U.S. Department of the Interior 

Bureau of Land Management 

Wyoming State Office 

Rock Springs Field Office June 2000 

DRAFT 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated 

Activity Plan 
MISSION STATEMENT 

It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, 

and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future 

generations. 

BLM/WY/PL-00/020+1610 



DRAFT

Environmental Impact Statement for the

Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan

Rock Springs, Wyoming

Lead Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 

Type of Action: Administrative 

Jurisdiction: Portions of Sweetwater, Fremont, and Sublette Counties 

Abstract: This draft environmental impact statement (EIS) addresses alternative coordinated 

activity plans for the JMHCAP area. When completed, the JMHCAP will provide more specific 

management direction to prevent or address conflicts among potential development of energy 

resources, recreational activities and facilities, wildlife and wildlife habitat, and provide more 

specific management direction for other land and resource uses in the planning area, including 

livestock grazing, important wildlife habitat, and other important resources. The planning area 

comprises about 574,800 acres of federal land and federal mineral estate in the Jack Morrow Hills 

area in southwestern Wyoming. This Draft EIS contains four alternative coordinated activity plans 

that provide management direction for the protection of certain resources (e.g., desert elk and other 

big game habitat, unique sand dune-mountain shrub habitat, unstabilized and stabilized sand dunes, 

cultural sites) and allow leasing and development of energy resources, recreational activities, grazing 

practices, and other activities at varying levels. 

When the JMHCAP planning effort is completed, it will provide an integrated multiple use activity 

plan for a balanced level of resource uses and provide protection for sensitive and important resource 

values on the BLM-administered public lands in the area. The fluid minerals leasing decisions and 

locatable mineral decisions for the JMH area, that were deferred in the Green River RMP, will be 

determined in the JMHCAP which will result in amending the Green River RMP. Other management 

prescriptions resulting from this planning effort include some refinement of designations of roads for 

use, grazing practices, recreational activities and facilities, identification of right-of-way windows 

and concentration areas, and prescriptions for managing wildlife habitat. 

Four alternatives that address the issues in the JMHCAP planning area have been considered. They 

are continuation of present management (no action alternative) and three other alternatives that 

provide a variety of management choices ranging from restricting management actions or development, to actively mitigating the effects of resource management actions or development. The 

Preferred Alternative is a combination of the No Action Alternative and Alternatives A and B. The 

four alternatives presented in Chapter 2 of the draft EIS focus on allocating public lands and resources 

among the uses and prescribing general management actions that would be taken. The various 

impacts that would be expected from implementing each of the alternatives are documented in 

Chapter 4. 

When the JMHCAP is completed, it will provide a comprehensive framework for managing the BLMadministered public lands and resources and allocating their uses in the planning area. Further 

information regarding this draft EIS can be obtained from the address below. Comments will be 

accepted for 90 days following the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the 

notice of filing of this draft EIS in the Federal Register. Comments should be sent to the following 

address: 

Renée Dana, Team Leader

Bureau of Land Management

Rock Springs Field Office

280 Highway 191 North

Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901

(307) 352-0256 
RUNNING HEAD 

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION 

This draft environmental impact statement (EIS) and coordinated activity plan (CAP) will provide more specific management direction to address potential conflicts among potential development of energy resources, recreational activities 

and facilities, and land uses in the Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan planning area. The planning area includes 

approximately 574,800 acres of public land surface and federal mineral estate administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) through its Rock Springs Field Office in 

Rock Springs, Wyoming. The JMHCAP planning area encompasses the Steamboat Mountain, Greater Sand Dunes, 

White Mountain Petroglyphs, and Oregon Buttes Areas of 

Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC); a portion of the 

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC; the Oregon Buttes, 

Honeycomb Buttes, Greater Sand Dunes, Buffalo Hump, 

Whitehorse Creek, South Pinnacles, and Alkali Draw Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs); and three special recreation management areas—Greater Sand Dunes, Continental Divide 

National Scenic Trail, and the Oregon/Mormon Pioneer/Pony 

Express/California National Historic Trails. Parts of Fremont, Sweetwater, and Sublette counties in southwest Wyoming are within the planning area. 

When completed, the Jack Morrow Hills CAP will provide 

a framework for managing the BLMadministered public lands 

and resources and allocating some of these uses in the planning area. Specifically, this CAP is focused on resolving three 

resource management issues: Minerals Resource Management and Related Rights-of-Way; Resource Uses Affecting 

Vegetation, Soils, Air, and Watershed Values; and Recreation, and Cultural Resources Management. 

The CAP will make land and resource management decisions for fluid mineral leasing and some for mineral location 

in the core area and related affected areas. These decisions 

were not ripe for determining in the Green River RMP 

prepared in 1997, and were deferred to the JMHCAP. Thus, 

this effort will make the Green River RMP fluid minerals 

leasing decisions (and modify some existing decisions) and 

mineral location decisions for the CAP planning area and 

determine the appropriate levels and timing of leasing and 

development of energy resources, while sustaining the other 

important land and resource uses in the area. These deferred 

Green River RMP decisions will result in amending the Green 

River RMP. Other management prescriptions resulting from 

this planning effort include some refinement of designations 

of roads for use, grazing practices, recreational activities and 

facilities, identification of right-of-way windows and concentration areas, and prescriptions for managing wildlife habitat. 

ALTERNATIVES 

Four alternatives are analyzed in detail and documented in 

this document. All the alternatives are multiple-use oriented. 

Each alternative provides for resource production and environmental protection. The management prescriptions of the 

four alternatives are described in Chapter 2 and summarized 

and compared in Table 2-1, Summary Comparison of Alternatives (found at the end of Chapter 2). 

The No Action Alternative would continue current management practices on the basis of the existing land use plan 

(the GRRMP). In this alternative, no additional lands would 

be leased for fluid minerals in what is known as the “core” 

area, about 80,410 acres encompassing the Steamboat Mountain ACEC, portions of the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC, and 

overlapping crucial big game habitats surrounding and adjacent to the Greater Sand Dunes and Steamboat Mountain 

ACECs. 

Alternative A generally would reduce the level of land use 

restrictions and provide for more intensive management of 

mineral resources, recreation, and livestock grazing than 

either the No Action Alternative or Alternative B. Fluid 

mineral leasing would be allowed in the core area. 

Alternative B would address resource management conflicts by increasing the level of restrictions on land uses and by 

providing for more intensive management of noncommodity 

resources than under the No Action Alternative or Alternative 

A. Fluid mineral leasing would not be allowed in the core area 

or in important migratory elk habitat. 

The BLM’s Preferred Alternative generally would place 

greater emphasis on protection of the natural environment 

than the No Action Alternative or Alternative A and would 

prescribe fewer restrictions on land use than Alternative B. 

The management actions in the Preferred Alternative were 

drawn from the No Action Alternative and Alternatives A and 

B, but the Preferred Alternative also contains management 

actions that are not included in any of the other alternatives. 

Compared to the other alternatives, this alternative provides 

for staged oil and gas leasing and related development. Portions of the planning area would be available for leasing 

consideration, with appropriate mitigation, upon completion 

of the Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan. Before 

other areas would be leased for oil and gas development, they 

would be withheld from leasing consideration until it could be 

ensured that adequate big game habitat would remain available for use. 

The environmental consequences that could result from 

the management prescriptions of the four alternatives are 

described in Chapter 4 and summarized and compared in 

Table 4-1, Summary Comparison of Impacts (found at the end 

of Chapter 4). 

i 
CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY.....................................................................................................................................................i

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................i

ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................................................i

ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................................i

CHAPTER 1-PURPOSE OF AND NEED FORTHE PLANNING EFFORT.........................................1

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................1

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE JACK MORROW HILLS CAP .............................................................1

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANNING AREA...............................................................................................2

PLANNING ISSUES AND PLANNING CRITERIA....................................................................................2

Planning Issues Identified...........................................................................................................................2

Issue 1: Minerals Resource Management and Rights-of-Way .............................................................2

Issue 2: Resource Uses Affecting Vegetation, Soils, Air, and Watershed Values ...............................2

Issue 3: Recreation and Cultural Resource Management .....................................................................3

Planning Criteria.........................................................................................................................................3

Criteria for Hydrocarbon Leasing and Development ............................................................................3

Criteria for Locatable Minerals..............................................................................................................3

Criteria for Use of Wyoming BLM Mitigation Guidelines ...................................................................4

Criteria for Healthy Rangelands ............................................................................................................4

Criteria for Livestock Grazing Management .........................................................................................4

Criteria for the Coal Screening/Planning Process..................................................................................4

Criteria for Wilderness Study Areas......................................................................................................4

Criteria for Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) ............................................................4

Criteria for Wild Horses ........................................................................................................................5

Criteria for Wild and Scenic Rivers.......................................................................................................5

Criteria for Livestock Grazing...............................................................................................................5

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND DOCUMENTATION....................................................................5

No Action Alternative ................................................................................................................................5

Other Alternatives Including the Preferred Alternative..............................................................................5

Affected Environment ................................................................................................................................5

Environmental Consequences of the Alternatives......................................................................................5

SCOPING, CONSULTATION, AND COORDINATION.............................................................................5

Table 1-1, Land And Mineral Ownerships And Administrative Jurisdictions Within the

JMHCAP Planning Area .............................................................................................................................7

Table 1-2, Public Scoping Process for the Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan Draft EIS ............9

CHAPTER 2-DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING THE PREFERRED

COORDINATED ACTIVITY PLAN....................................................................................................11

ALTERNATIVE FORMULATION .............................................................................................................11

ALTERNATIVES AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM

Applying Standard Lease Notice #1 as the Only Mitigation for Surface Disturbance and Disrupting

Authorizing Activities with a No Surface Occupancy (NSO) Requirement (For All Surface Disturbing

DETAILED ANALYSIS ..............................................................................................................................11

Closure to Livestock Grazing ...................................................................................................................11

Closure to Mineral Leasing ......................................................................................................................12

Maximum, Unconstrained Alternatives....................................................................................................12

Activities .......................................................................................................................................................12

and Disruptive Activities) On the Entire Planning Area .......................................................................12

Prohibiting Oil and Gas Activity on Existing Leased Areas ....................................................................13

Withdrawing the Entire Core Area From Mineral Location ....................................................................13

Identification of New Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) ..........................................................................13

ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED IN DETAIL..............................................................................................13

iii 
CONTENTS

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE....................................................................................................................14

Overall Planning Area Management ........................................................................................................14

Management Actions Common to All Land and Resource Programs in the Preferred Alternative ....14

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management..............................................15

Fire Management .................................................................................................................................15

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................15

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................16

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................17

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................17

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................19

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................19

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................19

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................19

Special Status Species Management....................................................................................................19

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................19

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................20

Vegetation Management ......................................................................................................................20

Visual Resource Management .............................................................................................................21

Watershed/Water Quality Management...............................................................................................21

Wild Horse Management .....................................................................................................................21

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................21

Core Area (Steamboat Mountain ACEC, eastern portion of the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC,

and adjacent overlapping crucial big game habitat) .............................................................................21

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management..............................................21

Fire Management .................................................................................................................................21

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................21

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................22

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................22

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................22

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................23

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................23

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................23

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................23

Special Status Species Management....................................................................................................24

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................24

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................24

Vegetation Management ......................................................................................................................25

Visual Resource Management .............................................................................................................25

Watershed/Water Quality Management...............................................................................................25

Wild Horse Management .....................................................................................................................25

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................25

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (38,650 acres in the planning area) .........................................................25

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management .........................................25

Fire Management ............................................................................................................................25

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................25

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................26

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................26

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................27

Special Status Species Management ...............................................................................................27

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................27

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................27

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................28

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................28

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................28

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................28

iv 
CONTENTS

Steamboat Mountain ACEC (43,310 acres in the planning area)........................................................28

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management .........................................28

Fire Management ............................................................................................................................28

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................28

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................29

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................29

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................30

Special Status Species Management ...............................................................................................30

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................30

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................30

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................31

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................31

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................31

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................31

Other Special Management Areas ............................................................................................................31

Oregon Buttes ACEC (3,450 acres in the planning area) ....................................................................31

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management .........................................31

Fire Management ............................................................................................................................31

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................31

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................31

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................31

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................32

Special Status Species Management ...............................................................................................32

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................32

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................32

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................32

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................32

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................32

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................32

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC (45,830 acres in the planning area)........................................32

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management .........................................32

Fire Management ............................................................................................................................32

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................32

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................32

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................33

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................34

Special Status Species Management ...............................................................................................34

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................34

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................34

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................34

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................34

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................34

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................34

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................35

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC (20 acres in the planning area)..................................................35

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management .........................................35

Fire Management ............................................................................................................................35

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................35

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................35

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................35

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................36

Special Status Species Management ...............................................................................................36

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................36

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................36

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................36

v 
CONTENTS

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................36

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................36

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................36

Red Desert Watershed Area (169,010 acres in the planning area) ......................................................36

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management .........................................36

Fire Management ............................................................................................................................36

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................36

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................37

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................37

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................38

Special Status Species Management ...............................................................................................38

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................38

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................38

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................39

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................39

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................39

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................39

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................39

NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ....................................................................................................................39

Overall Planning Area Management .............................................................................................................39

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management..............................................39

Fire Management .................................................................................................................................39

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................39

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................40

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................40

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................40

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................41

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................41

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................41

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................41

Special Status Species Management....................................................................................................41

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................41

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................42

Vegetation Management ......................................................................................................................42

Visual Resource Management .............................................................................................................42

Watershed/Water Quality Management...............................................................................................42

Wild Horse Management .....................................................................................................................42

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................42

Core Area (Steamboat Mountain ACEC, eastern portion of the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC,

and adjacent overlapping crucial big game habitat) .............................................................................43

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................43

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................43

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................43

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................43

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................43

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................43

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................44

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................44

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................44

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................44

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (38,650 acres in the planning area) .........................................................44

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................44

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................45

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................45

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................45

vi 
CONTENTS

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................45

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................45

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................46

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................46

Steamboat Mountain ACEC (43,310 acres in the planning area)........................................................46

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................46

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................46

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................46

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................47

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................47

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................47

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................47

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................47

Other Special Management Areas ............................................................................................................47

Oregon Buttes ACEC (3,450 acres in the planning area) ....................................................................47

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................47

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................47

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................47

South Pass Historic Landscape (45,830 acres in the planning area) ...................................................48

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................48

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................48

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................48

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................49

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................49

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC (20 acres in the planning area)..................................................49

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................49

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................49

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................49

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................49

Red Desert Watershed Area (169,010 acres in the planning area) ......................................................49

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................49

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................49

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................50

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................50

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................51

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................51

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................51

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................51

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................51

ALTERNATIVE A .......................................................................................................................................51

Overall Planning Area Management ........................................................................................................51

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management..............................................51

Fire Management .................................................................................................................................51

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................51

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................52

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................52

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................52

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................53

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................53

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................53

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................53

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................53

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................54

Vegetation Management ......................................................................................................................54

Visual Resource Management .............................................................................................................54

vii 
CONTENTS

Watershed/Water Quality Management...............................................................................................54

Wild Horse Management .....................................................................................................................54

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................54

Core Area (Steamboat Mountain ACEC, Eastern portion of the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC,

and adjacent overlapping crucial big game habitat) .............................................................................55

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................55

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................55

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................55

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................55

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................56

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................56

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................56

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................56

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................56

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................56

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (38,650 acres in the planning area) .........................................................57

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................57

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................57

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................57

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................58

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................58

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................58

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................58

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................58

Steamboat Mountain ACEC (43,310 acres in the planning area)........................................................58

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................58

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................59

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................59

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................59

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................59

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................60

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................60

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................60

Other Special Management Areas ............................................................................................................60

Oregon Buttes ACEC (3,450 acres in the planning area) ....................................................................60

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................60

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................60

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................60

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................61

South Pass Historic Landscape (45,830 acres in the planning area) ...................................................61

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................61

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................61

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................61

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................62

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................62

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................62

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................62

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC (20 acres in the planning area)..................................................62

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................62

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................62

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................62

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................63

Red Desert Watershed Area (169,010 acres in the planning area) ......................................................63

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................63

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................63

viii 
CONTENTS

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................63

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................64

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................64

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................64

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................64

ALTERNATIVE B........................................................................................................................................64

Overall Planning Area Management ........................................................................................................64

Cultural, Natural History, and Paleontological Resource Management..............................................64

Fire Management .................................................................................................................................65

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................65

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................65

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................66

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................66

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................67

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................67

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................67

Recreation Resource Management ......................................................................................................67

Special Status Species Management....................................................................................................67

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................68

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................68

Vegetation Management ......................................................................................................................69

Visual Resource Management .............................................................................................................69

Watershed/Water Quality Management...............................................................................................69

Wild Horse Management .....................................................................................................................69

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................69

Core Area (Steamboat Mountain ACEC, eastern portion of the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC,

and adjacent overlapping crucial big game habitat) .............................................................................69

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................69

Livestock Grazing Management..........................................................................................................70

Minerals Management .........................................................................................................................70

Leasable Minerals ...........................................................................................................................70

Salables (Mineral Materials)...........................................................................................................70

Locatable Minerals..........................................................................................................................70

Geophysical.....................................................................................................................................71

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................71

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ................................................................71

Travel Management .............................................................................................................................71

Visual Resource Management .............................................................................................................71

Wild Horse Management .....................................................................................................................71

Wildlife Management ..........................................................................................................................71

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (38,650 acres in the planning area) .........................................................72

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................72

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................72

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................72

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring ..........................................................................................73

Recreation Resource Management..................................................................................................73

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................73

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................74

Vegetation Management .................................................................................................................74

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................74

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................74

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................74

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................74

Steamboat Mountain ACEC (43,310 acres in the planning area)........................................................74

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................75

ix 
CONTENTS

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................75

Table 2-4, Areas of Fluid Mineral Lease Conditional Requirements by Hydrocarbon PotentialTable 2-5, Seasonal Requirements for all Surface Disturbance and Disruptive Activities-All

Table 2-7, Areas Closed to Geophysical Vehicles & Explosive Charges Preferred Alternative and

Table 2-10, Areas of Fluid Mineral Lease Conditional Requirements by Hydrocarbon PotentialTable 2-12, Areas of Fluid Mineral Lease Conditional Requirements by Hydrocarbon PotentialMinerals Management.....................................................................................................................75

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................76

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................76

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................76

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................76

Watershed/Water Quality Management..........................................................................................76

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................77

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................77

Other Special Management Areas ............................................................................................................77

Oregon Buttes ACEC (3,450 acres in the planning area) ....................................................................77

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................77

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................77

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................77

Special Status Plant ACEC Expansion ................................................................................................77

South Pass Historic Landscape (45,830 acres in the planning area) ...................................................77

Lands and Realty Management.......................................................................................................77

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................78

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................78

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................79

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................79

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................79

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................79

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC (20 acres in the planning area)..................................................79

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................79

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................79

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................80

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................80

Red Desert Watershed Area (169,010 acres in the planning area) ......................................................80

Lands and Realty Management............................................................................................................80

Livestock Grazing Management .....................................................................................................80

Minerals Management.....................................................................................................................80

Reclamation and Reclamation Monitoring .....................................................................................81

Special Status Plant ACEC Expansion ...........................................................................................81

Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities Management ...........................................................81

Travel Management ........................................................................................................................82

Visual Resource Management ........................................................................................................82

Wild Horse Management ................................................................................................................82

Wildlife Management .....................................................................................................................82

Table 2-1, Summary Comparison of Alternatives.........................................................................................83

Table 2-2, Rights-of-way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas-Preferred Alternative.....................................187

Table 2-3, Withdrawals to be Pursued-Preferred Alternative .....................................................................187

Preferred Alternative ...............................................................................................................................188

Alternatives..............................................................................................................................................191

Alternative B ...........................................................................................................................................192

Table 2-8, VRM Classes .............................................................................................................................192

Table 2-9, Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas-No Action Alternative ..................................192

No Action Alternative .............................................................................................................................193

Table 2-11, Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas-Alternative A ..............................................195

Alternative A ...........................................................................................................................................196

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CONTENTS

Table 2-13, Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas-Alternative B ..............................................198

Table 2-14, Withdrawals to be Pursued-Alternative B ...............................................................................199

Table 2-15, Areas of Fluid Mineral Lease Conditional Requirements by Hydrocarbon PotentialAlternative B ...........................................................................................................................................200

Table 2-16, Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales- Alternative B ..........................................................202

CHAPTER 3-AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT........................................................................................203

CLIMATE AND AIR QUALITY ...............................................................................................................203

Climate....................................................................................................................................................203

Air Quality ..............................................................................................................................................203

Pollutants ...........................................................................................................................................203

Wyoming and National Ambient Air Quality Standards...................................................................204

Prevention of Significant Deterioration .............................................................................................204

Air Quality Related Values: Visibility and Acidification of Lakes...................................................204

CULTURAL................................................................................................................................................205

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE..................................................................................................................209

FIRE ............................................................................................................................................................209

GROUNDWATER......................................................................................................................................210

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ....................................................................................................................211

LANDS........................................................................................................................................................211

Rights-of-Way ........................................................................................................................................211

Exchanges...............................................................................................................................................211

Withdrawals............................................................................................................................................211

Existing Withdrawals.........................................................................................................................211

Proposed Withdrawals .......................................................................................................................212

Access/Transportation ............................................................................................................................212

LIVESTOCK GRAZING............................................................................................................................212

MINERALS AND GEOLOGY...................................................................................................................213

Historical Geology..................................................................................................................................213

Precambrian .......................................................................................................................................213

Paleozoic............................................................................................................................................213

Mesozoic............................................................................................................................................213

Cenozoic ............................................................................................................................................213

Quaternary .........................................................................................................................................213

General Geology.....................................................................................................................................214

Oil and Gas Geology ..............................................................................................................................214

Historical Background .......................................................................................................................214

Origin of Oil and Gas.........................................................................................................................215

Trapping Mechanisms........................................................................................................................215

Oil and Gas Occurrences ........................................................................................................................215

Pipelines and Natural Gas Storage .........................................................................................................215

Oil and Gas Development Potential .......................................................................................................216

Coal.........................................................................................................................................................216

Sodium....................................................................................................................................................216

Oil Shale .................................................................................................................................................217

Potash......................................................................................................................................................217

Locatable Minerals .................................................................................................................................217

Gold ...................................................................................................................................................217

Diamonds ...........................................................................................................................................218

Uranium .............................................................................................................................................218

Salable Minerals (Mineral Materials).....................................................................................................218

Sand and Gravel.................................................................................................................................218

Clay....................................................................................................................................................218

Geologic Hazards...............................................................................................................................218

OFF-ROAD VEHICLES.............................................................................................................................219

PALEONTOLOGY.....................................................................................................................................219

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RECREATION............................................................................................................................................219

Greater Sand Dunes Special Recreation Management Area ..................................................................219

Oregon/Mormon Pioneer/California/Pony Express National Historic Trails.........................................220

Continental Divide National Scenic Trail ..............................................................................................220

Recreation Opportunity Spectrum ..........................................................................................................220

SOCIOECONOMICS .................................................................................................................................220

General Setting .......................................................................................................................................220

County Amenities ...................................................................................................................................220

Sweetwater County ............................................................................................................................220

Fremont County .................................................................................................................................221

Sublette County..................................................................................................................................221

Population ...............................................................................................................................................221

Sweetwater County ............................................................................................................................221

Fremont County .................................................................................................................................222

Sublette County..................................................................................................................................222

Housing...................................................................................................................................................222

Sweetwater County ............................................................................................................................222

Fremont County .................................................................................................................................222

Sublette County..................................................................................................................................223

Employment And Income.......................................................................................................................223

Sweetwater County ............................................................................................................................223

Fremont County .................................................................................................................................224

Economic Situation of the Wind River Indian Reservation on Fremont County ..............................224

Sublette County..................................................................................................................................224

Property Valuation and Taxation............................................................................................................224

Sweetwater County ............................................................................................................................224

Fremont County .................................................................................................................................224

Sublette County..................................................................................................................................225

In Lieu Tax Payments/Royalty Payments ..............................................................................................225

Sweetwater County ............................................................................................................................225

Fremont County .................................................................................................................................225

Sublette County..................................................................................................................................225

Base Year Analysis.................................................................................................................................225

SOILS ..........................................................................................................................................................226

SPECIAL STATUS PLANT SPECIES ......................................................................................................227

Threatened, Endangered and Candidate Species....................................................................................227

Ute ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis)..........................................................................................227

Small Rockcress (Arabis pusilla).......................................................................................................228

Blowout penstemon (Penstemon haydenii) .......................................................................................228

Other Special Status Plant Species .........................................................................................................228

Meadow Pussytoes (Antennaria arcuata)...........................................................................................228

Large-Fruited Bladderpod (Lesquerella macrocarpa)........................................................................229

Species of Special Concern ....................................................................................................................229

VEGETATION AND WEEDS ...................................................................................................................229

Vegetation...............................................................................................................................................229

Wyoming Big Sagebrush Communities ............................................................................................230

Wyoming Big Sagebrush/Western Wheatgrass Association ........................................................230

Wyoming Big Sagebrush/Bluebunch Wheatgrass Association ....................................................230

Gardner’s Saltbush-Winterfat Vegetation Type ................................................................................230

Mountain Shrub Communities...........................................................................................................230

Basin Big Sagebrush Vegetation Type .........................................................................................231

Basin Big Sagebrush/Basin Wildrye Association.........................................................................231

Basin Big Sagebrush/Lemon Scurfpea Association......................................................................231

Basin Big Sagebrush/Western Wheatgrass Association ...............................................................231

Mountain Big Sagebrush Vegetation Types ......................................................................................231

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CONTENTS

Mountain Big Sagebrush—Utah Snowberry/Basin Wildrye Association ....................................231

Mountain Big Sagebrush/Bluebunch Wheatgrass Association.....................................................231

True Mountain Mahogany/Bluebunch Wheatgrass Vegetation Type ...............................................232

Utah Juniper/Bluebunch Wheatgrass Vegetation Type ................................................................232

Woodlands .........................................................................................................................................232

Biological Islands ..............................................................................................................................232

Riparian..............................................................................................................................................232

Weeds .....................................................................................................................................................232

VISUAL RESOURCES ..............................................................................................................................233

WATERSHED ............................................................................................................................................234

Rainfall ...................................................................................................................................................234

Channel Condition..................................................................................................................................234

Water Quality .........................................................................................................................................234

WILD HORSES ..........................................................................................................................................234

WILDERNESS............................................................................................................................................235

WILDLIFE ..................................................................................................................................................235

Mule Deer ...............................................................................................................................................235

Pronghorn Antelope................................................................................................................................235

Rocky Mountain Elk...............................................................................................................................236

Moose .....................................................................................................................................................236

Bighorn Sheep ........................................................................................................................................236

Mountain Lion ........................................................................................................................................237

Black Bear ..............................................................................................................................................237

Coyote.....................................................................................................................................................237

Other .......................................................................................................................................................237

Waterfowl ...............................................................................................................................................237

Sage Grouse............................................................................................................................................237

Raptors....................................................................................................................................................238

Aquatic....................................................................................................................................................238

Threatened, Endangered, and Special Status Species.............................................................................239

Listed Species ....................................................................................................................................239

Proposed Species ...............................................................................................................................239

Candidate Species ..............................................................................................................................239

Special Status Species........................................................................................................................239

Current Status and Habitat Use by Threatened and Endangered Species..........................................240

Black-Footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) ........................................................................................240

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).........................................................................................240

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) ..............................................................................................241

Colorado River Fish Species.........................................................................................................241

Blowout penstemon (Penstemon hayendii)...................................................................................241

Ute Ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes diluvialis) ...................................................................................241

Proposed Species ...............................................................................................................................241

Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)...................................................................................................241

Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) ......................................................................................242

Candidate Species ..............................................................................................................................242

Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) ..............................................................................................................242

Special Status Species........................................................................................................................242

Small Rockcress (Arabis pusilla) ..................................................................................................242

Wolverine (Gulo gulo) ..................................................................................................................242

Pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) .......................................................................................242

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) .............................................................................................242

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) ................................................................................................243

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) ...........................................................................................243

Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus)................................................................................243

White-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) ..................................................................................................244

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Flannelmouth sucker (Catostomus latipinnis)...............................................................................244

Meadow Pussytoes (Antennaria arcuata) ......................................................................................244

Large-Fruited Bladderpod (Lesquerella macrocarpa)...................................................................244

SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREAS.........................................................................................................244

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (38,650 acres in the planning area)............................................................244

Oregon Buttes ACEC (3,450 acres in the planning area).......................................................................245

Red Desert Watershed Area (169,010 acres in the planning area) ....................................................245

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC (45,830 acres in the planning area)...........................................247

Special Status Plant Species ACEC (0 acres in the planning area) ........................................................248

Steamboat Mountain ACEC (43,310 acres in the planning area)...........................................................248

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC (20 acres in the planning area).....................................................249

Table 3-1, Underground Water Class..........................................................................................................250

Table 3-2, Allotment Acres Located Within the Jack Morrow Hills Planning Area ..................................252

Table 3-3, Allotment/Operator Data for JMH Planning Area.....................................................................253

Table 3-4, Previous 5-year Livestock Grazing Use in JMH Planning Area ...............................................255

Table 3-5, Rangeland Standards..................................................................................................................258

Table 3-6, Wells Drilled in the JMH...........................................................................................................259

Table 3-7, Areas with Coal Development Restrictions ...............................................................................263

Table 3-8, Areas Closed to Coal Exploration and Sodium Prospecting......................................................264

Table 3-9, ORV Designations .....................................................................................................................265

Table 3-10, Recreation Opportunity Spectrum Class Descriptions.............................................................267

Table 3-11, Population of Sweetwater County............................................................................................270

Table 3-12, Population of Fremont County.................................................................................................270

Table 3-13, Population of Sublette County .................................................................................................271

Table 3-14, Sweetwater County Total Employment and Income ...............................................................271

Table 3-15, Total Employment by Sector, Sweetwater County..................................................................271

Table 3-16, Total Industry Earnings, Sweetwater County ..........................................................................272

Table 3-17, Fremont County Total Employment and Income ....................................................................273

Table 3-18, Total Employment by Sector, Fremont County .......................................................................273

Table 3-19, Total Industry Earnings, Fremont County ...............................................................................274

Table 3-20, Sublette County Total Employment and Income.....................................................................274

Table 3-21, Total Employment by Sector, Sublette County .......................................................................275

Table 3-22, Total Industry Earnings, Sublette County................................................................................275

Table 3-23, Sales and Use Tax Collections, Sweetwater County ...............................................................276

Table 3-24, Sales and Use Tax Collections, Fremont County ....................................................................276

Table 3-25, Sales and Use Tax Collections, Sublette County.....................................................................277

Table 3-26, Physical Outputs for the 1998 Base Year ................................................................................277

Table 3-27, Direct Economic Impact for 1998 Base Year ..........................................................................278

Table 3-28, Total Economic Impact for 1998 Base Year............................................................................278

Table 3-29, Total Labor Earnings for 1998 Base Year ...............................................................................278

Table 3-30, Total Employment in Annual Job Equivalents for 1998 Base Year ........................................278

Table 3-31, Average Earnings per Job for 1998 Base Year ........................................................................279

Table 3-32, Total Local Government Revenue for 1998 Base Year...........................................................279

Table 3-33, Net Economic Value of Resident Recreation for 1998 Base Year ..........................................279

Table 3-34, Plant Species of Special Concern of the Jack Morrow Hills Ecosystem .................................280

Table 3-35, Jack Morrow Hills Stream PFC Summary...............................................................................282

Table 3-36, Wyoming DEQ TDS Guidelines..............................................................................................283

Table 3-37, Waters Subject to the Colorado River Salinity Compact.........................................................283

Table 3-38, Creek Information Summary ...................................................................................................283

Table 3-39, Streams Containing Fish Life ..................................................................................................285

CHAPTER 4-ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.......................................................................287

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................287

SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA......................................................................................................................287

Cultural Significance Criteria .................................................................................................................287

Groundwater Significance Criteria .........................................................................................................287

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Land and Resource Use Significance Criteria ........................................................................................287

Oil and Gas Significance Criteria ...........................................................................................................288

Paleontology Significance Criteria .........................................................................................................288

Recreation Significance Criteria.............................................................................................................288

Surface Water/Watershed/Water Quality Significance Criteria ........................................................288

Threatened Endangered and Candidate Plant and Animal Species Significance Criteria......................288

Vegetation Significance Criteria ............................................................................................................288

VRM Significance Criteria .....................................................................................................................288

Wetland Riparian Significance Criteria..................................................................................................289

Wild Horse Significance Criteria ...........................................................................................................289

Wildlife Significance Criteria.................................................................................................................289

IMPACTS COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVES ..................................................................................289

Air Quality Impact Summary ......................................................................................................................289

Near-Field Impacts ............................................................................................................................289

Far-Field Impacts...............................................................................................................................289

Pollutant Concentrations....................................................................................................................289

Visibility ............................................................................................................................................289

Acidification of Lakes .......................................................................................................................290

Cumulative.........................................................................................................................................290

Cultural ...................................................................................................................................................290

Hazardous Materials ...............................................................................................................................290

Noise.......................................................................................................................................................290

Special Status Plant Species ...................................................................................................................291

Wildlife ...................................................................................................................................................291

Oregon Buttes ACEC .............................................................................................................................292

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE..................................................................................................................292

Cultural Impacts .....................................................................................................................................292

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................294

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................294

Paleontological Impacts..........................................................................................................................295

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................295

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................295

Fire Impacts ............................................................................................................................................295

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................296

Lands Impacts.........................................................................................................................................296

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................297

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................297

Livestock Grazing Impacts.....................................................................................................................297

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................299

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................300

Minerals Impacts ....................................................................................................................................300

Leasables - Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane Resources................................................................300

Impacts of Fewer Wells ................................................................................................................300

Significance of Impacts to Oil and Gas Activities........................................................................301

Impacts in the Core Area and Connectivity Area .........................................................................301

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................301

Leasables (Other than Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane), Locatables, and Salables .....................301

Leasables - Coal ............................................................................................................................301

Leasables - Sodium .......................................................................................................................301

Locatables .....................................................................................................................................302

Salables .........................................................................................................................................302

Geophysical .......................................................................................................................................302

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................303

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................303

Off-Road Vehicle Impacts......................................................................................................................303

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Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................303

Recreation Impacts .................................................................................................................................303

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................304

Socioeconomic Impacts..........................................................................................................................304

Oil and Gas ........................................................................................................................................304

Development Phase.......................................................................................................................304

Production Phase...........................................................................................................................305

Livestock Grazing..............................................................................................................................305

Recreation Activities..........................................................................................................................306

Short-Term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2007) and Comparison of Alternatives ..............................307

Economic Effects by Alternative.......................................................................................................307

Long-Term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2017) and Comparison of Alternatives ..............................307

Economic Effects by Alternative.......................................................................................................307

Special Status Plant Species Impacts......................................................................................................307

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................310

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................310

Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds and Riparian/Wetland Resources Impacts ............................................310

Impacts to Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds.........................................................................................310

Impacts to Riparian/Wetland Resources............................................................................................314

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................316

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................317

Visual Resource Management Impacts ..................................................................................................317

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................318

Watershed/Water Quality Impacts..........................................................................................................318

Groundwater ......................................................................................................................................321

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................322

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................322

Wild Horse Impacts ................................................................................................................................322

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................324

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................324

Wildlife Impacts .....................................................................................................................................324

Impacts to Fisheries Resources..........................................................................................................326

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................328

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................329

Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................330

Special Management Areas ....................................................................................................................330

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC and Special Recreation Management Area ...........................................330

Steamboat Mountain ACEC ..............................................................................................................331

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC ..............................................................................................332

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC .................................................................................................332

Red Desert Watershed Area...............................................................................................................332

NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ..................................................................................................................332

Cultural And Paleontological Impacts Analysis.....................................................................................332

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................334

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................334

Paleontological Impacts..........................................................................................................................334

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................335

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................335

Fire Impacts ............................................................................................................................................335

Lands Impacts.........................................................................................................................................335

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................335

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................336

Livestock Grazing Impacts.....................................................................................................................336

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................337

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................337

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Minerals Impacts ....................................................................................................................................337

Leasables - Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane Resources................................................................337

Impacts of Fewer Wells ................................................................................................................338

Time Delays Related to Restrictions.............................................................................................338

Significance of Impacts to Oil and Gas Activities........................................................................338

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................339

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................339

Leasables (Other Than Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane), Locatables, and Salables ....................339

Leasables - Coal ............................................................................................................................339

Leasables - Sodium .......................................................................................................................339

Locatables .....................................................................................................................................339

Salables .........................................................................................................................................340

Geophysical .......................................................................................................................................340

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................340

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................341

Off-Road Vehicle Impacts......................................................................................................................341

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................341

Recreation Impacts .................................................................................................................................341

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................341

Socioeconomic Impacts..........................................................................................................................341

Oil and Gas ........................................................................................................................................342

Livestock Grazing..............................................................................................................................342

Recreation ..........................................................................................................................................342

Short-term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2007) and Comparison of Alternatives................................342

Long-term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2017) and Comparison of Alternatives................................342

Special Status Plant Species Impacts......................................................................................................342

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................344

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................344

Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds and Riparian/Wetland Resources Impacts ............................................344

Impacts to Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds.........................................................................................344

Impacts to Riparian/Wetland Resources............................................................................................346

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................347

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................347

Visual Resource Management Impacts ..................................................................................................348

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................348

Watershed/Water Quality Impacts..........................................................................................................348

Groundwater ......................................................................................................................................350

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................350

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................350

Wild Horse Impacts ................................................................................................................................350

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................352

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................352

Wildlife Impacts .....................................................................................................................................352

Impacts to Fisheries Resources..........................................................................................................353

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................353

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................353

Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................355

Special Management Areas ....................................................................................................................355

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC and Special Recreation Management Area ...........................................355

Steamboat Mountain ACEC ..............................................................................................................355

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC ..............................................................................................355

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC .................................................................................................356

Red Desert Watershed Area...............................................................................................................356

ALTERNATIVE A .....................................................................................................................................356

Cultural Impacts .....................................................................................................................................356

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CONTENTS

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................357

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................357

Paleontological Impacts..........................................................................................................................357

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................357

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................357

Fire Impacts ............................................................................................................................................357

Lands Impacts.........................................................................................................................................357

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................358

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................358

Livestock Grazing Impacts.....................................................................................................................358

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................360

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................360

Minerals Impacts ....................................................................................................................................360

Leasables - Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane Resources................................................................360

Impacts of Fewer Wells ................................................................................................................360

Significance of Impacts to Oil and Gas Activities........................................................................361

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................361

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................361

Leasables - (Other than Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane), Locatables, and Salables ...................361

Leasables - Coal ............................................................................................................................361

Leasables - Sodium .......................................................................................................................362

Locatables .....................................................................................................................................362

Salables .........................................................................................................................................362

Geophysical .......................................................................................................................................362

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................362

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................362

Off-Road Vehicle Impacts......................................................................................................................362

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................363

Recreation Impacts .................................................................................................................................363

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................363

Socioeconomic Impacts..........................................................................................................................363

Oil and Gas ........................................................................................................................................363

Livestock Grazing..............................................................................................................................363

Recreation ..........................................................................................................................................363

Short-Term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2007) and Comparison of Alternatives ..............................364

Long-Term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2017) and Comparison of Alternatives ..............................364

Special Status Plant Species Impacts......................................................................................................364

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................366

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................366

Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds and Riparian/Wetland Resources Impacts ............................................366

Impacts to Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds.........................................................................................366

Impacts to Riparian/Wetland Resources............................................................................................367

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................368

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................368

Visual Resource Management Impacts ..................................................................................................369

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................369

Watershed/Water Quality Impacts..........................................................................................................369

Groundwater ......................................................................................................................................371

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................372

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................372

Wild Horse Impacts.....................................................................................................................................372

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................373

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................373

Wildlife Impacts .....................................................................................................................................373

Impacts to Fisheries Resources..........................................................................................................375

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Core Area...........................................................................................................................................375

Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................375

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................375

Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................377

Special Management Areas ....................................................................................................................377

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC and Special Recreation Management Area ...........................................377

Steamboat Mountain ACEC ..............................................................................................................377

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC ..............................................................................................377

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC .................................................................................................377

Red Desert Watershed Area...............................................................................................................377

ALTERNATIVE B......................................................................................................................................378

Cultural Impacts .....................................................................................................................................378

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................378

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................378

Paleontological Impacts..........................................................................................................................378

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................379

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................379

Fire Impacts ............................................................................................................................................379

Lands Impacts.........................................................................................................................................379

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................380

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................380

Livestock Grazing Impacts.....................................................................................................................380

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................382

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................382

Minerals Impacts ....................................................................................................................................382

Leasables - Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane Resources................................................................382

Impacts of Fewer Wells ................................................................................................................383

Significance of Impacts to Oil and Gas Activities........................................................................383

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................383

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................383

Leasables - (Other Than Oil and Gas and Coalbed Methane), Locatables, and Salables..................383

Leasables - Coal ............................................................................................................................383

Leasables - Sodium .......................................................................................................................384

Locatables .....................................................................................................................................384

Salables .........................................................................................................................................384

Geophysical .......................................................................................................................................384

Core Area ......................................................................................................................................385

Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................................................385

Off-Road Vehicle Impacts......................................................................................................................385

Recreation Impacts .................................................................................................................................385

Socioeconomic Impacts..........................................................................................................................385

Oil and Gas ........................................................................................................................................385

Livestock Grazing..............................................................................................................................385

Recreation ..........................................................................................................................................385

Short-Term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2007) and Comparison of Alternatives ..............................385

Long-Term Cumulative Impacts (1998-2017) and Comparison of Alternatives ..............................386

Special Status Plant Species Impacts......................................................................................................386

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................387

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................387

Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds and Riparian/Wetland Resources Impacts ............................................387

Impacts to Vegetation/Woodlands/Weeds.........................................................................................387

Impacts to Riparian/Wetland Resources............................................................................................388

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................389

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................389

Visual Resource Management Impacts ..................................................................................................390

xix 
CONTENTS

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................390

Table 4-5, Summary of Areas Closed to Coal Exploration and Sodium Prospecting-Preferred

Table 4-7, Summary of Areas Closed to Geophysical Vehicles and Explosive ChargesTable 4-22, Summary of Areas Closed to Geophysical Vehicles and Explosive ChargesTable 4-28, Summary of Areas Closed to Coal Exploration and Sodium Prospecting-Alternative ........ B475

Watershed/Water Quality Impacts..........................................................................................................390

Coalbed Methane ...............................................................................................................................391

Groundwater ......................................................................................................................................393

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................393

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................393

Wild Horse Impacts ................................................................................................................................393

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................394

Cumulative Impacts ..........................................................................................................................394

Wildlife Impacts .....................................................................................................................................394

Impacts to Fisheries ...........................................................................................................................395

Core Area...........................................................................................................................................396

Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................396

Cumulative Impacts ...........................................................................................................................396

Fisheries ........................................................................................................................................397

Special Management Areas ....................................................................................................................397

Greater Sand Dunes ACEC and Special Recreation Management Area ...........................................397

Steamboat Mountain ACEC ..............................................................................................................397

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC ..............................................................................................398

White Mountain Petroglyphs ACEC .................................................................................................398

Red Desert Watershed Area...............................................................................................................398

Table 4-1, Summary Comparison of Impacts..............................................................................................399

Table 4-2, Visibility Impairment in Sensitive Areas in the Jack Morrow Hills Region .............................461

Table 4-3, Summary of Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas Preferred Alternative ...............461

Table 4-4, Summary of Withdrawals to be Pursued-Preferred Alternative ................................................462

Alternative ...............................................................................................................................................462

Table 4-6, Summary of Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales-Preferred Alternative ............................463

Preferred Alternative and Alternative B..................................................................................................463

Table 4-8, Economic Assumptions for Oil and Gas Development .............................................................464

Table 4-9, Drilling Projections for Oil and Gas Development....................................................................464

Table 4-10, Economic Assumptions for Oil and Gas Production ...............................................................465

Table 4-11, Oil and Gas Production Projections .........................................................................................465

Table 4-12, Economic Assumptions for Livestock Grazing .......................................................................466

Table 4-13, Economic Assumptions for Recreation....................................................................................466

Table 4-14, Short-Term Cumulative Physical Outputs ...............................................................................467

Table 4-15, Short-Term Cumulative Economic Effects..............................................................................468

Table 4-16, Long-Term Cumulative Physical Outputs ...............................................................................468

Table 4-17, Long-Term Cumulative Economic Effects ..............................................................................469

Table 4-18, Watershed Analysis Summary .................................................................................................470

Table 4-19, Summary of Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas-No Action Alternative ...........470

Table 4-20, Summary of Withdrawals to be Pursued-No Action Alternative and Alternative A...............471

Table 4-21, Summary of Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales-No Action Alternative ........................471

No Action Alternative and Alternative A................................................................................................472

Table 4-23, Summary of Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas Alternative A .........................472

Table 4-24, Summary of Areas Closed to Coal Exploration and Sodium Prospecting-Alternative A .......473

Table 4-25, Summary of Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales-Alternative A ......................................473

Table 4-26, Summary of Rights-of-Way Avoidance and Exclusion Areas Alternative B..........................474

Table 4-27, Summary of Withdrawals to be Pursued-Alternative B...........................................................475

Table 4-29, Summary of Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales-Alternative B.......................................476

CHAPTER 5-CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION..................................................................477

INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................477

xx 
CONTENTS

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION........................................................................................................................477

CONSISTENCY .........................................................................................................................................477

CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION.............................................................................................477

Federal Agencies ....................................................................................................................................478

Department of the Interior .................................................................................................................478

Department of Agriculture.................................................................................................................478

State of Wyoming ...................................................................................................................................478

Federal Elected Officials ........................................................................................................................478

State Elected Officials ............................................................................................................................478

Local Governments.................................................................................................................................478

Tribal Councils .......................................................................................................................................478

Industry ...................................................................................................................................................478

Associations and Interest Groups ...........................................................................................................478

Others......................................................................................................................................................478

Table 5-1, Key Coordination Actions .........................................................................................................479

Table 5-2, List of Preparers .........................................................................................................................480

GLOSSARY ...............................................................................................................................................483

LITERATURE CITED.............................................................................................................................487

Riparian References Section........................................................................................................................491

FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................................495

Figure 1, Crucial Wildlife Habitats and Other Sensitive Resource Values 

Figure 2, Mean Monthly Temperatures in the Jack Morrow Hills Region 

Figure 3, Mean Monthly Precipitation in the Jack Morrow Hills Region 

Figure 4, Capacity to Disperse Air Pollutants in the Jack Morrow Hills Region 

Figure 5, Wind Rose 

Figure 6, Visibility in Bridger Wilderness Area 

Figure 7, Structural Elements of the Greater Green River Basin 

Figure 8, Generalized Stratigraphic Nomenclature Chart 

Figure 9, Cross Section of Green River Basin and Adjacent Areas 

Figure 10, Air Quality in the Jack Morrow Hills Region 

Figure 11, Comparison of Concentration from Jack Morrow Hills to Total PSD Increment 

Figure 12, Air Quality in Class I and Class II Areas in the Jack Morrow Hills Region 

Figure 13, Noise Levels and Sources in the Jack Morrow Hills Region 

Figure 14, Location Layout for a Well 9,000 to 15,000 Feet Deep 

Figure 15, Diagram of Rotary Rig 

MAPS..........................................................................................................................................................513

Map 1, General Location 

Map 2, Land Status 

Map 3, Mineral Status 

Map 4, Wilderness Study Areas 

Map 5, Cultural Resource Sites and Historic Trails 

Map 6, Rights-of-Way Avoidance Areas - Preferred Alternative 

Map 7, Rights-of-Way Exclusion Areas - Preferred Alternative 

Map 8, Withdrawals to be Pursued - Preferred 

Map 9, No Lease Areas - Preferred 

Map 10, No Surface Occupancy Areas - Preferred 

Map 11, Seasonal Restriction Areas - All Alternatives 

Map 12, Lease w/Controlled Surface Use Stipulations - Preferred 

Map 13, Areas Closed to Coal Exploration - Preferred 

Map 14, Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales - Preferred 

Map 15, Waters and Floodplains 

Map 16, Visual Resource Management - Preferred 

Map 17, Wild Horse Herd Management Areas - Preferred, No Action Alternative, and Alternative A 

xxi 
CONTENTS

Map 18, Rights-of-Way Avoidance Areas - No Action Alternative 

Map 19, Rights-of-Way Exclusion Areas - No Action Alternative 

Map 20, No Lease Areas - No Action Alternative 

Map 21, No Surface Occupancy Areas - No Action Alternative, Alternative A, and Alternative B 

Map 22, Lease w/Controlled Surface Use Stipulations - No Action Alternative and Alternative A 

Map 23, Areas Closed to Coal Exploration - No Action Alternative and Alternative B 

Map 24, Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales - No Action Alternative 

Map 25, Withdrawals to be Pursued - No Action Alternative and Alternative A 

Map 26, Visual Resource Management - No Action Alternative 

Map 27, Rights-of-Way Avoidance Areas - Alternative A 

Map 28, Rights-of-Way Exclusion Areas - Alternative A 

Map 29, Areas Closed to Coal Exploration - Alternative A 

Map 30, Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales - Alternative A 

Map 31, Visual Resource Management - Alternative A 

Map 32, Rights-of-Way Avoidance Areas - Alternative B 

Map 33, Rights-of-Way Exclusion Areas - Alternative B 

Map 34, Withdrawals to be Pursued - Alternative B 

Map 35, No Lease Areas - Alternative B 

Map 36, Lease w/Controlled Surface Use Stipulations - Alternative B 

Map 37, Areas Closed to Mineral Material Sales - Alternative B 

Map 38, Special Management Areas - Alternative B 

Map 39, Visual Resource Management - Alternative B 

Map 40, Wild Horse Herd Management Area - Alternative B 

Map 41, Grazing Allotments 

Map 42, Existing Fences and Range Improvements 

Map 43, Areas of Hydrologic Concern 

Map 44, Federal Oil and Gas Units 

Map 45, Oil and Gas Potential 

Map 46, Coalbed Methane Development Potential 

Map 47, Coal/Sodium Potential 

Map 48, Mining Claim Activity 

Map 49, Geologic Hazards 

Map 50, ORV Designations 

Map 51, Recreation Sites and Use Areas 

Map 52, Recreation Opportunity Spectrum 

Map 53, Candidate Plant Species 

Map 54, Vegetation 

Map 55, Watersheds of Concern 

Map 56, Shaded Relief 

Map 57, Mule Deer Habitat 

Map 58, Antelope Habitat 

Map 59, Elk Habitat 

Map 60, Elk Observations 

Map 61, Sage Grouse Habitat 

Map 62, Raptor Habitat 

Map 63, Sensitive Areas Potentially Impacted 

Map 64, Transportation 

Map 65, Existing Oil and Gas Wells 

Map 66, Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells 

APPENDIX 1-PLANNING CRITERIA .....................................................................................................587 

APPENDIX 2 -WYOMING BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) 

MITIGATION GUIDELINES FOR SURFACE-DISTURBING AND DISRUPTIVE 

ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................................................................593 

APPENDIX 3-GREEN RIVER LAND USE PLAN(S) OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS 

APPLICABLE TO THE JMH PROJECT AREA ON BLM-ADMINISTERED PUBLIC 

xxii 
CONTENTS

LANDS................................................................................................................................................597

APPENDIX 4-PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING APPLICATIONS IN AREAS OF

APPENDIX 8-STANDARDS FOR HEALTHY RANGELANDS AND GUIDELINES FOR

LIVESTOCK GRAZING MANAGEMENT FOR PUBLIC LANDS ADMINISTERED

APPENDIX 12-STANDARD PRACTICES, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, AND

APPENDIX 13-OIL AND GAS AND COALBED METHANE RESOURCES IN THE

SEASONAL RESTRICTION .................................................................................................................635

APPENDIX 5-DRAFT TRANSPORTATION PLAN................................................................................639

APPENDIX 6-RECLAMATION AND MONITORING ...........................................................................643

APPENDIX 7-AIR QUALITY TABLES ...................................................................................................647

BY THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE STATE OF WYOMING ......................651

APPENDIX 9-OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS..........................................................................................657

APPENDIX 10-ASSUMPTIONS FOR IMPACT ANALYSIS .................................................................663

APPENDIX 11-BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................693

GUIDELINES FOR SURFACE DISTURBING ACTIVITIES .............................................................703

JACK MORROW HILLS PLANNING AREA ......................................................................................711

xxiii 
RUNNING HEAD 

ABBREVIATIONS

ACEC Area of Critical Environmental Concern 

AMP Allotment management plan 

APD Application for permit to drill (an oil or gas well) 

AUM Animal unit month 

BBLs Barrels (a measure of the quantity of condensate) 

BCF Billion cubic feet (a measure of quantity of natural gas) 

BLM Bureau of Land Management 

CAP Coordinated Activity Plan 

CFR Code of Federal Regulations 

DPC Desired Plant Community 

EIS Environmental impact statement 

FLPMA Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 

FR Federal Register 

GRRMP Green River Resource Management Plan 

IBLA Interior Board of Land Appeals 

JMH Jack Morrow Hills 

JMHCAP Jack Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan 

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

NSO No surface occupancy (a stipulation on an oil and gas lease) 

ORV Off-road vehicle 

PFC Proper functioning condition (of riparian/wetland areas) 

R&PP Recreation and Public Purposes Act 

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 

RMIS Recreation Management Information System 

RMP Resource Management Plan 

ROD Record of Decision 

ROW Right of way 

USDA United States Department of Agriculture 

USDI United States Department of the Interior 

USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

VRM Visual resource management 

WGFD Wyoming Game and Fish Department 

WSA Wilderness study area 

WYDOT Wyoming Department of Transportation 

xxv 
PURPOSE AND NEED 

CHAPTER 1

PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR

THE PLANNING EFFORT

INTRODUCTION 

This draft environmental impact statement (EIS) evaluates 

alternatives for the management of public lands and resources 

administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 

the Jack Morrow Hills planning area. Based on concerns 

raised by the public and BLM personnel during preparation of 

the Green River Resource Management Plan (GRRMP), the 

Rock Springs Field Office initiated preparation of the Jack 

Morrow Hills Coordinated Activity Plan (JMHCAP). This 

activity plan will provide more specific management direction to prevent or address conflicts among potential development of energy resources, recreational activities and facilities 

and more specific management direction for other land and 

resource uses in the planning area, including livestock grazing, important wildlife habitat, and other important resources. 

This plan will provide management direction for the protection of certain resources (e.g., desert elk and other big game 

habitat, unique sand dune-mountain shrub habitat, unstabilizedstabilized sand dunes) and allow leasing and development of 

energy resources, recreational activities, grazing practices, 

and other activities at appropriate levels. The planning area 

encompasses the Steamboat Mountain, Greater Sand Dunes, 

White Mountain Petroglyphs, and Oregon Buttes Areas of 

Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC); a portion of the 

South Pass Historic Landscape ACEC; the Oregon Buttes, 

Honeycomb Buttes, Greater Sand Dunes, Buffalo Hump, 

Whitehorse Creek, South Pinnacles, and Alkali Draw Wilderness Study Areas (WSA); and three special recreation management areas: Greater Sand Dunes, Continental Divide 

National Scenic Trail, and the Oregon/Mormon Pioneer/Pony 

Express/California National Historic Trails. 

The JMHCAP planning effort is an integrated activity 

planning effort to specify a balanced level of resource use and 

protection for BLM-administered public lands in the area. 

The land use planning decisions for leasing fluid minerals in 

the planning area were not ready for inclusion in the Green 

River RMP. Thus, these decisions were deferred for determination in the course of developing the JMHCAP. Some Green 

River RMP decisions for mineral location in the area were also 

deferred to the CAP. Thus, the primary objective of this effort 

is to make the Green River RMP fluid minerals leasing 

decisions and mineral location decisions for the planning area 

and to determine the appropriate levels and timing of leasing 

and development of energy resources, while sustaining the 

other important land and resource uses in the area. These 

deferred Green River RMP decisions will result in amending 

the Green River RMP. Other management prescriptions resulting from this planning effort include some refinement of 

The process for the development, approval, maintenance, 

and amendment or revision of RMPs was initiated under the 

authority of Section 202(f) of the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and section 202(c) of the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). The 

process is guided by BLM planning regulations in Title 43 of 

the Code of Federal Regulations, part 1600 (43 CFR 1600) and 

the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations in 

40 CFR 1500. 

The first tier of the three-tiered BLM planning process 

consists of (1) compiling and reviewing the current laws, 

regulations, policies, Executive Orders and directives pertaining to the planning area; and (2) development of any needed 

State Director’s guidance, specific to the planning effort and 

the planning area. 

Development of the RMP represents the second of the 

three-tiered BLM planning process, the land use planning tier. 

As such, the approved RMP prescribes the general future 

resource and land use management for the BLM administered 

public lands in the planning area. It is this process of planning 

for the management of the public land and resources, and 

allocating their uses, that guides activity planning and daily 

operations. 

Activity planning, the third tier of the BLM planning 

process, incorporates the resource and land use decisions of 

the RMP into the specific management guidance for administering the public lands in the planning area. During activity 

planning, the management prescriptions in the RMP are 

applied (1) to specific geographic areas in developing and 

implementing site-specific activity plans (e.g., allotment 

management plans, habitat management plans, interdisciplinary or coordinated activity plans); (2) in issuing various land 

and resource use authorizations; (3) in identifying specific 

mitigation needs; and (4) in developing and implementing 

other similar plans and actions. The JMHCAP effort involves 

making decisions at both the RMP and activity planning tiers 

of the planning process. 

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE 

JACK MORROW HILLS CAP 

The Green River RMP deferred certain fluid mineral 

leasing decisions and some locatable mineral decisions until 

a coordinated activity plan could be completed for the Jack 

Morrow Hills area. As stated in the Record of Decision 

(ROD) for the Green River RMP: 

designations of roads for use, grazing practices, recreational “The fluid mineral leasing decisions and some locatable 

activities and facilities, identification of rights-of-way win- mineral decisions are deferred in a “core” area, involving the 

dows and concentration areas, and prescriptions for managing eastern portion of the Greater Sand Dunes ACEC (not includ- wildlife habitat. 

1
PURPOSE AND NEED

ing any parts of the Buffalo Hump or Sand Dunes Wilderness 

Study Areas - WSAs - because WSAs are closed to mineral 

leasing by Congressional mandate), the entire Steamboat 

Mountain ACEC, and the area of overlapping crucial big 

game habitats surrounding and adjacent to the Greater Sand 

Dunes and Steamboat Mountain ACECs. Approximately 

80,000 acres are involved with this “core” area (Map 1). 

Because more site specific and detailed information is needed 

to make the fluid mineral and locatable mineral decisions for 

the core area, these decisions will be deferred in this core area 

until a coordinated activity plan (CAP) covering the area is 

completed.” 

The JMHCAP will provide a comprehensive and environmentally adequate framework to consider allowing some fluid 

mineral and locatable mineral activities while providing for 

other resource and land uses in the planning area. 

This EIS documents the consideration and analyses of the 

consequences of current and alternative management of land 

and resource uses in the planning area. The EIS also provides 

the basis for developing an activity plan that resolves the 

resource and land use issues identified in the preparation of the 

Green River RMP and in subsequent scoping efforts for the 

JMHCAP, and provides direction for site-specific actions to 

support the implementation of RMP management prescriptions. Thus, the approved JMHCAP will amend the Green 

River RMP in some areas, and establish implementation 

actions in others. 

The objective of this activity planning effort will be to 

determine the appropriate level and methods of all the combined land and resource uses possible that are mutually 

compatible and that provide for the important resource concerns in the area, such as sustainability of crucial big game 

habitat, air and water quality, scenic quality, vegetative cover 

and soil stability, recreational activities, livestock grazing and 

range improvement activities, mineral development and other 

important resource concerns. The CAP will provide more 

specific management direction for the planning area to prevent or address potential conflicts among or resulting from 

these uses. 

DESCRIPTION OF THE 

PLANNING AREA 

The general planning area for the JMHCAP includes the 

BLM-administered lands located north and east of Rock 

Springs, Wyoming, and which includes portions of Sweetwater, 

Sublette, and Fremont counties in southwestern Wyoming 

(Map 1). 

The area to be addressed and analyzed for the CAP includes 

about 622,000 acres surrounding and including the core area. 

This represents the cumulative impact analysis area for the 

activity plan because the lands outside the “core” area could 

be affected by the management of the core area and vice versa. 

As provided by the Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act (FLPMA), the BLM has the responsibility to plan for and 

manage the “public lands.” As defined by the Act, the “public 

lands” are those Federally owned lands, and any interest in 

lands (e.g., Federally owned mineral estate), that are administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Within the 

planning area, there are varied and intermingled land surface 

ownerships and overlapping mineral ownerships. Therefore, 

the administrative jurisdictions for land use planning and for 

managing the land surface and minerals are also varied, 

intermingled, and overlapping. 

Because of this situation, the completed JMHCAP will not 

include planning and management decisions for lands or 

minerals that are privately owned or owned by the State of 

Wyoming or local governments. Providing direction for the 

surface or minerals management of these lands is not within 

BLM’s jurisdiction. In addition, RMP decisions will not be 

made for those federally owned minerals within the planning 

area, that underlay federally owned land surface administered 

by other federal agencies. Table 1-1 describes land and 

mineral ownership and interrelated administrative jurisdictions in the planning area (Map 2 and Map 3). 

PLANNING ISSUES AND 

PLANNING CRITERIA 

Planning Issues Identified 

Planning issues are determined from demands, concerns, 

conflicts, or problems regarding the use or management of the 

public lands and resources. These are usually expressed in 

terms of the affects that some land and resource uses have on 

other land and resource uses or resource values. The following planning issues have been identified through public scoping 

and information gathered in analyzing the existing management situation in the planning area. They are based on the 

input of BLM personnel, the public, and interagency consultation. 

Issue 1: Minerals Resource Management and 

Rights-of-Way 

Special attention is needed to address mineral development (i.e., oil/gas, coalbed methane, coal, diamonds, and 

gold) and related transportation network conflicts with other 

land and resource uses and values. Principal considerations 

include disruptive activities and human presence in elk, deer, 

and fisheries habitat, big game (i.e., moose, elk, deer, antelope) crucial habitat (crucial winter range and birthing areas), 

and other important wildlife species habitats (e.g., sage grouse, 

plovers, raptors); on recreation values, forage uses, air quality, 

sensitive vegetation types, and sensitive watersheds. Areas 

where surface-disturbing activities (e.g., mineral exploration 

and development activities, right-of-way construction activities, etc.) are suitable, not suitable, or should be restricted, 

need to be identified. 

Issue 2: Resource Uses Affecting Vegetation, 

Soils, Air, and Watershed Values 

There are conflicting demands for consumptive and 

nonconsumptive uses of the vegetation resources in the resource area. The basic problem is providing for resource 

2
PURPOSE AND NEED

values and nonconsumptive uses while allowing for consumptive uses. Resource values include maintenance of 

general vegetative cover; watershed protection; maintenance 

and enhancement of riparian areas; soil stabilization; maintenance and enhancement of wildlife habitat (particularly big 

game crucial winter range and habitat for candidate or threatened and endangered wildlife and vegetative species); and air 

quality protection. Consumptive uses include livestock grazing; off-road vehicle use; and vegetation removal by mineral 

development, rights-of-way construction, and other surface 

disturbing activities. 

Issue 3: Recreation and Cultural Resource 

Management 

There are certain resources and areas that need protection 

while others need to be considered for more public and 

recreational uses. Off-road vehicle (ORV) use can conflict 

with other land and resource uses and can cause damage to 

resources, including wildlife and watershed values and other 

recreation values. Principal considerations include providing 

for suitable and sufficient recreation uses and facilities (both 

dispersed and commercial), particularly in the ORV open 

area, visual resource management direction, road designations (transportation planning), and management of cultural 

and historical resources (of particular concern is the need for 

protection of Native American respected places). Providing 

for visitor health and safety in areas with mineral development 

(i.e., ORV recreation area and oil/gas development) is also a 

concern. 

Some issues that directly or indirectly apply to the planning 

area were addressed in the Green River RMP planning effort. 

These same issues will not be addressed in the EIS for the 

CAP. 

Planning Criteria 

Planning criteria are the conditions and guidelines or 

parameters for conducting the planning effort, for preparing 

the JMHCAP EIS and for developing the approved CAP. The 

planning criteria serve the following purposes: 

1. To ensure that the planning effort is focused on the issues, 

follows and incorporates legal requirements, addresses 

management of all public land resources and land uses in 

the planning area, and that plan preparation is accomplished efficiently; 

2. To identify the scope and parameters of the planning effort 

for the decision maker, the interdisciplinary planning 

team, and the public; and 

3. To inform the public of what should and should not be 

expected from the completed JMHCAP. This includes 

identification of any planning issues that are not ready for 

decision-making and that will be addressed only through 

subsequent activity or implementation planning efforts or 

in approving public land and resource use authorizations 

(e.g., livestock grazing allotment management plans, wildlife habitat management plans, other coordinated activity 

planning, watershed management plans, processing applications for permits for mineral exploration, rights-of-way, 

etc.). 

Planning criteria are based on standards prescribed by laws 

and regulations; guidance provided by the BLM Wyoming 

State Director; the results of consultation and coordination 

with the public and with other agencies, governmental entities, and Indian Tribes; analysis of information pertinent to the 

planning area; public input; and professional judgment. The 

general planning criteria described in Appendix 1 have been 

developed to help focus the preparation of planning and 

management alternatives and the analysis of their impacts, 

and to guide selection of the preferred alternative for the RMP 

EIS. Additional planning criteria may be identified as the 

planning process proceeds. 

Planning criteria, specific to the JMHCAP planning area, 

will focus on the potential environmental consequences of 

reasonably foreseeable development and other land use activities in the planning area, such as staking mining claims and 

mineral exploration and development, construction of rightsof-way, recreation uses and livestock grazing. Other criteria, 

in relation to reasonably foreseeable development, include 

vehicular use and transportation, construction of range and 

watershed improvement projects, and recreation site developments. 

Criteria for Hydrocarbon Leasing and Development 

As an aid in developing alternatives for the EIS, special 

criteria were developed relative to the leasing and development of carbon-based minerals (oil, gas, coal, and coalbed 

methane). By inference from available geologic information, 

reports of past production, and information from the minerals 

industry, parts of the planning area were determined to have 

a high potential for the occurrence of oil and gas, and to have 

high and moderate potential for the occurrence of coal and 

related coalbed methane. 

This information, along with analysis of past mineral 

leasing and development activity and production, was utilized 

to project Reasonably Foreseeable Development scenarios 

for carbon-based minerals. These scenarios are used as 

assumptions to aid in analysis of impacts. 

Because they are so broad, these resource occurrence and 

development potential classifications, projected for planning 

purposes, are not appropriate for or intended to predict details 

of future activity or the exact locations of new discoveries. 

Criteria for Locatable Minerals 

Areas of potential for the occurrence of locatable minerals 

such as gold, bentonite, and uranium were derived during the 

Green River RMP planning process, to facilitate analysis of 

the effects that the variety of other land and resource uses and 

management actions would have on locatable minerals development and vice versa. 

Areas identified as having potential for the occurrence of 

locatable minerals, include areas with current or past mining 

activity, areas where mining claims are located, areas where 

3
PURPOSE AND NEED

mineral occurrence has been proven from some type of 

activity (such as stratigraphic test holes), and areas where 

geologic conditions appear favorable for the occurrence of 

locatable minerals. The areas of potential were refined for the 

JMHCAP planning area. They are based on a representative 

analysis by inference and do not imply that there may or may 

not be undiscovered locatable minerals of economic value in 

the planning area. 

Criteria for Use of Wyoming BLM Mitigation 

Guidelines 

The activity planning process will identify mitigation or 

protective requirements based on the use of the Wyoming 

BLM Mitigation Guidelines for Surface Disturbing and Disruptive Activities (Appendix 2). Mitigation or protective 

measures would be applied as conditions of land and resource 

use: 

(a) to minimize soil movement; 

(b) to minimize disturbance of vegetation in sensitive areas 

such as riparian areas; 

(c) to protect important cultural and paleontological resources, recreational values, wildlife and wildlife habitat resources and threatened or endangered plant and 

animal species); and 

(d) to protect visual quality. 

Criteria for Healthy Rangelands 

The activity planning process will include the application 

of measures to achieve the four fundamentals of rangeland 

health. These would be based on using the Wyoming Standards for Healthy Rangelands and the Wyoming BLM Mitigation Guidelines. Appropriate management prescriptions 

and protection measures would be applied. The fundamentals 

are: 

(1) watersheds are functioning properly: 

(2) water, nutrients, and energy are cycling properly; 

(3) water quality meets State standards; and 

(4) habitat for viable, diverse, native plants and animals, and 

for special status species is protected. 

Criteria for Livestock Grazing Management 

The activity planning process will include the application 

of measures to meet the Wyoming Standards for Healthy 

Rangelands and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management. Appropriate management prescriptions and protection 

measures would be applied. However, such prescriptions may 

not be allotment specific. Site specific measures would be 

applied on an allotment basis after a site specific standards and 

guidelines review, and in developing allotment management 

plans. 

Criteria for the Coal Screening/Planning 

Process 

The coal screening/planning process for management of 

the federal coal resources in the planning area was conducted 

in the Green River RMP planning process. Application of the 

Coal Unsuitability Criteria (43 CFR 3461) is documented in 

Appendix 3-2 of the Green River RMP. The coal screening/ 

planning process will not be revisited in the JMHCAP planning effort. However, potential coalbed methane development in the area will be considered. 

Criteria for Wilderness Study Areas 

Management of Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) will not 

be addressed in the JMHCAP. Management of WSAs within 

the planning area is addressed in the Green River Resource 

Management Plan (Appendix 3) (August 1997). Within the 

planning area, approximately 117,060 acres of BLM-administered public land in WSAs which are pending Congressional decision (see Map 4). When Congress makes decisions 

regarding the WSAs in the planning area, they will be incorporated into the Green River RMP and JMHCAP. Until 

Congress acts, these WSAs will be managed under the Interim 

Management Policy and Guidelines for Lands Under Wilderness Review (USDI 1995). No other potential wilderness 

areas in the planning area have been identified for wilderness 

review. 

Should Congress designate any of the WSAs (partially or 

wholly) as wilderness, the management of the designated 

areas will be in conformance with the Wilderness Act of 1964 

and as described in the above-mentioned Green River RMP 

and/or in the designation legislation. Wilderness activity 

plans will be prepared for any wilderness areas designated by 

Congress. 

Should Congress not designate part or all of any of the 

WSAs as wilderness, the nondesignated areas will lose their 

identity as WSAs and will be managed along with the adjoining land area as prescribed in the approved Green River RMP 

and JMHCAP. 

It must be understood that this CAP will not address 

management prescriptions specifically for the WSAs. If 

WSAs are included in an area with management prescriptions 

that are more stringent than wilderness management prescriptions, the WSA would be managed under those more stringent 

prescriptions. Where this occurs, it is to be understood that the 

more stringent management prescriptions would apply, 

whether or not the areas involved were designated as wilderness. 

Criteria for Areas of Critical Environmental 

Concern (ACEC) 

The relevance and importance criteria for ACEC designation, found in BLM Manual 1613, were applied and documented in the Green River RMP EIS. These criteria, their 

application and resulting determinations made in the RMP 

regarding the designation or nondesignation of ACECs, will 

not be revisited in developing the JMHCAP. However, if new 

areas are identified that meet the ACEC relevance and importance criteria, this information will be included in the EIS for 

the JMHCAP. 

4
PURPOSE AND NEED

Criteria for Wild Horses 

The Green River RMP EIS considered appropriate management levels for wild horses. These will not be revisited in 

developing the JMHCAP. 

Criteria for Wild and Scenic Rivers 

The Green River RMP EIS identified BLM-administered 

public lands along waterways that meet the Wild and Scenic 

Rivers Act suitability factors to be given further consideration 

for inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 

Wild and scenic river reviews will not be revisited in developing the JMHCAP. 

Criteria for Livestock Grazing 

The Green River RMP EIS addressed and provided for 

livestock grazing management. As a result, the JMHCAP will 

consider some level of grazing use in all alternatives and a no 

grazing alternative will not be revisited in developing the 

JMHCAP. A no grazing alternative will be addressed on 

individual grazing allotments in the course of future processing of grazing permits. 

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS 

AND DOCUMENTATION 

This EIS is intended to be a concise public document that 

analyzes the probable and known environmental impacts 

from several alternatives for development and use of public 

lands and resources upon components of the human and 

natural environment. The goal of this EIS is to produce better 

decisions using three themes developed in the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations: 1) early and 

continuous communication with the public; 2) early consideration of significant environmental consequences; and 3) consideration of all reasonable alternatives. Development of 

alternatives included preparation of the alternatives, affected 

environment, and environmental consequences. 

No Action Alternative 

The interdisciplinary planning team began the environmental analysis for the JMHCAP by preparing a comprehensive description of the existing management situation for the 

planning area. This description represents the “No Action 

Alternative” for the environmental analysis. This alternative 

describes levels of activities existing and anticipated to occur 

under existing management direction in the planning area. 

This direction includes no leasing or activity in the core area, 

and no withdrawals in addition to those already identified in 

the Green River RMP. Management objective and action 

decisions in the Green River RMP that affect the JMHCAP 

planning area are contained in Appendix 3. 

Other Alternatives Including the 

Preferred Alternative 

Development of other alternatives for this section of the 

environmental impact analysis were based upon public scoping 

and analysis of the No Action Alternative. An adequate range 

of alternatives has been developed for comparative analysis. 

Affected Environment 

This section of the EIS describes those land and resource 

uses and resource values in the planning area that would be 

affected by each of the alternatives. 

Environmental Consequences of the 

Alternatives 

The interdisciplinary planning team conducted an environmental impact analysis of the effects of each alternative. 

Based upon these analyses, the Preferred Alternative was 

developed and was also analyzed. 

SCOPING, CONSULTATION, 

AND COORDINATION 

CEQ regulations require that agencies responsible for 

preparing an EIS use an early scoping process to identify 

significant issues. The principal goals of scoping are to allow 

public participation and to identify issues, concerns, and 

potential impacts that require detailed analysis in the EIS. The 

scoping process was the primary mechanism used by BLM to 

identify public interests and concerns about activities in the 

planning area. 

BLM has actively and directly solicited public involvement by circulating information through public mailings, 

public announcements, notices in local newspapers, and conducting open houses and field tours. The public has been 

provided ample opportunity to submit comments and recommendations by mail, over the telephone or fax, e-mail, or in 

person. The BLM did not only accumulate significant public 

comment, the agency considered and responded to the concerns expressed. A chronology of the public scoping process 

is provided in Table 1-2. 

Initial notification of the intent to prepare the JMHCAP 

occurred in the Green River RMP final EIS (1996). This 

information was again provided with the publication of the 

Record of Decision and Approved Green River RMP (USDI 

1997). On January 22, 1998, the BLM mailed a scoping 

statement to the media, governmental agencies, environmental organizations, industry representatives, individuals, landowners, and grazing permittees. The scoping statement explained the general nature of the JMHCAP planning effort and 

requested initial comments concerning the level of analysis, 

5
PURPOSE AND NEED

resource information, and concerns. A notice of intent to 

conduct public scoping and prepare an EIS was published in 

the Federal Register on February 5, 1998. The scoping period 

ended March 20, 1998; however, comments received after this 

date were still considered. 

Meetings were held with the public on February 10, February 19, and March 19, 1998 to provide information about the 

CAP planning effort and to solicit public input. Two field 

tours were also held and two additional open houses were held 

on September 14, and October 27, 1998 (see Table 1-2). 

Consultation with Native Americans, pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act, American Indian Religious 

Freedom Act, and Executive Order 13007, occurred throughout the planning process. Specific consultation with tribes 

guaranteed their participation, in conformance with Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations.” See Chapters 3 and 5 for further discussion of Environmental Justice, federal trust responsibility, and consultation 

coordination. 

All comments received were incorporated into the analysis 

of issues found in this EIS . Over 190 comment letters were 

received during the scoping process and are available for 

inspection in the Rock Springs Field Office. 

6
TABLE 1-1

LAND AND MINERAL OWNERSHIPS AND ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDICTIONS

WITHIN THE JMHCAP PLANNING AREA

Areas the CAP Decisions WILL Cover: Approximate 

Acres1 

A. Areas where the land surface and mineral estate are both Federally 

owned and are both administered by the BLM2 567,080 

B. Areas where the land surface is Federally owned and administered 

by the BLM and the mineral estate is owned and administered by 

the state of Wyoming3 7,720 

C. Areas where the land surface is owned and administered by private 

individuals and the total mineral estate is Federally owned and 

administered by the BLM4 4,950 

D. Areas where the land surface is owned and administered by private individuals 

and the coal is Federally owned and administered by the BLM4 2,010 

E. Areas where the land surface is owned and administered by private individuals 

and the oil and gas is Federally owned and administered by the BLM4 30 

F. Areas where the land surface is owned and administered by private individuals 

and the other federal minerals are Federally owned and administered by the BLM4 40 

G. Areas where the land surface is owned and administered by the State of Wyoming 

and the mineral estate is Federally owned and administered by the BLM4 640 

H. Areas where the land surface is owned and administered by the State of Wyoming 

and the coal is Federally owned and administered by the BLM4 80 

Total BLM administered federal land surface to be covered by CAP decisions (A + B) 574,800 

Total BLM administered federal mineral estate to be covered by CAP decisions 

(A + C + D + E + F + G + H) 574,830 

Areas the CAP Decisions Will NOT Cover: 

I. Areas where the Federal land surface is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation 

and the Federal mineral estate is administered by the BLM5 1,980 

Total BLM administered federal mineral estate that will NOT be covered by RMP decisions 1,980 

J. Areas where the land surface and minerals are both owned by private 

individuals and the BLM has no administrative authority6 8,800 

K. Areas where the land surface and minerals are both owned by the State 

of Wyoming and the BLM has no administrative authority6 29,000 

Total Land Surface Acres in the JMHCAP Planning Area (All Ownerships)1 622,330 

1

 Because of land surface and mineral ownership overlaps and administrative responsibility overlaps, acreage figures are not additive. 

2

 In areas where the Federal land surface and Federal mineral estate are both administered by the BLM, the CAP decisions will cover 

both the land surface and the mineral estate. 

7
3

 In areas where the Federal land surface is administered by the BLM, and the minerals are privately owned or owned by the State of 

Wyoming, the CAP decisions will cover only the BLM-administered Federal land surface. While these surface management decisions 

may have some affect on the ability to manage and develop the non-Federally owned minerals, the CAP decisions will not pertain to the 

non-Federal mineral estate. At the same time, surface and minerals management actions and development activities anticipated in these 

areas will be taken into account for purposes of cumulative impact analysis in the CAP. 

4

 In areas where the land surface is privately owned or owned by the State of Wyoming, and the minerals are Federally owned, the CAP 

decisions will cover only the BLM-administered Federal mineral estate. While the land and resource uses and values on the non-Federal 

surface will be taken into account and will affect development of the Federal mineral management decisions, these decisions will not 

pertain to the state and privately owned land surface. At the same time, surface and minerals management actions and development 

activities anticipated in these areas will be taken into account for purposes of cumulative impact analysis in the CAP. 

5

 In areas where the Federal land surface is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Federal mineral estate is administered 

by the BLM, the land surface planning and management decisions are the responsibility of the Bureau of Reclamation. Any BLM 

administrative responsibilities on these lands (for example, actions concerning the Federal mineral estate) are handled case by case and 

are guided by the other surface management agencies' policies, procedures, and plans. Thus, the CAP will not include management 

decisions for the Federal minerals on these lands. At the same time, surface and minerals management actions and development 

activities anticipated on these lands will be taken into account for purposes of cumulative impact analysis in the CAP. 

It is also important to note that, while other BLM responsibilities include surface management of the lands withdrawn for purposes of the 

Bureau of Reclamation, they are carried out in accordance with an interagency agreement between the two agencies. Administrative 

jurisdiction (including land use planning) for these lands lies with the Bureau of Reclamation. 

6

 The CAP will not include any management decisions for areas where the land surface and minerals are both privately owned or owned 

by the State of Wyoming. 

8
TABLE 1-2

PUBLIC SCOPING PROCESS

FOR THE JACK MORROW HILLS COORDINATED ACTIVITY PLAN DRAFT EIS

Date Scoping Purpose 

January 22, 1998 Scoping Notice mailed to the public. 

February 5, 1998 Notice of Intent to prepare the CAP published in the Federal Register with 

notice of open houses to be conducted. 

February 10, 1998 Open House held in Rock Springs to receive input on issues and concerns. 

46 people attended. 

February 19, 1998 Open House held in Lander to receive input on issues and concerns. 

Over 70 people attended. 

March 19, 1998 Open House held in Rock Springs to receive input on issues and concerns. 

13 people attended. 

March 20, 1998 Scoping period ended. 

September 2, 1998 Newsletter sent to all parties on the mailing list. Internet web site 

established with newsletter information. The newsletter summarized the 

issues raised during scoping and provided notification of a field tour and 

open house to be conducted September 14, 1998. 

September 14, Field tour of planning area to familiarize the public with the area and to 

1998 receive input on issues and concerns. Over 50 people attended. An open 

house followed the field tour. 

October 27, 1998 Field tour of planning area to familiarize the public with the area and to 

receive input on issues and concerns. Over 10 people attended. 

February 18, 1999 Coordination meeting with State of Wyoming, EPA, and USFWS to discuss 

progress and receive input on development of alternatives. 

February 24, 1999 Open house held in Lander to discuss progress on the CAP and to solicit 

comments on Alternative development. Over 23 people attended. 

February 25, 1999 Open house held in Rock Springs to discuss progress on the CAP and to 

solicit comments on Alternative development. 10 people attended. 

June 2000 CAP Draft EIS published and distributed to the public (60-day review). 

Federal Register notice of availability published. 

9