other materials. 

Unavailable for Leasing: No new oil and gas leases would be sold in areas with this designation. 

Undetermined Lek: Any lek that has not been documented active in the last ten years, but survey 

information is insufficient to designate the lek as unoccupied. 

Unitization: Operation of multiple leases as a single lease under a single operator. 

Unoccupied Lek: A lek that has either been “destroyed” or “abandoned.” 

Unsuitability Criteria: Criteria of the federal coal management program by which lands may be assessed 

as unsuitable for all or certain stipulated methods of coal mining. 

Uplands: Lands at higher elevations than alluvial plains or low stream terraces; all lands outside the 

riparian-wetland and aquatic zones. 

Utility Corridor: A designated parcel of land, either linear or areal in character, which has ecological, 

technical, economic, social, or similar advantages over other areas for the present and future location of 

transportation and/or utility rights of way within its boundaries. Utilities include but are not limited to 

major energy and telecommunications facilities.

Utilization: The proportion of the current year’s forage production that is consumed by grazing animals. 

Utilization is usually expressed as a percentage. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-36 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

Valid Existing Rights (Minerals): Legal interest that attaches to a land or mineral estate and that cannot 

be divested from the estate until that interest expires or is relinquished.

Vegetative Cover: The proportion of land or ground surface of an area covered by vegetation. 

Viewshed: The landscape that can be directly seen under favorable atmospheric conditions from a 

viewpoint or along a transportation corridor. 

Visual Quality Objectives (VQOs): A desired level of excellence based on physical and sociological 

characteristics of an area. Refers to degree of acceptable alteration of the characteristic landscape. 

Visual Quality Objectives include: 

• Maximum Modification: Activity may dominate the characteristic landscape but should appear 

as a natural occurrence when viewed as background. 

• Modification: Activity may dominate the characteristic landscape but must, at the same time, 

utilize naturally established form, line, color, and texture. It should appear as a natural occurrence 

when viewed in foreground or middleground. 

• Partial Retention: Activities may be evident but must remain subordinate to the characteristic 

landscape. 

• Preservation: Provides for ecological change only. 

• Retention: Activities are not evident to the casual forest visitor.

Visual Resource: Visible feature of the landscape, such as land, water, vegetation, animals, and other 

features that make up the scenery of an area. 

Visual Resource Management (VRM): The system by which BLM classifies and manages scenic values 

and visual quality of public lands. The system is based on research that has produced ways of assessing 

aesthetic qualities of the landscape in objective terms. After inventory and evaluation, lands are given 

relative visual ratings (management classes), which determine the amount of modification allowed for 

the basic elements of the landscape. 

Visual Resource Management (VRM) Classes: Visual resource management classes define the degree 

of acceptable visual change within a characteristic landscape. A class is based on the physical and 

sociological characteristics of any given homogeneous area and serves as a management objective. The 

four classes are described below: 

• Class I provides for natural ecological changes only. This class includes primitive areas, some 

natural areas, some wild and scenic rivers, and other similar areas where landscape modification 

activities should be restricted. 

• Class II areas are those areas where changes in any of the basic elements (form, line, color, or 

texture) caused by management activity should not be evident in the characteristic landscape. 

• Class III includes areas where changes in the basic elements (form, line, color, or texture) caused 

by a management activity may be evident in the characteristic landscape. However, the changes 

should remain subordinate to the visual strength of the existing character. 
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-37

• Class IV applies to areas where changes may subordinate the original composition and character; 

however, they should reflect what could be a natural occurrence within the characteristic 

landscape. 

Waiver (Oil and Gas): Permanent exemption from a lease stipulation. The stipulation no longer applies 

anywhere within the leasehold. 

Water Disposal Pit: A pit designed under the authority of Onshore Oil and Gas Order #7 for containment 

of produced water (water produced in conjunction with oil and gas production) as defined in said order. 

Water disposal pits can be temporary or permanent. 

Water Evaporation Pit: A water disposal pit that disposes of produced water via the process of 

evaporation. 

Water Influence Zone: The water influence zone (WIZ) includes the geomorphic floodplain, riparian 

ecosystem, and inner gorge. Its minimum horizontal width (from top of each bank) is the greater of 100 

feet or the mean height of mature dominant late-seral vegetation. It includes adjacent unstable and 

highly-erodible soils. The WIZ protects interacting aquatic, riparian, and upland functions by 

maintaining natural processes and resilience of soil, water, and vegetation systems (Reid and Ziemer, 

1994). 

Water Table: The plane surface between the zone of saturation and the zone of aeration. Measured as the 

elevation where the groundwater surface is at equilibrium with atmospheric pressure. The water table is 

typically measured with a shallow groundwater well and is equal to the elevation of the water surface in 

the well. This term is typically not used in reference to confined aquifers or aquifers under pressure. 

Also known as the groundwater table, groundwater surface, water level, and saturated surface, among 

others. 

Watershed: The area of land, bounded by a divide, that drains water, sediment, and dissolved materials 

to a common outlet at some point along a stream channel (Dunne and Leopold, 1978), or to a lake, 

reservoir, or other body of water. Also called drainage basin or catchment. 

Wetlands: Those areas that are inundated by surface water or groundwater with a frequency sufficient to 

support, and under normal circumstances do or would support, a prevalence of vegetative or aquatic life 

that requires saturated or seasonally saturated soil conditions for growth and reproduction. Wetlands 

generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas such as sloughs, potholes, wet meadows, 

river overflows, mudflats, and natural ponds.

Wild Horse Herd Management Area: Areas established by the Authorized Officer for the maintenance 

of wild horse and burro herds. Herd management areas are established in consideration of the 

appropriate management level for the herd, the habitat requirements of the animals, the relationships 

with other uses of the public and adjacent private lands, and the constraints contained in 43 CFR 

4710.4. 

Wild, Scenic, or Recreational River Areas: The three classes of what is traditionally referred to as a 

“wild and scenic river.” Designated river segments are classified as wild, scenic, and/or recreational, 

but the segments cannot overlap. 

• Wild River Areas: Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments and generally 

inaccessible except by trail, with watersheds or shorelines essentially primitive and waters 

unpolluted. These represent vestiges of primitive America. 
Glossary Draft EIS 

GL-38 Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment 

• Scenic River Areas: Those rivers or sections of rivers that are free of impoundments, with 

shorelines or watersheds still largely primitive and shorelines largely undeveloped, but accessible 

in places by roads. 

 Recreational River Areas: Those rivers or sections of rivers that are readily accessible by road 

or railroad, that may have some development along their shorelines, and that may have undergone 

some impoundment or diversion in the past. 

Wildcat Well: A well drilled in an area where oil and gas have not been previously discovered 

Wilderness: A congressionally designated area defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964, 16 USC 

§1131(a), as undeveloped federal land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent 

improvements or human habitation, that is protected and managed to preserve its natural conditions and 

that (1) generally appears to have been affected mainly by the forces of nature, with human imprints 

substantially unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined 

type of recreation; (3) has at least 5,000 acres or is large enough to make practical its preservation and 

use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or other features of 

scientific, educational, scenic, or historic value. 

Wilderness Characteristics: These attributes include the area’s size, its apparent naturalness, and 

outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of recreation. They may also 

include supplemental values. Lands with wilderness characteristics are those lands that have been 

inventoried and determined by the BLM to contain wilderness characteristics as defined in section 2(c) 

of the Wilderness Act. 

Wilderness Study Area (WSA): A roadless area that has been inventoried and found to be wilderness in 

character, has few human developments, and provides outstanding opportunities for solitude and 

primitive recreation, as described in Section 603 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 

1976 and in Section 2(c) of the Wilderness Act of l964. “A Wilderness...(1) generally appears to have 

been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially 

unnoticeable; (2) has outstanding opportunities for solitude or a primitive and unconfined type of 

recreation; (3) has at least five thousand acres of land or is of sufficient size as to make practicable its 

preservation and use in an unimpaired condition; and (4) may also contain ecological, geological, or 

other features of scientific, educational, scenic, or historical value.” When these characteristics were 

found within a defined boundary, the presence of the wilderness resource was documented and the area 

was classified as a WSA (BLM Manual 6330). 

Wildland Fire: Any non-structure fire that occurs in the vegetation and/or natural fuels. This includes 

both prescribed fire and wildfire (NWCG Memo #024-2010 April 30, 2010. www.nwcg.gov).

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI): Healthy Forest Recreation Act 2003: defines wildland urban 

interface (WUI) (section 101) as an area within or adjacent to an at risk community that has been 

identified by a community in its wildfire protection plan or, for areas that do not have such a plan, an 

area extending; (1) 1⁄2 mile from the boundary of an at risk community, or (2) 1 1⁄2 miles when other 

criteria are met. (e.g., a sustained steep slope or a geographic feature aiding in creating an effective fire 

break or is condition class III land, or (3) is adjacent to an evacuation route. 

Wildlife Services (WS): A division of the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

that is responsible for the control of animals that are causing economic losses to agriculture, damage to 

property, or hazards to human health. (See also Animal Damage Control.)
Draft EIS Glossary 

Wyoming Sage-grouse Land Use Plan Amendment GL-39

Winter Concentration Areas: Sage-grouse winter habitats which are occupied annually by sage-grouse 

and provide sufficient sagebrush cover and food to support birds throughout the entire winter 

(especially periods with above average snow cover). Many of these areas support several different 

breeding populations of sage-grouse. Sage-grouse typically show high fidelity for these areas, and loss 

or fragmentation can result in significant population impacts. 

Withdrawal: Withholding an area of federal land from settlement, sale, location, or entry under some or 

all of the general land laws for the purpose of limiting activities under those laws in order to maintain 

other public values in the area or reserving the area for a particular public purpose or program; or 

transferring jurisdiction over an area of federal land, other than property governed by the Federal 

Property and Administrative Services Act (40 USC 472), from one department, bureau, or agency to 

another department, bureau, or agency. 

Wyoming Connectivity Areas: Condition in which the spatial arrangement of land cover types allows 

organisms and ecological processes (such as disturbance) to move across the landscape preventing 

population isolation. These connectivity areas could provide linkage within a state's sub-populations or 

between interstate sub populations.