Stabilization and rehabilitation efforts relate directly to the occurrence of wildfires. Funding for stabilization and rehabilitation activities comes from fire funds for the suppression of wildfire. As a result, impacts to stabilization and rehabilitation reflect impacts to management of fire and fuels described in Section 4.3.1 Wildfire. Management that increases the occurrence and spread of wildfire (or decreases fire suppression) would impact stabilization and rehabilitation.
Implementing the BLM Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation standards in the DOI Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Guidebook (DOI 2006b) and BLM Burned Area Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Handbook (BLM 2007b) would result in beneficial impacts to fire and fuels management in the Planning Area by prescribing activities that would successfully rehabilitate areas following a wildfire and reduce the potential for future fires in burned areas.
Achieving a balance between treating areas that have departed from the historic fire regime (FRCC 3) and areas that are functioning within an appropriate fire regime (FRCC 1) would result in beneficial impacts on fire and fuels management. Treatment in FRCC 3 areas to return the fire ecology to the appropriate historic fire regime would help decrease fuel loading in these areas and require additional rehabilitation and stabilization to ensure that these areas recover. Without appropriate stabilization and rehabilitation in FRCC 2 and 3 areas, the potential for the occurrence and spread of wildfire in these areas would increase.
Using certified noxious weed-free vegetation products on all BLM-administered land (including during rehabilitation and stabilization activities) would result in beneficial impacts on fire and fuels management by decreasing the potential for the establishment of noxious weeds following seeding of rehabilitated areas.
Under Alternative A, the Northern Zone FMP would continue to guide stabilization and rehabilitation. Impacts to the fire and fuels program would result from increased workload associated with writing and implementing an Emergency Stabilization and Response plan for rehabilitation activities, in coordination with other appropriate agencies, landowners, and affected livestock operators. Consistent with the Northern Zone FMP, treatment in and around a disturbed area affected by wildfire would continue until resource specialists determine there is no longer a threat of noxious weeds. If necessary, this treatment would continue beyond the timeframe for Emergency Stabilization and Response funding.
As described in the Northern Zone FMP, the BLM would perform baseline and post-rehabilitation monitoring under Alternative A. Post treatment monitoring is required to determine the accomplishment of direct treatment objectives and resource management objectives. Monitoring rehabilitation efforts would follow the same general protocol as described for prescribed fire, to the extent practical. Monitoring stabilization and rehabilitation would provide appropriate evaluation and documentation of rehabilitation activities, which may increase the efficiency and effectiveness of future rehabilitation activities to meet resource objectives, reduce fuel loading, and reduce the potential for additional fires in the area. This would result in beneficial impacts to fire and fuels management.
There is no separate management under Alternative B for stabilization and rehabilitation activities following a fire. Similar to Alternative A, the BLM would perform stabilization and rehabilitation consistent with the BLM Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation standards in the DOI Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Guidebook (DOI 2006b) and BLM Burned Area Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Handbook (BLM 2007b).
In addition, the BLM may carry forward under Alternative B stabilization and rehabilitation activities and monitoring identified in the Northern Zone FMP, with impacts similar to those described for Alternative A.
There is no separate management under Alternative C for stabilization and rehabilitation activities following a fire. Similar to alternatives A and B, the BLM would perform stabilization and rehabilitation consistent with the BLM Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation standards in the DOI Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Guidebook (DOI 2006b) and BLM Burned Area Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Handbook (BLM 2007b).
In addition, the BLM may carry forward under Alternative C stabilization and rehabilitation activities and monitoring identified in the Northern Zone FMP, with impacts similar to those described for Alternative A.
There is no separate management under Alternative D for stabilization and rehabilitation activities following a fire. Similar to alternatives A, B, and C, the BLM would perform stabilization and rehabilitation consistent with the BLM Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation standards in the DOI Interagency Burned Area Emergency Response Guidebook (DOI 2006b) and BLM Burned Area Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Handbook (BLM 2007b).
In addition, the BLM may carry forward under Alternative D stabilization and rehabilitation activities and monitoring identified in the Northern Zone FMP, with impacts similar to those described for Alternative A.