Dear Interested Party,

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Rafe Blankenship
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1 United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Medicine Bow Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland Parks Ranger District 100 Main Street, PO Box 158 Walden, CO File Code: 1950 Date: October 16, 2012 Dear Interested Party, The Forest Service is seeking public input on proposals that have been identified for the gate Allotment Management Plan Revision Project to implement direction from the Routt National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) to manage for ecosystem needs, which includes maintaining all rangelands in satisfactory condition and managing for a sustained yield of forage for both livestock and wildlife. The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Analysis (EA) to analyze and disclose the environmental effects of these proposals. Although the analysis will include all proposals, a separate decision document may be issued for each distinct project. This letter contains background information on these proposals. Scoping is an integral part of the environmental analysis process. It provides an opportunity for the public to express opinions about site-specific areas on the Forest that are being considered for possible projects or proposed actions. The purpose of scoping is to identify issues and concerns related to the proposed action(s). In addition, scoping may identify additional information and management opportunities that may be incorporated into the proposed actions, as well as formulating alternatives to the proposed actions. ANALYSIS AREA & PROJECT AREA The analysis area is the geographical area that could be impacted from the proposed actions. This project utilizes Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 6 watersheds for the analysis area. If any proposed action is within a HUC6 watershed, the entire watershed is included within the analysis area. The project area is a smaller region within the analysis area where the proposed actions would occur. The allotment boundaries comprise the project area. The gate Allotment Management Plan Revision Project Analysis Area (AA) is located in Jackson, Larimer, and Routt Counties in Colorado along with Albany and Carbon Counties in Wyoming. The legal description is T.13N., R.78-81W., T.12N., R.78-82W., T.11N., R.78-83W., T.10N., R.77-83W., and T.09N., R.78-83W. The AA encompasses approximately 279,420 acres, including 130,422 acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands (53%) and 148,998 acres (47%) of non-nfs land. The AA is the geographical area that could be impacted from the proposed actions. The following watersheds represent the north, south, east, and west borders of the AA (see attached Vicinity Map): Platte River-Sixmile 37,738 acres 11,445 acres Pinkham 18,795 acres Threemile - Platte River 10,468 acres Coon -Canadian River 30,277 acres Middle Platte River 27,492 Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper

2 Lake 35,539 acres Pelton 23,948 acres Upper Platte River 23,349 acres South Big 28,245 acres Lower Canadian River 32,135 acres Table 1. Surface Ownership within the Analysis Area (rounded to nearest acre) Location Owner Acres Land outside of FS administrative boundaries Various 147,059 Medicine Bow NF Forest Service 50,736 Medicine Bow NF Private 773 Medicine Bow NF State of Wyoming 156 Routt NF Forest Service 79,530 Routt NF Private 1,166 TOTAL 279,420 Table 2. Management Areas (MA) within the Analysis Area (rounded to nearest acre) MA Forest Description Acres 1.11 Routt Wilderness Pristine 10, Routt Wilderness Primitive 11, Routt Wilderness Semi-primitive 4, Medicine Bow Wilderness Semi-primitive 13, Medicine Bow Backcountry Recreation Year-round Nonmotorized 3, Routt Backcountry Recreation Non-motorized with Limited Motorized use in Winter Routt National River System Wild Rivers Designated and Eligible Routt Special Interest Areas Limited Use and Interpretation 1, Routt Research Natural Areas 1, Routt Backcountry Recreation Year Round Motorized 7, Medicine Bow Forest Flora or Fauna Habitat Limited Snowmobiling 1, Medicine Bow Crucial Deer and Elk Winter Range 3, Routt Dispersed Recreation 4, Routt General Forest and Rangelands Forest Vegetation emphasis 7, Routt Forest Products 19, Medicine Bow Forest Products Medicine Bow Forest Products Ecological Maintenance and Restoration Considering the Historic Range of Variability 27, Routt Deer and Elk Winter Range 5, Medicine Bow Develop Recreation 66 TOTAL 126,486

3 Table 3. Colorado Roadless Areas within the Analysis Area (rounded to nearest acre) Roadless Area Name Forest Type Acres Bear Mountain Medicine Bow Roadless 63 Illinois Medicine Bow Roadless 4,909 Kettle Lakes Routt Roadless 1,779 Kettle Lakes Routt Upper Tier Roadless 7,643 Platte River Addition Medicine Bow Roadless 2,977 TOTAL 17,371 The project area is a smaller region within the AA where the proposed actions would occur. It includes the Brown,, Foothills, and grazing allotments. The legal description for the project area is T.12N., R.78-80W., T.11N., R.78-80&82W., T.10N., R.82&83W., and T.09N., R.82W. in Jackson County, Colorado. The project area within the AA is approximately 56,400 acres, all under NFS ownership, and within the administrative boundary of the Parks Ranger District (see attached Vicinity Map). Private land inholdings within a grazing allotment are not considered to be within the project area, but are within the AA. Table 4. Management Areas within the Project Area (rounded to nearest acre) MA Forest Description Acres 1.11 Routt Wilderness Pristine 5, Routt Wilderness Primitive 10, Routt Wilderness Semi-primitive Routt Backcountry Recreation Non-motorized with Limited Motorized use in Winter Routt National River System Wild Rivers Designated and Eligible Routt Special Interest Areas Limited Use and Interpretation 1, Routt Research Natural Areas 1, Routt Backcountry Recreation Year Round Motorized 5, Routt Dispersed Recreation Routt General Forest and Rangelands Forest Vegetation emphasis 5, Routt Forest Products 19,693 TOTAL 51,038 Table 5. Colorado Roadless Areas within the Project Area (rounded to nearest acre) Roadless Area Name Forest Type Acres Kettle Lakes Routt Roadless 2 Kettle Lakes Routt Upper Tier Roadless 5,816 TOTAL 5,818 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION This proposal was initiated in response to Section 504(a) of the 1995 Rescission Act (Public Law ), which requires the Forest Service to establish and adhere to a schedule for completion of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decisions on all allotments. The

4 purpose of this proposal is to implement direction from the Routt National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) to manage for ecosystem needs, which includes maintaining all rangelands in satisfactory condition and managing for a sustained yield of forage for both livestock and wildlife. It also follows direction provided in the Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act, federal regulation (36 CFR 222 Subpart A, (c)). SUMMARY OF PROPOSED ACTIONS Based on a review of the existing condition of the area s resources, Forest Plan standards and guidelines, desired future condition, and resource management needs, preliminary proposed actions have been developed for the gate Allotment Management Plan Revision Project Analysis Area. The assigned Interdisciplinary Team will analyze the effects of the proposed actions to determine whether they are in compliance with Forest Plan standards, guidelines, and resource objectives. Three alternatives have been developed and are described in detail below. Additional alternatives may be developed, if necessary, based upon public scoping, comment, and input from resource specialists. Alternative 1 No Action Alternative: The no action alternative provides a base of comparison for the Proposed Action. Under this alternative no grazing would take place at this time. Natural processes and succession would be allowed. This alternative is required to be analyzed in a NEPA analysis. This alternative represents the existing condition of the area. Alternative 2 No Change Alternative: The no change alternative is to reauthorize livestock grazing and continue using the current allotment management plans and continue current livestock grazing levels and management practices. Table 6: No change alternative proposed actions Allotment Management System Number of Permitted Livestock Season of Use Permitted AUMs 1 Brown Deferred 2-Pasture Rotation 209 cow calf pair 7/26 9/ Pasture Rotation 318 cow calf pair 7/10 9/ Foothills Season Long 80 cow calf pair 7/1 9/ Deferred 2-Pasture Rotation 450 cow calf pair 7/25 9/ AUM= An AUM (Animal Unit Month) represents the amount of forage a mature cow consumes per month. It is used as a unit of measure of both available forage and amount of forage consumed by permitted livestock. Alternative 3 The Proposed Action: Adjust livestock grazing management, if not meeting desired condition on the allotments, through adaptive management. All proposals will be included in this alternative including the first priority on Upper. The proposed action will incorporate the use of adaptive management strategies. Adaptive management is defined as a process where land managers implement management practices designed to meet Forest Plan standards and guidelines, and likely to achieve the desired conditions in a timely manner. However, if monitoring shows that the desired conditions are not

5 being met, or if movement toward achieving the desired condition(s) in an acceptable timeframe is not occurring, then an alternative action or set of management actions could be implemented to achieve the desired results. Using adaptive management, the number of livestock and season of use would be determined by implementing forage use guidelines, rather than established livestock numbers and season of use. Adaptive management strategies enable management to adjust with changing environmental, social, and economic conditions. The following is a list of trigger points (conditions or circumstances) which could require implementing an adaptive management strategy. This is not an all-inclusive list, if other resource concerns arise during the permitted grazing season of use, they may also require implementing one or more adaptive management strategies. The Routt National Forest 1997 Revised Land and Resource Management Plan and Watershed Conservation Practices Handbook contain standard and guidelines for livestock grazing. Examples include but are not limited to: Residual upland vegetation Riparian vegetation stubble height Streambank trampling Noxious weed invasion If a trigger point occurs, one or more adaptive management strategies may be utilized temporarily or continuously to achieve the desired conditions. Examples include but are not limited to: Additional intensive riding/herding to control cattle grazing Change the number of permitted livestock, the season of use, and/or permitted AUMs Change the grazing management system Construct permanent or temporary pastures and/or boundary s to improve livestock management Construct water improvements where necessary to facilitate distribution and utilization Temporary fencing may be utilized at any location within an allotment. This most likely would be an electric tape or wire to protect small isolated areas from cattle. See attached maps for the approximate locations for the proposed permanent pasture boundary s. The actual location and length of each will be determined at the time of implementation based upon resource recommendations, terrain, and feasibility. All proposed s that are within a Wilderness management area will be temporary. Outside of Wilderness Areas, there will need to be tree removal along protection areas one tree length on either side of permanent s, to prevent damage from falling deadtrees, as a result of the recent Mountain Pine Bark Beetle epidemic : The first priority is CC-7B in the northeast portion of the Allotment that would create a pasture out of the Upper, and Bear Draw meadows. Foothills: Proposed line in the Foothills allotment would include both boundary and pasture construction. Short critical segments of drift could be constructed along the east boundary to test whether they would prevent cattle from leaving the allotment. Proposed locations have been adjusted, where possible, to run along, or parallel to, existing and proposed recreation trails. Brown and Allotments: Several locations have been suggested for

6 construction. It may be necessary to off only portions between steep terrain, or other geographical features. Depending on which sections of lines will be constructed, the north boundary line of Brown and south boundary line of may be relocated. If this occurs it may be necessary to adjust the grazing capacity for each allotment. Two s have been proposed as adaptive management options on the Allotment to improve grazing management around the Kettle Lakes RNA. Whether these s will be constructed will depend on the ability of the permittee to keep livestock grazing within acceptable levels inside, and adjacent to, the RNA. This project has several proposed actions but only the construction of permanent pasture and allotment boundary s occur within Colorado Roadless Areas (CRAs). The construction of fencing is not prohibited for range management in CRAs but due to the high mortality rate of mountain pine beetle infested trees it will be necessary to remove trees with the potential to damage any newly constructed permanent pasture boundary s(s). The area to be cleared on either side of permanent s would be equal to the average height of the surrounding trees or approximately 75 feet on either side of the permanent. The number of trees and amount of area cleared will be site specific. Some areas will need more clearing than others, e.g., if most of the trees on the leeward side of a line are leaning away from the, those trees may not have to be cut. If all permanent pasture boundary s proposed were to be implemented through adaptive management approximately 92.6 acres of trees would be cut. No tree cutting will be associated for the temporary s in the Wilderness Areas. Tree cutting activity is authorized in upper tier areas by the CRA Rule: (b) Upper tier Acres. Notwithstanding the prohibition in paragraph (a) of this section, trees may be cut, sold, or removed in Colorado Roadless Areas upper tier acres if the responsible official determines the activity is consistent with the applicable land management plan, and: (1) Tree cutting, sale, or removal is incidental to the implementation of a management activity not otherwise prohibited by this subpart. Table 7: All proposed new s associated with Alternative 3, some of which are within CRAs. Values are rounded to the nearest 1/10 th mile. See attached maps for location. Maximum Amount in Proposed Length Roadless Acres of Trees Location Allotment Roadless Action (miles) Area to be cut in (miles) CRAs Brown Kettle Lakes BC-1B Temporary Temporary BC-2B BC-2E BC-3B BC-3E CC-1B Brown Brown Brown Brown 0.9 Upper Tier Kettle Lakes Upper Tier 0.5 None 1.1 Kettle Lakes Upper Tier 0.6 None 2.9 None

7 Table 7 continued Proposed Action Temporary Temporary Temporary Location Allotment CC-2B CC-3B CC-4B CC-5B CC-6B CC-7B CC-8B CC-9B Length (miles) Roadless Area 3.1 None 0.8 None 2.9 None 1.4 None 4.3 None 3.2 None 3.4 None 1.3 None FH-1B Foothills 2.2 None FH-2B Foothills 1.5 None FH-3B Foothills 7.6 None Amount in Roadless (miles) Maximum Acres of Trees to be cut in CRAs NF-1B Kettle Lakes 1.0 Upper Tier NF-1E 0.4 None NF-3B Upper Tier 0.8 Kettle Lakes NF-3E 0.5 None NF-4B Kettle Lakes 0.7 Upper Tier NF-4E 0.7 None NF-6B 2.4 None NF-8B 5.4 None TOTALS Note: The amounts described in the above table are based on the best information currently available. It is likely some of these amounts will change slightly during implementation, due to adjustments made necessary as a result of

8 field conditions not identified during reconnaissance and/or as a result of implementing design criteria and mitigation measures. Water improvements may need to be developed to improve grazing management. Water improvements will include developing springs to carry water to tanks located away from the springs, pipe water out of perennial streams to tanks away from the stream, or a combination of both. Developed water sources, whether it is springs or creeks, will be protected from livestock activity. Three water improvements are proposed for and two for. All are outside of CRAs and/or Wilderness areas. See attached maps for locations. Table 8. Proposed water improvements, see attached maps for locations Proposed Action Location Allotment Roadless Area Water Improvement CC-WIP-1 None Water Improvement CC-WIP-2 None Water Improvement CC-WIP-3 None Water Improvement NF-WIP-1 None Water Improvement NF-WIP-2 None PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & SUBMITTAL OF COMMENTS The public is invited to offer comments at this time. Information you provide may help refine the proposed action, identify pertinent issues related to the proposed action, develop any additional alternatives or mitigation measures that may be needed, and assist in preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA). Please be as specific as possible with your comments or in expressing concerns so that they can be effectively addressed. To ensure consideration in this process, comments must be submitted within 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in the Jackson County Star. The District Ranger has determined that the scoping period is the most effective method for the 30-day comment period on the proposed actions [36 CFR 215.5(2)]. This will be the only opportunity for the public to comment before decisions on this project are made. Those commenting should include (1) name, address, telephone number, organization represented, if any, (2) title of the document on which the comment is being submitted (gate Allotment Management Plan Revision Project), and (3) specific facts and supporting reasons for the Responsible Official to consider. The Parks District Ranger will be the Responsible Official for these proposals. Please address your written comments to Anthony Koch, Environmental Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, 100 Main Street, PO Box 158, Walden CO, Comments may also be hand delivered to the above address during regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday- Friday, excluding federal holidays. Electronic comments should be sent to: comments-rockymountain-medicine-bow-routt-parks@fs.fed.us (Acceptable format for electronic comments: rtf, pdf, word). Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to appeal must provide the following: (i) Name and address; (ii) Title of the proposed action; (iii) Specific comments ( 215.2) on the proposed action, along with supporting reasons

9 that the Responsible Official should consider in reaching a decision; (iv) Signature or other verification of identity upon request; (v) Individual members of an organization must submit their own comments to meet the requirements of appeal eligibility; comments received on behalf of an organization are considered as those of the organization only; IMPLEMENTATION Once the NEPA analysis is completed a decision whether or not to implement the proposed actions or other alternatives is anticipated by May If no significant issues are identified by the public or Forest Service specialists, the Forest Service proposes to begin implementing this project June Thank you for your interest in the current and future management of the Routt National Forest. Sincerely, /s/ Paula Guenther (for) MICHAEL A. WRIGHT District Ranger

10 Disclaimer: The Forest Service uses the most current and complete data it has available. GIS data and product accuracy may vary. They may be: developed from sources of differing accuracy, accurate only at certain scales, based on modeling or interpretation, incomplete while being created or revised, have represented features not in accurate geographic locations, etc. The Forest Service makes no expressed or implied warranty, including warranty of merchantability and fitness, with respect to the character, function, or capabilities of the data or their appropriateness for any user's purposes. The Forest Service reserves the right to correct, update, modify, or replace this geospatial information based on new inventories, new or revised information, and if necessary in conjunction with other federal, state or local public agencies or the public in general as required by policy or regulation. Previous recipients of the products may not be notified unless required by policy or regulation. For more information, contact the Medicine Bow - Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland Supervisor's Office (2468 Jackson Street, Laramie, WY 82070, ). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC , or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

On/Off periods Improvements Grazing System. 2 fence segments. 1 water development, 2 cattle guards

On/Off periods Improvements Grazing System. 2 fence segments. 1 water development, 2 cattle guards DECISION NOTICE HENRY CREEK AND SWAMP CREEK RANGE ALLOTMENT MANAGEMENT PLANS REVISION U.S. FOREST SERVICE PLAINS/THOMPSON FALLS RANGER DISTRICT LOLO NATIONAL FOREST SANDERS COUNTY, MONTANA DECISION Based