BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR FEDERALLY LISTED THREATENED OR ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES AND BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR FOREST SERVICE SENSITIVE PLANT SPECIES for Taylor and Long Meadow Grazing Allotment Renewal Kern River Ranger District Sequoia National Forest Kern County, California March 2017 7 Prepared/ Approved 1u+- ~ nATE TI Fletcher Linton Forest Botanist Sequoia National Forest I. INTRODUCTION The Taylor/Long Grazing Project and allotment is located on approximately 875 acres within the Kem River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest, Tulare County, California. This allotment is located is the southern central and western portions of the Kem Plateau between 7 ,000 and 7, 700 feet, near the Domeland Wilderness. The allotment consists of Taylor Meadow and Long Meadow, mostly located on formerly private land, acquired by the National Forest System (NFS). These two meadows are about two miles apart, but managed as one allotment. The proposed action is to continue current, authorized livestock grazing with modifications. Along with reauthorizing grazing, certain improvements are proposed for resource improvement. The resulting Allotment Management Plan and Term Grazing Permit would be issued for a 10-year period. All proposed activities would be expected to be in place within a two year period and would be described in the Allotment Management Plan. The purpose of this biological assessment (BA) and biological evaluation (BE) is to review the proposed Taylor and Long Meadow Grazing Allotment Renewal Project in sufficient detail to determine the potential effects on Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive (TES) plant species. Specifically, the BA will document effects on proposed, threatened, or endangered species and/or critical habitat; and determine whether formal consultation or conference is required with the United States Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The BE will analyze effects on Forest Service sensitive plant species in order to determine whether the proposed action will result in a trend toward a sensitive species becoming Federally listed. This BA/BE was prepared in compliance with standards and direction established in Forest Service Manual 2670 .3 and 2672.42 and conforms with legal requirements set forth under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (19 U.S.C. 1536 (c), 50 CFR 402.12 (t) and 402.14 (c). No federally proposed or listed plant species would be expected to occur in the project area. The Forest Service sensitive plant species considered in this Biological Evaluation are: Upland Guild • Muir's Raillardella, ( Carlquista muirii) • Greenhorn Fritilary, (Fritillaria brandegeei) • Yosemite Bitterroot, (Lewisia disepala) • Twisselmann's Nemacladus, (Nemacladus twisselmannii) Meadow/Riparian Guild • Scalloped Moonwort, (Botrychium crenulatum) • Mingan Moonwort, (Botrychium minganense) • Mountain Moonwort, (Botrychium montanum) • Blandow's Bog Moss, (He/odium blandowii) • Broad Nerved Hump-Moss, (Meesia uliginosa) Please see Appendix A and 'Species and Habitat Accounts' in Existing Environment for the rationale behind including and dismissing specific sensitive plants in this analysis. II. CONSULTATION TO DATE Taylor and Long Meadow Grazing Allotment Renewal - Biological Assessment I Biological Evaluation for Plants Page 2of15 Pursuant to 50 CFR 402.12, the Sequoia National Forest received a species list from the US Fish and Wildlife Service showing which federally listed, proposed, or candidate species might be affected by projects in the Sequoia National Forest. The species list for the Sequoia National Forest was obtained from the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Field Office web site: https://www.fws.gov/sacramento/es species/Lists/es species lists-overview.htm This list is updated on a project-by-project basis and every 90 days. The list was updated March 6th, 2017 and is reflected in Appendix A. The list contains and 1 category of critical habitat and 2 plant species that occur within the Forest. Keck's checkerbloom (Sidalcea keckii) is only known from outside the Forest to the north in clay soils below 1,400 feet. The proposed critical habitat for Sidalcea keckii falls entirely outside the national forest boundary. The Sequoia National Forest (Sequoia NF) currently has two plant species federally listed by the USFWS and 62 species designated as sensitive, i.e., identified by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Regional Forester for Region 5 (RS) as requiring special management attention (See Appendix A). Springville clarkia (Clarkia springvillensis), is listed by the FWS as threatened, is restricted to the foothills of the Tule River drainage. There is neither potential habitat nor likelihood for it to exist within the analysis area for the Taylor Long Grazing project, therefore, it may be eliminated from further consideration and preparation of a Biological Assessment (BA) is not required. Bakersfield cactus (Optunia basilaris var. treleasei), is listed by the FWS as threatened. It is endemic to a limited area of central Kern County in the vicinity of Bakersfield. There is neither potential habitat nor likelihood for it to exist within the analysis area for the Taylor Long grazing project, therefore, it may be eliminated from further consideration and preparation of a BA is not required. ID. CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION Existing management direction for federally listed or candidate species and Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region sensitive plant species is summarized as follows: Forest Service Manual 2672 provides standards for biological evaluations and provides a list of all Regional Forester designated sensitive wildlife and plant species occurring on National Forest System lands. Supplemented by: 2006 Region 5 Revised Sensitive Plant and Animal Lists (FSM 2600). Specific management direction for sensitive plants: Current policy as shown in the Forest Service Manual (FSM 2672.4) is to conduct a pre-field review of available information, and in instances where there is evidence of sensitive plant species or habitat, conduct a field reconnaissance if necessary to determine whether the project poses a threat to sensitive plants. The results of surveys and conflict determination are documented in the BE. Seguoia National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (FLRMP, USDA FS, 1988). Sensitive species and their habitats are managed to ensure conservation or enhancement of their populations and habitats so that the species do not become federally listed or suffer loss of viability (FSM 2670.2 and 2670.3). Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment, 2001, and Supplement. 2004: Two new standards and guidelines for the management of TES plants are found on page A-29 of the Record of Decision: Taylor and Long Meadow Grazing Allotment Renewal - Biological Assessment I Biological Evaluation for Plants Page 3 of15 • Conduct field surveys for threatened, endangered, proposed, and sensitive (TEPS) plant species early enough in the project planning process so that the project can be designed to conserved or enhance TEPS plants and their habitat. Conduct surveys according to procedures outlined in Forest Service Handbook (FSH 2609.25.11). If additional surveys are conducted as part of project implementation, document the survey results in the project file. • Minimize or eliminate direct and indirect impacts from management activities on TEPS plant unless the activity is designed to maintain or improve plan populations (FSM 2670). IV. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT The Allotment Management Plan and Term Grazing Permit for the Taylor/ Long Meadow Allotment would be issued for a 10-year period. Along with reauthorizing grazing, certain improvements are proposed for resource improvement. Specific actions at Taylor meadow include: corral at Taylor Meadow would be dismantled and moved to the south side of meadow; a fence would be constructed to provide a cattle exclosure and to control use of the meadow area; and a small spring area (-1/10 acre) at the north end of Upper Taylor Meadow would be fenced for protection from trampling by livestock. At Long meadow proposed activities are: the fence on east side of meadow would be moved approximately 200 feet east of the existing fence to align with an old skid road and the existing fence would be removed where practical; and modifying or resetting the culvert at the downstream edge of the meadow. This culvert is set at the bottom of the gully and establishes a low point for which the meadow channel will attempt to achieve equilibrium and raising the culvert to match the flood plain would reestablish the point of equilibrium with the rest of the meadow. All proposed activities would be expected to be in place within a two year period and would be described in the Allotment Management Plan. V. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT The project area can be accessed off of Cherry Hill road off of Sherman Pass road. The Taylor/Long Grazing Project and allotment is located on approximately 875 acres within the Kem River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest, Tulare County, California. This allotment is located is the southern central and western portions of the Kem Plateau between 7 ,000 and 7, 700 feet, near the Domeland Wilderness. The allotment consists of Taylor Meadow and Long Meadow, mostly located on formerly private land, acquired by the National Forest System (NFS). Plant communities in the project area consist of eastside pine, montane forest, and montane meadows.