West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

Habitat Management Plans (HMPs) were to be prepared for each of the five areas, to befinished no later than 1987, with implementation occurring no later than 1989. Specificmanagement actions varied, as did long term goals, but each of the five areas had the long-termgoal of protecting, stabilizing, and enhancing resource values. During the early preparation ofthese HMPs, conflicts with some of the multiple use class guidelines were identified. Becausean HMP, unlike an ACEC, cannot override multiple use class guidelines, it was determined thatan HMP was not an effective tool for MGS management. Rather, a plan amendment would benecessary, to be implemented through the West Mojave planning process.Rand Mountains Fremont Valley Management Plan: The BLM completed a RandMountains Fremont Valley Management Plan (Rand Plan) in August 1993 (U.S. Bureau of LandManagement 1993), which included 65,020 acres (101.6 mi 2 ) of public lands 35 miles south ofRidgecrest and immediately north of California City. The area encompasses about 24,320 acres(38 mi 2 ) of previously designated MGS Crucial Habitat. The Rand Plan ranked the MGS assecond only to the desert tortoise on its list of the most sensitive wildlife resources in themanagement area. The Rand Plan called for: (1) amendment of the CDCA Plan to reflect aproposed 13,120 acre (20.5 mi 2 ) expansion of the Rand ACEC and a BLM multiple use classchange from class M to class L; (2) acquisition of private lands; and (3) a mineral withdrawal.To date, the CDCA Plan has been amended for the ACEC expansion and multiple use classchange; acquisitions of private lands and mineral withdrawal have not occurred. Facilitatingimplementation of the Rand Plan is considered a high priority for MGS conservation in the WestMojave Plan.3.3.4 BatsSix species are addressed by the plan: long-legged myotis, California leaf-nosedbat, spotted bat, pallid bat, Western mastiff bat and Townsend’s big-eared bat.Life History: The California leaf-nosed bat and Townsend’s big-eared bat are colonialcave dwellers thought to have declining populations. The California leaf-nosed bat is known tobe dependent on desert wash foraging habitat near the roosts. The Townsend’s big-eared bat isdependent on riparian habitat within five miles of the roosts.The spotted bat and western mastiff bat are cliff dwellers. In desert habitats, pallid batsroost mostly in rock crevices, although they might be found in tree cavities, old buildings, underbridges, in caves and mine adits, and mud tubes when these istes are available. The long-leggedmyotis is primarily a tree-dweller occurring at higher elevations than those found in the planningarea.Population Status in the Planning Area: All except one of the identified significantroosts are on public (NPS and BLM) lands. The Dale Mining District in the Pinto Mountains,including portions of Joshua Tree National Park, contains many shafts and adits known to harborbats of several species. Six significant roosts have been located, and the potential for severalmore is present. The largest roost known, containing over 10,000 bats of several species, isunder the Interstate 15 bridge at the Mojave River crossing. This site is currently underChapter 3 3-169