construction of cabin or shelter, and soil erosion and fertility impacts should 

 domestic livestock grazing be introduced/ 



2. Air Resources; 



Proposed Action: No impact expected. 



Alternative 1 (Purchase Conservation Easement): No impact expected. 



No Action: No impact expected. 



3* Water Resources; 



Proposed Action; The Proposed Action will result in long-term protection of 

 Flathead River surface and ground water quality through the protection of 

 stream banks, river channels, backwater areas, and land resources. 



Alternative 1 (Purchase Conservation Easement): This Alternative will 

 result in the same benefits listed for the Proposed Action. 



No Action: Although unlikely to occur in the near future, sand or gravel 

 excavation, cotton wood logging, domestic livestock grazing, or shelter/cabin 

 construction activities may have negative potentially significant impacts to 

 water quality. 



4. Vegetation Resources; 



Proposed Action; The proposed action should provide long-term protection for 

 native riparian and wetland plant communities. Native plant communities 

 include cottonwood forest, riparian shrublands (willow, red-osier dogwood, 

 hawthorn, snowberry), and herbaceous communities (various sedges, bluejoint, 

 cattail, cow parsnip, etc.) The existing infestation of Canada thistle poses a 

 unique management problem as mechanical means of eradication would be 

 difficult, chemical means could pose environmental risks, and biological 

 control could be ineffective in areas subject to annual flooding. A suitable and 

 safe means of Canada thistle management (as well as other noxious weeds 

 should they become established) will be part of FWP's management 



^ Grazing is unlikely at present because the island is surrounding by major river channels; 

 however, in time, channel shifts may put the river on one side or the other of the island thereby 

 providing the future opportunity for someone to move livestock to the island. 



