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United States Department of the Interior United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office 2600 SE 98th Avenue, Suite 100 Portland, Oregon 97266 Phone: (503) 231-6179 FAX: (503) 231-6195 Reply To: 8330.F0047(09) File Name: CREP BO 2009_final.doc TS Number: 09-314 TAILS: 13420-2009-F-0047 Doc Type: Final Don Howard, Acting State Executive Director U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Oregon State Office 7620 SW Mohawk St. Tualatin, OR 97062-8121 Dear Mr. Howard, This letter transmits the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Biological and Conference Opinion (BO) and includes our written concurrence based on our review of the proposed Oregon Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to be administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) throughout the State of Oregon, and its effects on Federally-listed species in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Your November 24, 2008 request for informal and formal consultation with the Service, and associated Program Biological Assessment for the Oregon Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (BA), were received on November 24, 2008. We received your letter providing a 90-day extension on March 26, 2009 based on the scope and complexity of the program and the related species that are covered, which we appreciated. This Concurrence and BO covers a period of approximately 10 years, from the date of issuance through December 31, 2019. The BA also includes species that fall within the jurisdiction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service). FSA is consulting separately with the NOAA Fisheries Service concerning listed anadromous fish species and their designated critical habitats. FSA has requested informal consultation with the Service on Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus), Applegate's milk-vetch (Astragalus applegatei), Gentner mission-bells (Fritillaria gentneri), Howellia (Howellia aquatilis), Western lily (Lilium occidentale), Large-flowered wooly meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora), Cook's lomatium (Lomatium cookie), MacFarlane's four o'clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei), Rough popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys hirtus), Spalding's campion (Silene spaldingii), Howell's spectacular thelypody (Thelypodium howellii ssp. spectabilis) and vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi) and its designated critical habitat. Formal consultation with the Service has been requested on Fender's blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi), Golden Indian paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta), Bradshaw's lomatium (Lomatium bradshawii), Nelson's Printed on 100 percent post consumer recycled content and chlorine free paper. checker-mallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana), Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens), Kincaid's lupine (Lupinus sulphureus var. kincaidii), Warner sucker (Catostomus warnerensis), bull trout, Columbia River and Klamath River Basins (Salvelinus confluentus), Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi), Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri), shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris), Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus), Modoc sucker (Catostomus microps) and designated critical habitat for the Fender’s blue butterfly, Willamette daisy, Kincaid's lupine, Warner sucker and bull trout. Conferencing has been requested for proposed critical habitat for the shortnose and Lost River suckers, and is included for Oregon chub proposed critical habitat which became available in March 2009. Our concurrence and BO are based on (1) information provided in the BA; (2) technical assistance and informational meetings between the Service, FSA, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service and NOAA Fisheries Service regarding the CREP program and consultation issues; (3) Federal Register notices of proposed and final listing rules for species covered in this opinion and relevant approved recovery plans; (4) recent consultations completed by the Service that address similar actions and one or more of the same species (e.g., Invasive Plant Project with Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests, 2009; Fender’s Blue Butterfly Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement, 2009; Western Oregon Prairie Restoration Activities, 2008; Continued Operation and Maintenance of the Willamette River Basin Project, 2008; Programmatic Aquatic Habitat Restoration Activities in Oregon and Washington, 2007; Caspian Tern Management to Reduce Predation of Juvenile Salmonids in the Columbia River Estuary, 2005; Warner Basin Environmental Quality Incentives and Conservation Security programs for irrigation system projects, 2007; (5) file materials and other sources of information. A complete administrative record of this consultation is on file at the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office. CONSULTATION HISTORY On December 22, 1998, FSA submitted a Biological Assessment to initiate a programmatic-level consultation with the Service and the NOAA Fisheries Service on the Oregon CREP program. The initial Biological Assessment submitted by FSA was modified by a letter dated March 25, 1999. A BO was jointly issued by the Service and NOAA Fisheries Service on June 2, 1999 (references: NMFS Log #6112, USFWS Log #1-7-99-F-117). The Service determined that the implementation of the Oregon CREP was not likely to jeopardize any of the species nor adversely modify designated critical habitats addressed within the Service’s jurisdiction in the 1999 opinion, which are shown in Table 1. Provisions of the Oregon CREP are set forth by an agreement between the Governor of Oregon and the Secretary of Agriculture. The previous agreement, which was signed in 1998, was modified in November 2004 to expand the CREP program service area to virtually include the entire state of Oregon and to add two new practices to the program. Consequently, since the 1999 BO was issued, the programmatic changes within the CREP program, geographical program boundary changes, new species listings, species delistings, and additional critical habitat designations prompted FSA to reinitate consultation. 2 Table 1. Species addressed by the Service in the 1999 CREP consultation. GROUP SPECIES STATUS Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) Fishes T Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki henshawi) T Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) E Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) E, PCH Shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) E, PCH Aleutian Canada goose (Branta canadensis leucopareia) Birds T Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) T Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) Mammals E Nelson’s checkermallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana) Plants T Bradshaw’s lomatium (Lomatium bradshawi) E Howell’s spectacular thelopody (Thelypodium howellii ssp. spectabilis) PT Rough popcornflower (Plagiobothrys hirtus) PE Willamette daisy (Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens) PE E = Endangered, T = Threatened, PE = Proposed Endangered, PT = Proposed Threatened, PCH = Proposed Critical Habitat FSA began discussions with the Service and NOAA Fisheries Service about the changes to the CREP program and their consultation reinitiation needs in 2004. The Service participated in on- going discussions with FSA and the other involved agencies, and both the Service and NOAA Fisheries Service assisted with the development of the current BA until it was submitted in November 2008. Activity-based and listed species-specific best management practices (BMPs) designed to reduce and minimize the potential for adverse affects on listed species and habitats were jointly developed and are included as part of the proposed action. The Service greatly appreciates the work of FSA and its partnering agencies to carry out actions that will benefit listed species, and to incorporate BMPs that will avoid or reduce unintended impacts. CONCURRENCE The primary purpose of the Oregon CREP is to restore agriculture lands that contain streams to improve fish and wildlife habitat and water quality. Restoration activities designed to achieve desired habitat conditions can involve unintended and sometimes unavoidable adverse effects, especially over the short-term as project activities are taking place and after construction as sites are stabilizing. Activity-based and listed species-specific BMPs have been developed as part of the action to avoid and greatly reduce the potential for adverse affects on listed species and their habitats. Based on the proposed action and with consideration of the BMPs, as described in the BA, the Service concurs with your determination that the proposed action may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect, the following listed species and designated critical habitat: Columbian white- 3 tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus), Applegate's milk-vetch (Astragalus applegatei), Gentner mission-bells (Fritillaria gentneri), Howellia (Howellia aquatilis), Western lily (Lilium occidentale), Large-flowered wooly meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora), Cook's lomatium (Lomatium cookie), MacFarlane's four o'clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei), Rough popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys hirtus), Spalding's campion (Silene spaldingii), Howell's spectacular thelypody (Thelypodium howellii ssp. spectabilis) and vernal pool fairy shrimp (Branchinecta lynchi) and its designated critical habitat. Our concurrence is based upon: (1) the processes, guidance and specifications used in administering the Oregon CREP program to ensure that activities are carried out in accordance with
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