Botany Biological Assessment/ Biological Evaluation for the Lehigh Southwest Land Exchange Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area Shasta-Trinity National Forest Shasta County, California December 2012 Prepared by: 3/13/13 Leslie Perry, Environmental Analyst/Biologist Date Reviewed by: Martin Lenz, Shasta Lake District Botanist Date Botany BA/BE Lehigh Southwest Land Exchange FINAL I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Shasta-Trinity National Forest (STNF) proposes to exchange lands with Lehigh Southwest Cement Company (Lehigh) and approve a non-significant amendment to the STNF Land and Resource Management Plan (U.S. Forest Service 1994). The lands to be exchanged include two Federal parcels managed by the Forest Service near the Gray Rocks quarry on the south side of Shasta Lake east of Interstate 5, encompassing approximately 62.56 acres, and one private parcel owned by Lehigh on the east side of Shasta Lake at the McCloud River arm, encompassing up to approximately 243.94 acres (specific acreage to be determined during land appraisal). Easements on Road 33N99 would also be exchanged as part of the land transfer to maintain access for each party across the lands. The lands and Road 33N99 are in the Shasta Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area on the STNF in Shasta County, California. The purpose of the exchange from private to Federal ownership is to consolidate National Forest ownership of lands in the Shasta Unit of the NRA and protect high quality plant and wildlife habitat along the McCloud River arm of Shasta Lake. A complete description of the purpose and need and alternatives can be found in the Environmental Assessment (see project record). II. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT The project area is characterized by a variety of vegetation types typical of transitional mixed woodland and low-elevation forest habitats. The L-shaped Federal parcel (easternmost Federal parcel) is dominated by ponderosa pine, with some mixed chaparral on the west side. The westernmost Federal parcel contains blue oak-foothill pine, mixed chaparral, montane hardwood- conifer, montane hardwood, ponderosa pine, and Sierran or Klamath mixed conifer. The elevation range of the L-shaped parcel is 1,200 to 1,800 feet above mean sea level, and the elevation range of the other Federal parcel is 1,400 to 2,000 feet above mean sea level. Both Federal parcels are currently used to support mining operations at Gray Rocks mine. The westernmost parcel is more disturbed and contains a road and mining-related facilities; the L- shaped parcel is less disturbed with limited access. Habitats on the private parcel include mixed chaparral, montane hardwood, montane hardwood- conifer, Sierran mixed conifer, and montane riparian. The understories of these habitats range from open to dense and have varying species composition. Several intermittent and ephemeral streams traverse the parcel. The elevation range of the parcel is from about 1,200 to 2,400 feet above mean sea level. The parcel is currently inaccessible to the public, and few roads provide access in the vicinity of the parcel, resulting in no current active uses. III. RARE PLANT ANALYSES Introduction to Plant Species Analysis This Biological Assessment/Biological Evaluation (BA/BE) was prepared to inform the decision makers and disclose the likely effects of the proposed action on federally listed plant species (endangered, threatened, and proposed); Region 5 Forest Service Sensitive plant, lichen, and 1 Lehigh Southwest Land Exchange Botany BA/BE FINAL fungi species (FSM 2670.31-2670.32); and Forest Endemic species that receive the same management protections as Sensitive species (U.S. Forest Service 1994). A list of species considered in this BA/BE was derived from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service online list of species that may occur in the Project City and O’Brien 7.5-minute quadrangles (December 4, 2012) and the Forest Service list of Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, Sensitive, and Endemic species that are known to occur or may occur on the STNF (last updated February 2012). A comprehensive list of species considered is provided in Appendix A. Biological Assessment for Threatened/Endangered/Proposed Species Two plant species listed under the Endangered Species Act may occur on the STNF: Water howellia (Howellia aquatilis) is a threatened species and a Forest Service Sensitive species. It is found in freshwater marshes and swamps in mixed conifer forests and is only known from Mendocino County in California, with most populations occurring in Washington, Idaho, and Montana (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1996). Critical habitat has not been designated for water howellia. Slender Orcutt grass (Orcuttia tenuis) is a threatened species and a Forest Service Sensitive species. It is restricted geographically to the Sacramento Valley and surrounding areas, Shasta and Tehama counties primarily, and is also found in Sacramento and Lake counties, California, where it inhabits vernal pools with a very well developed soil profile. O. tenuis prefers clay soils that shrink and swell. As they dry, large cracks develop that allow seeds trapped deeply in the soil to float to the surface with the first inundation. Critical habitat has been designated for slender Orcutt grass (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2006). The project area is not in the known geographic range of water howellia, and the species is not expected to occur. The project area does not contain suitable habitat for slender Orcutt grass because of the lack of vernal pools, and designated critical habitat units for slender Orcutt grass do not overlap the project area. No further analysis is required for species that are not known or suspected to occur in the project area and for which no suitable habitat is present. Neither federally listed species is considered further in this document. Biological Evaluation for Region 5 Sensitive Species The following table identifies the Region 5 Sensitive and Endemic plant, lichen, and fungi species that might occur within the project area. Two Forest Endemics are included in the Sensitive species analysis because the STNF LRMP dictates that these species be treated as if they were Sensitive. See Appendix A for the complete list of Sensitive and Endemic plants, lichens, and fungi considered in this project analysis. 2 Botany BA/BE Lehigh Southwest Land Exchange FINAL Table 1. Sensitive & Forest Endemic Species Potentially Occurring in the Project Area Species Habitat Known Occurrences Nearby Ageratina shastensis Limestone or metasedimentary rock 15 occurrences within 20 Shasta eupatory outcrops and cliffs of the Eastern miles (CDFG 2012) Forest Endemic Klamath Ranges (sometimes called Cascade foothills). Arnica venosa Mixed conifer or conifer/oak forest, 1 occurrence 1 mile west Shasta County arnica especially on ridgetops & old road cuts. of Federal parcels; 2 Forest Endemic others within 7 miles (NSR 2011) Calystegia atriplicifolia ssp. buttensis Chaparral; lower montane coniferous 49 occurrences within 20 Butte County morning glory forest on rocky soils; roadsides. miles (CDFG 2012) Sensitive Clarkia borealis ssp. borealis Foothill woodlands and forest margins. 47 occurrences within 25 northern clarkia miles (CDFG 2012); 4 Sensitive occurrences within 4 miles (NSR 2011) Fritillaria eastwoodiae Chaparral; cismontane woodland; 23 occurrences within 20 Butte County fritillary openings in lower montane coniferous miles (CDFG 2012); 6 Sensitive forest; sometimes on serpentinite soils. occurrences within 10 miles (NSR 2011) Lewisia cantelovii Broadleafed upland forest; chaparral; 7 occurrences within 20 Cantelow’s lewisia cismontane woodland; lower montane miles (CDFG 2012); 4 Sensitive coniferous forest on rock outcrops. occurrences within 11 miles (NSR 2011) Neviusia cliftonii Cismontane woodland; lower montane 21 occurrences within 20 Shasta snow-wreath coniferous forest; riparian woodland, miles (CDFG 2012); 39 Sensitive often streamsides; various soil types. occurrences within 10 miles (NSR 2011); known to occur near Federal parcels Sedum paradisum Rock outcrops in forest or woodland 2 occurrences within 20 Canyon Creek stonecrop openings. miles (CDFG 2012) Sensitive No further analysis is required for species that are not known or suspected to occur in the project area and for which no suitable habitat is present. Potential effects are evaluated if suitable but unoccupied habitat is present. The project area is in the known range of the species listed in Table 1, and suitable habitat is present for each of the species. Other species listed in Appendix A are not considered further in this document. A survey of the Federal parcels was conducted on May 15, 2012 by the STNF District Botanist and three others, but no populations of any of the above species were found. Portions of the project area and adjacent lands have also been subject to botanical and biological surveys associated with other projects within the past 10 years. Botanical surveys of the Shasta Lake shoreline have been done in recent years by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation and of the STNF around Shasta Lake by the Forest Service as part of various projects. Rare plant locations from most of these surveys have been documented in the California Natural Diversity Database and have been made available by the 3 Lehigh Southwest Land Exchange Botany BA/BE FINAL Forest Service. Most of the project area and adjacent private lands have been surveyed by North State Resources (NSR), which included incidental observations of special-status plant species and focused surveys for certain species (e.g., Shasta snow-wreath). The private parcel was surveyed by NSR and LSA Associates, Inc. to delineate wetlands and other waters of the United States, which included recording observed plant species (LSA 2005). None of the species listed in Table 1 has been documented in the project area; however, focused surveys for all of the species have not been conducted on all of the parcels. Populations of the species could be present in portions of the project area that have not been subject to focused surveys based on the presence of suitable habitat and known occurrences nearby.