Environmental Assessment

OTHER EFFECTS – CUMULATIVELY SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS CHAPTER 3
Other Effects – Recreation
Cumulative Effects
Grazing in the Cinder Cone and Pine Mountain Allotments was reauthorized in the decision notice for
the Cinder Hill Range Analysis Environmental Assessment (2004). Actions authorized by that decision
would have no measurable cumulative effects under any of the three alternatives considered under this
analysis.
Treatments would reduce the amount of antelope bitterbrush available in the project area. Adherence to
utilization standards is expected to minimize the risk of livestock browsing bitterbrush thereby
maintaining more browse for deer. Grazing would be infrequent and used mainly for vegetation
management. Grazing will reduce the amount of “flashy fuels” that could influence the increase and
size and spread of wildfires.
Livestock may utilize existing roads for travel. Livestock and vehicles using the same routes can cause
vehicle damage, personal injury, and injury to livestock
Road closures, and a designated off highway vehicle (OHV) trail system within the planning area may:
1) increase the human/livestock interaction; 2) require the relocation of an existing water set; 3)
concentrate compaction in new areas of new water sets; 4) increase fence line maintenance; and 5)
decrease permittee access.
Livestock “water set” areas are often popular camping locations, creating dual use areas, which may be
compatible as long as they occur at separate times. Water sets would continue to be utilized by
recreational visitors when not being used for grazing operations. Expansion of water sets, because of
recreational use, would not have a measurable impact on forage production or soil compaction. Water
sets currently occupy less than one tenth of one percent (0.1 percent) of each allotment and the project
area. Increasing the size of the area by 10 feet in all directions would result in an increase of impacted
area to approximately 1.2 acres, an increase of approximately 17 percent per site, effectively
eliminating the forage production in these impacted areas. These areas, that have soil and vegetative
disturbance, also frequently have populations of invasive species of vegetation associated with the
disturbed sites.
Alternative 1 provides the least benefit to permittees because no fuel reduction or vegetation treatments
would be implemented that would provide increased forage for livestock and help to reduce competition
for bitterbrush. Alternative 2, because if provides the greatest number of acres of fuel reduction and
vegetation treatments, provides the greatest benefit to the permittees, and Alternative 3 following.
Neither of the action alternatives would threaten a violation of any federal, state, or local law or
requirements imposed for the protection of the environment. The proposed action is consistent with the
LRMP goals and standards for range and the objectives of the LRMP management allocations. There
would be no measurable cumulative impacts to grazing in the planning area from any of the action
alternatives. Grazing will continue under any alternative selected.
Recreation
Environmental Effects
Alternative 1 - Under Alternative 1, developed recreation activity levels (developed camping and day
use activities) would be expected to experience a slow but limited increase. This increase is primarily
associated with the increased interest in the Pine Mountain Observatory. Observatory visitors,
especially those attending summer weekend stargazing activities, use the Pine Mountain Campground
across from the observatory. The Sand Springs Campground, although technically a developed site, has
limited and primitive development. It is currently managed as a developed-dispersed site. No changes
in the level of use are projected.
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