Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment

United States Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment

DOI-BLM-WY-P000-2017-0001-EA

August 2017

High Plains District Portion of the August 2017

Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale

High Plains District Office

2987 Prospector Drive

Casper, Wyoming 82604

(307) 261-7600

(307) 261-7587 fax

Table of Contents

Chapter 1....................................................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1.3 Purpose and Need .......................................................................................................................... 8

1.4 Conformance with BLM Land Use Plans ......................................................................................... 8

1.5 Relationship to Statutes, Regulations, or Other Plans.................................................................... 9

1.6 Identification of Issues.................................................................................................................. 11

1.7 Issues Considered but Eliminated from Further Analysis ............................................................. 14

1.8 Public Participation ....................................................................................................................... 15

1.9 Summary....................................................................................................................................... 16

Chapter 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives.............................................................................................. 17

2.1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 17

2.2 Common to All Alternatives.......................................................................................................... 17

2.3 Alternative A ? No Action ............................................................................................................. 17

2.4 Alternative B ? Proposed Action................................................................................................... 18

2.5 Alternatives Considered, but Eliminated from Further Analysis .................................................. 18

Chapter 3 Affected Environment ................................................................................................................ 19

3.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 19

3.2 General Setting ............................................................................................................................. 19

3.3 Resources/Issues Identified for Analysis ...................................................................................... 19

3.3.1 Air Resources ............................................................................................................................. 19

3.3.2 Coal ............................................................................................................................................ 32

3.3.3 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................................... 32

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3.3.4 Lands and Realty ........................................................................................................................ 34

3.3.5 Paleontology .............................................................................................................................. 35

3.3.6 Recreation and Special Management Areas .............................................................................. 36

3.3.7 Socioeconomic Resources, Environmental Justice, and Public Health and Safety .................... 36

3.3.8 Soils ............................................................................................................................................ 39

3.3.9 Vegetation/Riparian Area .......................................................................................................... 39

3.3.10 Visual Resource Management (VRM) ...................................................................................... 40

3.3.11 Water Resources...................................................................................................................... 41

3.3.12 Wildlife and Special Status Species (Plants and Animals)........................................................ 42

Chapter 4 Environmental Impacts .............................................................................................................. 47

4.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 47

4.2 Common to All Alternatives.......................................................................................................... 48

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

4.2.2 Coal ............................................................................................................................................ 49

4.2.3 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................................... 49

4.2.4 Special Management Areas ....................................................................................................... 50

4.2.5 Soils ............................................................................................................................................ 50

4.2.6 Vegetation/Riparian................................................................................................................... 50

4.2.7 Visual Resource Management (VRM) ........................................................................................ 51

4.2.8 Water Resources........................................................................................................................ 51

4.2.9 Wildlife and Special Status Species (Plants and Animals).......................................................... 51

4.3 Alternative A ? No Action ............................................................................................................. 53

4.4 Alternative B ? Proposed Action ? Direct and Indirect Effects ..................................................... 54

4.4.1 Air Resources ............................................................................................................................. 54

4.4.2 Heritage Resources .................................................................................................................... 63

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4.4.3 Socioeconomic Resources.......................................................................................................... 63

4.4.4 Wildlife and Special Status Species (Plant and Animal) ............................................................. 64

4.5 Cumulative Impacts Analysis ........................................................................................................ 66

Chapter 5 Consultation and Coordination .................................................................................................. 69

5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 69

5.2 Persons, Groups, and Agencies Consulted ................................................................................... 69

5.3 Summary of Public Participation .................................................................................................. 69

5.4 References .................................................................................................................................... 70

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Chapter 1

1.1 Introduction

This environmental assessment (EA) has been prepared to disclose and analyze the environmental consequences beyond those already addressed in the Buffalo, Casper and Newcastle Field Offices' 5esource 0anagement 3lans (503) and to address new information and policy for the %ureau of /and 0anagement's (%/0) +igh 3lains 'istrict (+3') portion of the August 2017 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale of which 158 parcels were nominated for leasing within the HPD.

EAs assist the BLM in project planning and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (Public Law 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). EAs also assist the authorized officer in making an informed determination as to whether any significant impacts could result from the analyzed actions. Significance is defined by the Council on Environmental Quality and is found in 40 CFR 1508.27.

An EA provides evidence for determining whether to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or to support a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). If the decision maker determines that this project has significant impacts following the analysis in the EA, then an EIS would be prepared for the project. A FONSI documents the reasons why implementation of the selected alternative would not result in "significant" environmental impacts (effects) When a FONSI1 statement is reached, a Decision Record may be signed approving the selected alternative which could be the proposed action, another alternative, or a combination thereof.

1.2 Background

7he %/0's policy derived from various laws, including the 0ineral /easing $ct of (MLA), as amended [30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.] and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended [43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.], is to make mineral resources available for disposal and to encourage development of mineral resources to meet national, regional, and local needs.

As required under the MLA, the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act of 1987 (FOOGLRA), 43 CFR 3120.1-2(a) and BLM Instruction Memorandum (IM) No. WO-2010-117, the BLM Wyoming State Office (WSO) conducts a quarterly competitive lease sale to sell available oil and gas lease parcels. A Notice of Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale listing parcels to be offered at the auction is published by the WSO typically 90 days before the auction is held. Lease stipulations applicable to each parcel are specified in the sale notice. The decision as to which public lands and minerals are open for leasing and what leasing stipulations may be necessary, based on information available at the time, is made during the land use planning process. Surface management of non-BLM administered land overlaying Federal minerals is

1 6ince the 503 (,6s have already evaluated potentially significant impacts arising from the %/0's land use planning decisions, the %/0 anticipates a "finding of no new significant impacts" 6ee &)5 (c)

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determined by the BLM in consultation with the appropriate surface management agency or the private surface owner.

As part of the August 2017 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale preparation process the WSO submitted the preliminary parcel list to the HPD, which includes the Buffalo Field Office (BFO), the Casper Field Office (CFO) and the Newcastle Field Office (NFO), for review and processing.

The RMPs for the CFO and the NFO have undergone amendment as part of the Wyoming Greater Sage-Grouse Land Use Plan Amendment. The Proposed Amendments and Final EIS were released on May 28, 2015. On September 21, 2015, the BLM signed a Record of Decision (ROD) and Approved Resource Management Plan Amendments (ARMPA) for the Rocky Mountain Region, including the Casper and Newcastle RMPs, and on September 24, 2015, these documents were published in the Federal Register (80 FR 57639). On September 21, 2015, the BLM signed a ROD for the Buffalo Field Office Approved Resource Management Plan (ARMP), and on September 24, 2015, these documents were published in the Federal Register (80 FR 57639).

The respective field office staffs, in coordination and consultation with the HPD staff, reviewed the parcels to determine if they are in areas open to leasing. Each field office made recommendations to the HPD. These recommendations were reviewed, and where appropriate, RMP based stipulations were included or additional RMP stipulations added; determined if new information is available since the land use plan was approved; determined if appropriate consultations have been conducted or if additional consultations are needed; and if there were special resource conditions of which potential bidders should be made aware. This single comprehensive EA was prepared by the HPD to document this review, as well as to disclose the affected environment, the anticipated impacts, the mitigation of impacts, and the recommended lease parcel disposition for all field offices. This EA will be available to the public for review for 30 days. Substantive comments and responses to those comments will be found in Appendix F of this document, once public comments are received and addressed. Public comments will be reviewed and taken into consideration in the completion of the decision record. A Notice of Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale listing parcels with stipulations to be offered at the auction is made available to the public typically 90 days before the auction is held.

This EA documents the HPD, the BFO, the CFO and the NFO review of 158 parcels nominated for the August 2017 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale, containing 136,330 Federal mineral acres and 14,554 Federal surface acres as depicted in Table 1.1 below (see also Appendix C, Preliminary Parcel List).

Table 1.1 Federal Mineral Acres & Federal Surface Acres

Field Office

Number Federal Mineral Acres Federal Surface Acres

Buffalo Field Office

Pa9rc8els

93,044

6,589

Casper Field Office

21*

14,189

3,372

Newcastle Field Office

40*

29,097

4,593

Total

158

136,330

14,554

*One parcel has boundaries that cross field office jurisdictions. Parcel WY-1708-035 is in both the NFO & the

CFO jurisdiction, and has been analyzed by both field offices.

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Of the 158 parcels nominated for the August 2017 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale, one entire parcel and three partial parcels in the BFO and two partial parcels in the NFO are closed to leasing. One entire parcel, WY-1708-082-070, and two partial parcels in the BFO, WY-1708-069 and WY-1708-071 are closed to leasing because they are inside an incorporated city. Two partial parcels in the NFO, WY-1708-025 and WY-1708-032 are closed to leasing because they are inside incorporated town limits. 43 CFR 3100.0-3(a)(2)(iii) states that oil and gas in public domain lands are subject to lease, except incorporated cities, towns and villages. A portion of one parcel, WY-1708-068 is closed to leasing under Buffalo RMP Decision O&G-2002 because it is inside the Gillette Municipal Airport boundary. Table 1.2 below shows acreages, totaling 838.41 acres, with legal descriptions for the parcels closed to leasing within the HPD.

Table 1.2 Parcels Closed to Leasing

Parcel Number WY-1708-025 WY-1708-032 WY-1708-068 WY-1708-069 WY-1708-070 WY-1708-071

Reason Closed to Leasing

Incorporated Upton town limits

Incorporated Pine Haven town limits

Inside Gillette Municipal Airport

Incorporated City of Gillette

Incorporated City of Gillette

Incorporated City of Gillette

Field Office NFO

NFO BFO BFO BFO

BFO

Partial or Entire Closed

Partial Parcel

Partial Parcel

Partial Parcel Partial Parcel Entire Parcel

Partial Parcel Total Acres Closed

Legal Description (Closed Federal Mineral Acres)

T.0480N, R.0650W, 06th PM, WY Sec.027 SESW (EXCL 7.16 AC IN

RR 027 ROW WYW0119068);

32.84 Acres

T.0510N, R.0660W, 06th PM, WY Sec.032 W2NESW, NWSW,

W2SWSW 80.00 Acres

T.0500N, R.0720W, 06th PM, WY Sec. 004 LOTS 8; 005 LOTS 5;

66.31 Acres

T.0500N, R.0720W, 06th PM, WY Sec. 019 LOT 12;

41.30 Acres T.0500N, R.0720W, 06th PM, WY

Sec. 029 LOTS 13-16; 030 LOTS 16,17,20; 032 LOTS 4;

328.38 Acres T.0500N, R.0720W, 06th PM, WY

Sec. 031 LOTS 5,8,9,10,12,13; 032 LOTS 11,13,14;

369.58 Acres 918.41 Acres

IM WY-2016-024 provides guidance to the BLM Wyoming field offices regarding management of Greater Sage-grouse core areas identified in version of the 6tate's &ore $rea 0ap, which is attached to Wyoming Executive Order (EO) 2015-4. The guidance in this IM recognizes that the BLM Wyoming has issued RMPs providing direction on conservation goals, objectives, allocations and management actions in Greater Sage-grouse habitat including core areas, and that those RMPs are based upon version of the 6tate's &ore $rea 0ap ,t also recognizes that (2 2015- utilizes a newer version of the 6tate's &ore $rea 0ap (version 4) which does not align

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completely with the areas identified in the version 3 maps that served as the basis for the priority habitat management areas (PHMA) identified in the RMPs.

The BLM has determined that based on its planning regulations (43 CFR 1610) a land use plan amendment is required for the BLM Wyoming to consider incorporation of version 4 of the Core Area Maps into the applicable RMPs. This IM provides guidance to field offices with respect to the management of such lands until such time as a subsequent planning process is completed.

In accordance with IM WY-2016-024 the following three parcels totaling 2,236.29 acres will be deferred because they are located in Greater Sage-grouse core version 4 areas not previously designated as PHMA in approved RMPs (page of the ,0, "$reas identified as &ore in version 4 which were NOT identified as PHMA in the BLM land use plans"). Refer to Table 1.3.

Table 1.3 BLM Sage-grouse Deferrals in Core Version 4 Not Previously Designated PHMA

Parcel Number WY-1708-023 WY-1708-024 WY-1708-025*

Field Office NFO

NFO

NFO

Offer/Defer Defer Defer Defer

Deferred Acres 939.76

200.00

1096.53

Reason for Deferral

Inside GSG Core Version 4, not previously designated PHMA

Inside GSG Core Version 4, not previously designated PHMA

Inside GSG Core Version 4, not previously designated PHMA

Total

2,236.29

*Parcel 025 was deleted in part for lands in the Town of Pine Haven. Deferral of this land removes Parcel 025 in its entirety.

In accordance with IM WO-2016-143, the following parcels (Table 1.4) will be deferred consistent with the %/0's *reater 6age-grouse conservation plans and strategy, which direct the BLM to prioritize oil and gas leasing and development in a manner that minimizes resource conflicts in order to protect important Greater Sage-grouse habitat and reduce development time and costs. The deferral of these 14 entire parcels totaling 12,807.22 acres is consistent with IM WO-2016-143.

Table 1.4 BLM Deferrals due to Greater Sage-grouse Concerns

Parcel Number

WY-1708-031

Field Office NFO

WY-1708-043

NFO

WY-1708-044

NFO

WY-1708-048

BFO

WY-1708-054

BFO

Offer/Defer Defer Defer Defer Defer Defer

Deferred Acres 1573.76 80.00 519.30 40.00 2519.14

Reason for Deferral

Minimize resource conflicts; Protect GSG habitat

Minimize resource conflicts; Protect GSG habitat

Minimize resource conflicts; Protect GSG habitat

Minimize resource conflicts; Protect GSG habitat

Minimize resource conflicts; Protect GSG habitat

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