Final BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION/BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT for THREATENED, ENDANGERED, SENSITIVE PLANT AND FUNGI SPECIES Gordon Hill Vegetation and Fuels Management Project Smith River National Recreation Area SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST July 18, 2014 Name ____________________________ Date________________ 3 Gordon Vegetation and Fuels Management Project I. INTRODUCTION The objectives of this biological assessment and evaluation are (a) to determine the effects of a fuels management project on any Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive plant or fungi species and (b) to insure these species receive full consideration in the decision- making process to maintain species viability (FSM 2672.4). McDonald’s rock-cress (Arabis macdonaldiana) is the only Federally listed species on the Forest with the potential to occur in the project area (USFWS species list dated May 2014, Document Number: 789445427-10356). On Six Rivers, McDonald’s rock-cress is known only to the North Fork and upper Middle Fork Smith River drainages (Sanger Peak) in Del Norte County where it occupies barrens, rock outcrops occasionally outcrop micro-sites in Idaho fescue grasslands. Serpentinite and peridotite are the primary substrates for this species. The project area is geographically south of the known range; furthermore Jeffrey-pine grasslands were surveyed as a part of this project for Sensitive species and there were no incidental detections of McDonald’s rock-cress. This species will not be further analyzed. II. CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION Current policy for Sensitive plants as stated in the Forest Service Manual includes the following: Maintain viable populations of all native and desired nonnative wildlife, fish, and plant species in habitats distributed throughout their geographic range on National Forest System lands (FSM 2670.22). Avoid or minimize impacts to species whose viability has been identified as a concern (FSM 2670.32). If impacts cannot be avoided, analyze the significance of potential adverse effects on the population or its habitat within the area of concern and on the species as a whole. (The line officer, with project approval authority, makes the decision to allow or disallow 4 impact, but the decision must not result in loss of species viability or create significant trends toward Federal listing. FSM 2670.32) Current policy for Sensitive plants as stated in the Land Management and Resource Plan for Six Rivers National Forest includes the following: After completion of the evaluation, proposed actions will be prohibited if they are found likely to jeopardize the continued existence of species or the maintenance of viable populations throughout their existing range (LRMP S&G 6-2). III. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION The Gordon Hill Vegetation and Fuels Management Project would treat vegetation to reduce hazardous fuel and restore habitat conditions on approximately 2,749 acres of conifer/hardwood stands, through commercial thinning, timber stand improvement (precommercial thinning), and fuels reduction treatments utilizing mechanical, manual, and prescribed burning methods. Specifically, this project consists of approximately 1,150 acres of fuel treatments; 665 acres of commercial thinning; 795 acres of timber stand improvement; 95 acres of Jeffrey pine/grassland restoration and 26 acres of sugar pine stand restoration. Commercial Harvest Commercial thinning would occur across 41 units. The treatments would occur in even- aged stands that are either plantations and natural stands in early seral stages of development or mid-mature. Units receiving this treatment occur both within and outside of designated shaded fuel breaks. Treatments would consist of variable density thinning. The general prescription would be commercial thinning from below down to between 40% and 60% or greater canopy cover, although this would be highly variable. Variable basal area retention would be used to create gaps to promote horizontal diversity through the development of understory trees, while in other areas clumps of trees would be maintained to promote the development of snags. Individual trees with high potential for rapid growth would be widely spaced to accelerate diameter and height growth with the expectation of achieving vertical diversity. These trees are also expected to develop wide crowns and large limbs. The focus of this treatment is to retain the largest trees with the best crowns. These trees are generally at or above the average canopy and have the best opportunity to take 5 advantage of additional light, water, and nutrients to maintain or increase growth. The treatments are designed to maintain the existing native species diversity (including hardwoods) in the unit being treated. No predominant trees would be cut, and the largest trees would be favored for retention. No trees over 20” dbh would be cut in proposed units within the LSR area to meet LRMP standards and guidelines for LSR. Existing snags (20” dbh or greater) and downed logs (20” diameter or greater and 10 feet long) would be maintained unless they pose a safety hazard or reduce the effectiveness of the shaded fuel breaks. Prescribed logging methods based on existing road infrastructure and past logging entries (old logging roads and skid trails) include ground based tractor skidding and mechanized harvesters on gentle slopes (<35% slope) and cable yarding and tractor with 100-foot end lining capability on steeper ground ( >35% slope). Post-harvest activity fuel treatments would include one or more actions depending on fuel loading post-harvest. Wherever possible, larger slash material will be made available for public firewood gathering. Activity-generated ground and surface fuels may be machine piled on landings by ground-based equipment and burned. Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) This treatment would involve non-commercial thinning and removal of small diameter trees in dense young plantations and conifer-hardwood stands across 41 units. All stands are either in the pole-harvest or early-mature seral stages. Thinning would favor conifers and remove mostly 3-9 inch diameter breast height (dbh) tanoak and chinquapin to improve stand structure, species composition, resiliency to disturbance, and growth. Promotion of conifers would be the primary consideration in many of these stands, which are currently dominated by tanoak and chinquapin. In areas of smaller diameter trees, spacing would be 15 to 24 feet or generally to 40% canopy closure. Hardwoods would comprise a portion of the residual stand, with consideration given to clump thinning and selection of the best stems to leave. Culturing of sugar pine would occur wherever healthy trees are found. Units receiving this treatment occur both within and outside of designated shaded fuel breaks. The focus of the TSI thinning treatment is to retain the largest trees with the best crowns and existing species diversity. These trees are generally at or above the average canopy and have the best opportunity to take advantage of additional light, water, and nutrients to maintain or increase growth. The treatments are designed to maintain the existing native 6 species diversity, including retaining a percentage of tanoak, chinquapin, and madrone in the unit being treated. Stands will be treated by hand or by mastication. Mastication would involve use of low ground-pressure mechanical equipment (similar to a mowing machine) used to cut live vegetation. Material would be masticated up to approximately 6-8 inches above the ground surface. Activity fuel treatments would include one or several of the following actions: hand pile and burn, mastication, and lop and scatter of slash (activity generated fuels are lopped into smaller pieces and scattered throughout the unit to a depth no greater than 18 inches). Lop and scatter of slash would be used in units that are away from the road where the risk of ignition is low. Roads Approximately 2.8 miles of existing non-system roads would be utilized with minor reconstruction in some of the proposed units. Approximately 0.26 miles of new temporary road construction will be needed in order to implement activity treatments. Both the existing non-system and new temporary roads would be subsequently decommissioned after activity fuel treatment operations are completed. Any fuels generated through road construction or maintenance will be chipped on site. Decommissioning would generally involve one or more of the following activities: 1) sub-soiling or out-sloping the road surface; 2) removing drainage structures; 3) installing water bars; 4) mulching with native materials (logging slash) or certified weed free straw; and 5) placing earth or log mound barriers to prevent vehicle traffic. NFS roads that are currently open to vehicular traffic would require routine maintenance to meet project requirements. Their status would remain unchanged after the project is completed. All aggregate rock and water hole requirements for this project can be met from existing sources on National Forest lands (See Best Management Practices in the Appendix of the Invasive Plant Risk Assessment relative to rock sources and invasives). Landings The project will require 2 to 3 landings/disposal sites per unit. Existing landings (estimated 38) will be used as much as possible. Twelve new landings will be constructed. Tractor and skyline landings are mostly within the roadbed; however some limited expansion may be needed. Landings are approximately 0.25 acres in size. 7 Disposal sites for such material as yarded tops would be no larger than