EFFECTS ANALYSIS: Recreation Events & Outfitters Sample Clauses

EFFECTS ANALYSIS: Recreation Events & Outfitters. Action: Permitting recreation events and outfitters, including the associated conservation measures. Direct and Indirect Effects Permitted recreation events and outfitter activities have the potential to temporarily disturb and displace Gunnison sage-grouse. Birds may flush when stressed from human activity, leaving the area of disturbance. Birds may expend energy avoiding the disturbance, rather than foraging or resting. Indirectly, birds could be more susceptible to predation, especially from avian predators, when flushed as they become exposed and subsequently alert raptors to their presence. In addition, hens may temporarily leave chicks unattended when avoiding a disturbance. Conservation Measures Permitting agencies will first direct recreation events and outfitters to areas outside of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Gunnison sage-grouse habitat and secondarily to high-use, urban interface recreation areas. When activities are permitted in Tier 1 and Tier 2 habitat, they will be confined to footprints of disturbance associated with designated open routes as identified in the 2010 Gunnison Basin Federal Lands Travel Management Plan, which will render the possibility of trampling birds or nests to an insignificant level. Permitted activities will adhere to seasonal timing restrictions to avoid impacts during the lek season. Additionally, severe xxxxxxx would trigger emergency area closures that the federal agencies, in collaboration with CPW, would implement to reduce physiological stress to Gunnison sage-grouse. Although the direct impact of temporary disturbance is likely to occur, and is therefore not discountable, the impacts – when minimized via the above seasonal restrictions, use of designated open routes, and geographic guidelines – are rendered insignificant. As outlined, permitted recreation events and outfitter/guide activities will not impact, modify, or remove critical habitat and will not result in the loss, degradation, or fragmentation of sagebrush plant communities.