Sloan Canyon NCA – Visitor Contact Station – Environmental Assessment - Virtual Public Meeting
Resources
Biological Resources
Biological resources analyzed in the EA include: Vegetation, invasive species, noxious weeds, general wildlife, migratory birds, BLM sensitive species, and federally listed species. The primary vegetation group in the project area is creosote bush. The BLM plans to salvage and transplant key vegetation species and incorporate them into landscaping efforts! The site currently contains one noxious weed species (Sahara mustard [Brassica tournifortii]) and three nonnative plants (cheatgrass [Bromus tectorum], saltlover [Halogoten glomeratus], and Russian thistle [Salsola tragus]). Control efforts will occur on the site prior to construction. The federally threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) is the only Endangered Species Act species known in the project area.
Photo of cacti in the Sloan Canyon NCA
Conservation Lands
The project site encompasses public lands managed by the BLM Las Vegas Field Office and a portion of land in the Sloan Canyon NCA managed by the BLM Red Rock/Sloan Field Office. The project site is near the entrance to the North McCullough Wilderness, which is directly south of the project site.
Public Health and Safety
Public health and safety management is intended to protect public health and safety on BLM-administered public lands, to comply with applicable federal and state laws, to prevent waste contamination, and to minimize physical hazards due to any BLM-authorized actions or illegal activities on public lands.
Visitors to the trailhead are instructed on potential hazards associated with recreational uses of the NCA including fire danger, the effects of excessive heat, and encounters with snakes and other wildlife. In addition, the presence of onsite staff provides permitting, monitoring, and limited enforcement of prohibited and unsafe activities such as target shooting, dumping, vandalism, vehicle break-ins, unauthorized collecting, and vehicle use on and off the Petroglyph Trail. Currently parking is very limited with few options for legal and safe vehicle access during busy days. The proposed permanent visitor contact station would include an expanded parking lot to provide more and safer options.
Soils
The primary soil association in the project area is defined as cave gravelly fine sandy loam. Much of the unvegetated areas are covered by “desert pavement,” consisting of a thin layer of tightly packed rock. While construction of the permanent visitor contact station would temporarily disturb the soils in the project area, the long-term impacts would be decreased by proper landscaping, installation of asphalt and concrete, and maintenance of the area.
Water Resources
The project area does not contain perennial surface water features, such as rivers, streams, lakes, or dams. The closest perennial surface water is over 13 miles northeast of the project area. The project area is in the arid Mojave Desert. Annual precipitation ranges from 3.5 inches at lower elevations to nearly 10 inches in the mountains. Most rain falls between November and April, with occasional snow accumulation in the mountains. Summer thunderstorms (called monsoons) may bring sudden, heavy rainfall. The driest months are May and June. Most months average less than 0.5 inches of rain. One average rainfall event per month can deliver the full amount of rainfall expected for that month. Although the Sloan Canyon area is typically very dry, occasional high intensity and large volume rainfall events do occur on the site.
Recreation
Photo of visitors walking through the Sloan Canyon NCA.
The Sloan Canyon NCA provides a variety of recreation opportunities for visitors. For example, the NCA contains an extensive network of trails used for hiking, biking, camping, and horseback riding. These trails also provide visitors with access to the Sloan Canyon Petroglyph Site, which contains unique cultural resources. There are six trailhead access points into the Sloan Canyon NCA, with the Petroglyph Canyon Trailhead in the immediate vicinity of the project site.
Additionally, the 14,763-acre North McCullough Wilderness lies entirely within the Sloan Canyon NCA. It contains unique natural resources, including thousands of acres of pristine land that remain in a natural state. The North McCullough Wilderness provides opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation.
As noted above, the temporary visitor contact station trailer is located at the entrance to the NCA and serves as the main public point of contact for visitors and provides visitors with recreational and other visitor information. The permanent visitor contact station would enhance visitor experience and provide much needed educational opportunities for the public.
Visual Resources
Photo showing the Sloan Canyon NCA landscape
The proposed project site is in a visual resource management (VRM) Class III area, as identified in the Sloan Canyon NCA RMP. This VRM class allows activities “that partially retain the existing character of the landscape. The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be moderate and may minimally attract the attention of the casual viewer” but should not dominate the view of the casual observer.
The current facilities at the project site are clustered around the parking lot and consist of several small, discrete structures. These include the rectangular, dark gray, temporary restrooms and a rectangular, white, temporary visitor contact station trailer. Additionally, there is some vertical temporary signage and a flat, gray parking lot. There is also clustered residential development visible in the background, to the north consisting of discrete, beige and white rectangular forms.
Short-term effects on visual resources would occur during construction when heavy equipment is present. Construction activity would increase the amount of motion present, drawing the attention of viewers; however, these impacts would end once construction is complete.
Long-term effects would be minimized by incorporating visual design considerations to minimize visual contrast and to meet the VRM objective of the area. For example, the paint used on the proposed buildings would be consistent with BLM visual guidelines. This would require them to blend with the surrounding landscape, to minimize their visibility and reduce sunlight reflection and glare.
Socioeconomics
The project is located in Clark County, Nevada. In 2018, Clark County had a population of 2,141,574, which was 73 percent of the total Nevada population of 2,922,849. Employment in a single economic sector—arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services—accounted for nearly a third of all employment at both the county and state level.
Project construction activities would result in short-term increases in employment. Over the long term, enhanced visitor amenities at the Sloan Canyon NCA would increase demand for visitation, which would in turn support local and regional economic activities; however, the degree to which such economic effects would result directly from the proposed action is too speculative to be analyzed.
For more information on the Project or to be added to the mailing list, please contact Ray Tsui at (702-515-5000) or BLM_NV_LV_Sloan_ContactStation@blm.gov.