Caliente Resource Area: Resource Management Plan

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

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California



BLM>California>Bakersfield>Programs>Land Use Planning>Caliente Resource Area: RMP

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Resource Management Plan

RMP TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION	1
Resource Management Plan Overview	1
Resource Area Overview	1
Coast, Valley, and South Sierra Management Areas	2
Caliente Resource Area Management Area Boundaries (map)

CHAPTER 2 - MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES & ALLOCATIONS	3
Introduction	3
Resource Area-Wide Objectives	3
Coast Management Area	4
Management Area Summary	4
Management Area Objectives	4
Management Mechanisms, Allocations and Actions	5
Special Designations	5
Summary of ACEC/SMA Allocations and Guidelines	6
Land Tenure Adjustments	7
Livestock Grazing	7
Minerals	7
Fluid Minerals	7
Solid Minerals	8
Valley Management Area	9
Management Area Objectives	9
Management Mechanisms, Allocations and Actions	10
Special Designations	10
Summary of ACEC/SMA Allocations and Guidelines	11
Biological Resources	12
Land Tenure Adjustments	12
Livestock Grazing	12
Minerals	13
Fluid Minerals	13
Solid Minerals	13
South Sierra Management Area	14
Management Area Objectives	14
Management Mechanisms, Allocations and Actions	15
Special Designations	15
Summary of ACEC/SMA Allocations and Guidelines	16
Land Tenure Adjustments	17
Livestock Grazing	18
Minerals	18
Fluid Minerals	18
Solid Minerals	19
Recreation	19
Area-Wide Management Allocations	20
Biological Resources	20
Livestock Grazing	20
Lands	21
Recreation	21

CHAPTER 3 - GENERAL MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES	23
Standard Practices	23
Four Common NEPA Categories	24
Examples of Elements in the Existing Planning Base	25
Examples of Resource Values Considered During NEPA Compliance Review	25

CHAPTER 4 - LAND TENURE MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES	27
Land Tenure Adjustments	27
Reposition Management Classification	28
New Manager Classification	28
Cooperative Management Classification	29
Fee Acquisition Needs	29
Access Acquisition Needs	30
Overview of the BLM Land Exchange Process	30
Classifications and Withdrawals - Recommendations	31
Withdrawals/Classifications Terminating	32

CHAPTER 5 - OIL/GAS AND SOLID MINERALS MGMT GUIDELINES	33
Part I
Oil & Gas - Introduction	33
Lands Closed to Oil and Gas Leasing	33
Non-Discretionary Closures To Leasing	33
Lands Proposed for Discretionary Closures To Leasing	33
Part II
Lands Opened to Oil and Gas Leasing	34
Leasing with Standard Lease Stipulation	34
No Surface Use Stipulation	34
Leasing with the Limited Surface Use Stipulation	35
Limited Surface Use Stipulation	35
Waivers, Modifications, Exceptions & Deferral to other plans	35
a. Limited Surface Use Stipulations - Dept of Defense	36
b. Limited Surface Use Stipulations - Federal	37
c. Limited Surface Use Stipulations - Critical Habitat	39
d. Limited Surface Use - Sensitive Species	41
e. Limited Surface Use Stipulations - Coast ACEC/SMAs	42
f. Limited Surface Use - Raptor	43
Summary of Oil and Gas Stipulations by Location	44
Part III
Standard Engineering Practices	45
Drilling a New Well	45
Temporary Abandonment of a Producing Well (Idle Well)	46
Plugging and Abandonment	46
Surface Reclamation	46
Solid Minerals	47
Introduction	47
Lands Withdrawn from Solid Mineral Development	48
Lands Open to the Mining of Locatable Minerals	48
Guidelines	48

Chapter 6 - LIVESTOCK GRAZING MANAGEMENT	49
Standards for Rangeland or Ecosystem Health	49
Soils	49
Species	50
Riparian	51
Water Quality	51
Guidelines for Grazing Management	52
Mulch Management	52
Perennial Utilization	53
Resource Trend Monitoring	53
Specific Livestock Management Guidelines (Table)	54
Selective Management Categories for Grazing Allotments	56
Standard Criterial Used to Categorize Grazing Allotments	56
Optional Criteria Used to Categorize Grazing Allotments	56
Selective Management Category (Table)	57
Grazing Allocations (Table)	58
Coast Management Area	58
Valley Management Area	58
South Sierra Management Area	59
Guidelines for New Grazing Allotments	61

CHAPTER 7 - RECREATION MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES	63
Part I
Introduction	63
Recreation Management Areas	64
Management Guidelines for Roads and Trails	65
PART II
Wild & Scenic River Eligibility & Preliminary Classification Report	67
Introduction	67
Identification	67
Eligibility	68
Classification	69
Summary of Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Study	69
Lower Kern River	69
East Fork of the Kaweah River	71
Middle Fork of the Kaweah River	72
North Fork of the Kaweah River	73

CHAPTER 8 - CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES	77
Purpose and Background	77
Policy Summary	77
Management Guidelines for Implementation of Policies	78
Consideration of Cultural Resources	78
Propertiety Data	78
Collections	79
Site Protection	79
Trust Responsibilities	79

CHAPTER 9 - BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES MGMT GUIDELINES	81
Introduction	81
Conservation Strategy	81
Background	81
Regional Consevation Strategy	82
Bureau Conservation Program	83
Meeting the Public Need	83
Threatened/Endangered Species Conservation Areas (map)
Sensitive Animals: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, Fish, Snails, Insects, Fairyshrimp	85
Sensitive Plants	88
Neotropical Migrating Birds	93
Exotic Pest Plant Species	98
Known Locations of Proposed Plant Species	100
Critical Habitat for California Condor	101
Proposed Critical Habitat for Southwestern Willow Flycatcher	102
Federal Candidate, California Listed & Bureau Sensitive Species Parcel & Geographic Area Lists	103

CHAPTER 10 - AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES	105
Introduction	105
Emissions Summary	105
Agency Direct and Indirect Sources	105
San Joaquin Valley (Valley & South Sierra Mgmt Areas)	107
Coastal Air Basins	111

CHAPTER 11 - AREAS OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN	113
Introduction	113
Coast Management Area	114
California Rocks and Islands Wildlife ACEC	114
Cypress Mountain	115
Point Sal	116
Salinas River	118
Tierra Redonda	119
Valley Management Area	121
Alkali Sinks	121
Carrizo Plain	121
Chico Martinez	125
Goose Lake	126
Kettleman Hills	127
Lokern	128
South Sierra Management Area	130
Blue Ridge	130
Case Mountain	131
Horse Canyon	133
Piute Cypress	135
ACEC Tables	137
ACEC Maps

CHAPTER 12 - SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREAS	139
Introduction	139
Summary	139
SMA Descriptions - Coast Management Area	140
Frog Pond Mountain	140
Hopper Mountain	141
Huasna Peak	142
Irish Hills	143
Rusty Peak	144
SMA Descriptions Valley Management Area	145
Bittercreek	145
Caliente National Cooperative Land and Wildlife Mgmt Area
Temblor National Cooperative Land and Wildlife Mgmt Area	146
SMA Descriptions - South Sierra Management Area	147
Deer Spring	147
Erskine Creek	147
Granite Cave	149
Keyesville	149
KER-311	152
Monache - Walker Pass National Cooperative Land & Wildlife Management Area	153
North Fork of the Kaweah	154
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail	155
Walker Pass National historic Landmark	156
SMA Tables	157
SMA Maps
Caliente Resource Management Plan Maps Side 1: Area of Critical Environmental Concern boundaries; Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail; Wilderness Study Areas; Land Tenure Adjustment (pdf document, 4.8 mb) Side 2: Grazing Allotments, Unlotted Land Available for Grazing; Land Unavailable for Grazing; San Joaquin Valley Listed Species Habitat (pdf document, 4.8 mb)