Biodiversity issues for road reconstruction adjacent to a river with a federally listed threatened fish species

Abstract

Biodiversity assessment methods and analyses were incorporated into an environmental impact assessment for road reconstruction on US National Forest System lands immediately adjacent to the Jarbidge River, the only place in Nevada where bull trout, a federally listed fish species of the western USA, occurs. The road had been washed out by a naturalflood. The biodiversity analysis incorporated: floodplains; fisheries; earth movement and landslides; soil, erosion, and geomorphology; water quality; vegetation and wetlands; and wildlife. Alternatives were selected based on public comments identified during scoping. The biodiversity analysis focused on sustain-ability of the roadfor long-term use and protection of bull trout and associated riparian habitat.