Biological Evaluation for Pacific Southwest Region (R5) Sensitive Botanical Species For
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BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR PACIFIC SOUTHWEST REGION (R5) SENSITIVE BOTANICAL SPECIES FOR JOSEPH CREEK FOREST HEALTH PROJECT MODOC NATIONAL FOREST WARNER MOUNTAIN RANGER DISTRICT September 14, 2017 Prepared by: Heidi Guenther 9.14.2017 Heidi Guenther, Forest Botanist Date Modoc National Forest BOTANY BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION JOSEPH CREEK FOREST HEALTH PROJECT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 1 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2 3 Proposed Project and Description ....................................................................................... 2 3.1 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................... 2 3.2 Proposed Action.............................................................................................................. 2 3.3 Environmental Setting ................................................................................................... 2 4 Species Considered and Species Evaluated ........................................................................ 4 5 Analysis Process and Affected Environment ...................................................................... 4 5.1 Analysis Process.............................................................................................................. 4 6 Consultation........................................................................................................................... 7 7 Surveys ................................................................................................................................... 8 8 Species Information for Sensitive Plants ............................................................................ 8 9 Effects Analysis and Determinations for Sensitive Plants............................................... 18 9.1 Direct and Indirect Effects of the Proposed Action .................................................. 18 9.2 Cumulative Effects of the Proposed Action ............................................................... 19 9.3 Determinations of the Proposed Action ..................................................................... 21 10 References ............................................................................................................................ 24 TABLES Table 1: Summary Determinations for Pacific Southwest Region (R5) Sensitive Plant Species with Potential Habitat in the Treatment Area ............................................. 1 Table 2: Vegetation Communities in the Proposed Treatment Area ..................................... 3 Table 3: Summary of the Pre-Field Analysis for the MDF R5 Sensitive Plant Species ........ 4 Table 4: Past Actions Producing Ground Disturbance within the Treatment Area over the Last 30 Years .............................................................................................................. 19 APPENDICES Appendix A: Figure Appendix B: Federally- and Regionally-Listed Plant Species Description Table for the MDF Appendix C: United States Fish and Wildlife Service Data Response Appendix D: Floral Compendium i Joseph Creek Botany BE.docx JOSEPH CREEK FOREST HEALTH PROJECT BOTANY BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pre-field analysis indicated no potential habitat within the treatment area for the following Forest Service (FS) Pacific Southwest Region (R5) Sensitive plant species: Ash Valley milkvetch (Astragalus anxius); Lemmon’s milkvetch (Astragalus lemmonii); long-haired star-tulip (Calochortus longebarbatus var. longebarbatus); talus collomia (Collomia larsenii); Modoc bedstraw (Galium glabrescens ssp. modocense); Ash Creek ivesia (Ivesia paniculata); adobe lomatium (Lomatium roseanum); playa phacelia (Phacelia inundata); Black Rock potentilla (Potentilla basaltica); Columbia yellow cress (Rorippa columbiae); and Howell’s thelypodium (Thelypodium howellii ssp. howellii). Therefore, the project would have no impact on these 11 plant species. Potential habitat within the treatment area for the following FS R5 Sensitive plant species was surveyed, and no occurrences were observed: Modoc Plateau milkvetch (Astragalus pulsiferae var. coronensis); upswept moonwort (Botrychium ascendens); scalloped moonwort (Botrychium crenulatum); common moonwort (Botrychium lunaria); Mingan moonwort (Botrychium minganense); western goblin (Botrychium montanum); northwestern moonwort (Botrychium pinnatum); Bolander’s moss (Bruchia bolanderi); Buxbaumia moss (Buxbaumia viridis); mountain lady’s-slipper (Cypripedium montanum); prostrate buckwheat (Eriogonum prociduum); Warner Mountains buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum var. glaberrimum); Warner Mountains bedstraw (Galium serpenticum ssp. warnerense); Blandow’s bog moss (Helodium blandowii); bearded lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. barbatus); broad-nerved hump-moss (Meesia uliginosa); ephemeral monkeyflower (Mimulus evanescens); and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis). The determinations for these 18 Sensitive plant species as related to the Proposed Action are listed in Table 1. Table 1: Summary Determinations for Pacific Southwest Region (R5) Sensitive Plant Species with Potential Habitat in the Treatment Area Species Present in Proposed Scientific Name Common Name Treatment Area Action Astragalus pulsiferae var. coronensis Modoc Plateau milkvetch No NI Botrychium ascendens Upswept moonwort No MINT Botrychium crenulatum Scalloped moonwort No MINT Botrychium lunaria Common moonwort No MINT Botrychium minganense Mingan moonwort No MINT Botrychium montanum Western goblin No MINT Botrychium pinnatum Northwestern moonwort No MINT Bruchia bolanderi Bolander’s moss No MINT Buxbaumia viridis Buxbaumia moss No MINT Cypripedium montanum Mountain lady’s-slipper No NI Eriogonum prociduum Prostrate buckwheat No NI Eriogonum umbellatum var. glaberrimum Warner Mountains buckwheat No NI Galium serpenticum ssp. warnerense Warner Mountains bedstraw No NI Helodium blandowii Blandow’s bog moss No MINT Lupinus latifolius var. barbatus Bearded lupine No NI Meesia uliginosa Broad-nerved hump-moss No MINT Mimulus evanescens Ephemeral monkeyflower No NI Pinus albicaulis Whitebark pine No NI MINT: May impact individuals but is not likely to cause a trend toward federal listing or loss of viability (May Impact, Not likely to Trend). NI: No Impact 1 Joseph Creek Botany BE.docx JOSEPH CREEK FOREST HEALTH PROJECT BOTANY BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION 2 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this Biological Evaluation (BE) is to identify the likely effects of the Proposed Action to Forest Service (FS) Sensitive species. This BE conforms to the legal requirements set forth under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (19 U.S.C. 1536 (c), 50 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 402.12 (f), and 402.14 (c)) (USFWS and NOAA 2008), and Forest Service Manual direction (FSM 2672.42) (USFS 2005). Current management direction on desired future conditions for Sensitive species on the Modoc National Forest (MDF) can be found in the following documents: • Forest Service Manual and Handbooks (FSM/H 2670) (USFS 2005) • National Forest Management Act (NFMA) (USFS 1976) • Endangered Species Act (ESA) (USFWS 1973) • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (CEQ 1969) • MDF Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) (USFS 1991) • Forest Service (FS) Pacific Southwest Region (R5) Regional Forester’s 2013 Sensitive Species List (USFS 2013) 3 PROPOSED PROJECT AND DESCRIPTION This section summarizes the proposed project. For further details about the project, please consult the Decision Memorandum (USFS 2017a). 3.1 Purpose and Need The purpose of the Proposed Action is to restore forest health, vigor, and resiliency within forest stands. In concordance with this purpose, there is a need for fuel load reduction in order to reduce the risk of stand-level mortality from insect infestation, disease, and/or wildfire. 3.2 Proposed Action The Proposed Action involves the implementation of forest health improvement and fuels reduction activities on approximately 2,870 acres within the Joseph Creek Forest Health Project analysis area through the use of standard forest harvesting operations and prescribed burning treatments. The project is located approximately 11.5 miles northeast of the town of Alturas, California in Modoc County, California and occurs along the Warner Mountains on lands administered by the MDF Warner Mountain Ranger District (RD). The proposed treatments will occur in portions of Township 43 North, Range 14 East (T43N, R14E); T43N, R15E; T44N, R15E; and T45N, R14E, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian (treatment area). Figure 1 in Appendix A delineates the locations of the analysis area and treatment area for the project. 3.3 Environmental Setting The proposed treatment area occurs along the foothills and mountains of the western slope of the Warner Mountains at elevations between 5,264 to 7,686 feet. The vegetation communities, along with their associated acreages, within the treatment area are listed in Table 2 below. Descriptions of the four largest vegetation communities, according to the USFS R5 Classification and Assessment with Landsat of 2 Joseph Creek Botany BE.docx JOSEPH CREEK FOREST HEALTH PROJECT BOTANY BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION Visible Ecological Groupings (CALVEG) classification system (USFS 2014), are provided in the paragraphs below. Table 2: Vegetation Communities in