Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
As the two tables illustrate, with the exception of the Pine Mountain WRHU, neither action alternative
is successful at attaining the desired road density. This is of particular concern given the levels of
hiding and thermal cover following the completion of planned activities. An additional concern that
arises is the habituation of deer to motorized traffic and how that could increase their vulnerability to
hunters or poachers using roads and trails. Alternative 3 results in a greater reduction in roads closed or
decommissioned. Although densities do not meet the LRMP standard, the reduced densities would
improve habitat effectiveness by reducing stress and movement of mule deer and thereby increasing the
potential for survival.
Alternative 1: Alternative 1 would close or decommission no existing system roads. Under
Alternative 1, current road and motorized trail densities, including both system and non-designated
roads and trails, would remain at an average of 4.96 miles per square mile across the planning area with
a range from 2.18 miles per square mile in the Pine Mountain WRHU to 7.90 miles per square mile in
the Potholes WRHU. Average system road densities would remain at 3.46 miles per square mile and
system motorized trails at 1.89 miles per square mile. The best available information regarding the
number and mileage of non-designated roads and trails suggests that they would be 0.34 miles per
square mile, a figure that is conservative. The motorized trail and non-designated trail densities are
only reflective of those WRHUs or subunits that contain system trails or have identified non-designated
routes within their boundaries.
During hunting season, a seasonal road closure (Green Dot system) reduces the mileage of both system
roads and non-designated roads and trails to an average of 2.92 miles per square mile. All motorized
travel, including OHVs, is restricted to designated routes identified by a green dot on road signs.
Alternative 2: Alternative 2 would close or decommission 19 miles of system roads. This would
include the closing of 3.1 miles and decommissioning 15.6 miles. Under Alternative 2, average system
road densities would decline to approximately 3.30 miles per square mile due to the closure and
obliteration of system roads. This would also result in a decrease in the density of system roads and
system trails to an average of approximately 4.77 miles per square mile (Table 3-18). No changes in
the number of miles of non-designated roads and trails would occur because no area closures or other
travel restrictions would be implemented. Non-designated roads and trails would remain and new ones
would continue to be created.
Alternative 3: Alternative 3 would close or decommission approximately 42 miles of system roads
including the closure of approximately 27.4 miles and the decommissioning of approximately 14.2
miles. Approximately 10 miles of system roads would be decommissioned by subsoiling; the
remaining approximately four (4) miles are recommended for conversion to other uses, specifically for
inclusion in a proposed designated class II OHV route on Pine Mountain. These four miles also provide
access to range improvements and trend plots as well as to provide access for fire control and
suppression activities. As such, these roads would continue to be utilized by agency personnel to
monitor grazing activities and control wildfires and by the range permittee to provide access to
improvements such as water sets and fences. Under Alternative 3, the closure or obliteration of roads
would reduce system road densities to an average of approximately 3.11 miles per square mile. No
system trails in the EFR trail system, including shared use and other roads designated as part of the trail
system, would be closed. Non-designated roads and trails would remain and new ones would continue
to be created. Road and motorized trail density associated with system roads and trails would drop to
an average of approximately 4.6 miles per square mile.
Road densities would be further reduced under Alternative 3 to 2.5 miles by an additional seasonal
closure from December 1 st to March 31 st of the following year. This closure would be imposed on
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