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Martes Caurina) Version 2.0 Species Status Assessment for the Coastal Marten (Martes caurina) Version 2.0 July 2018 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8 Arcata, CA This document was prepared by Jenny Lynn Hutchinson and Sue Livingston with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s coastal marten Species Status Assessment Team (Beth Forbus, Arnold Roessler, Daniel Russell, Kathleen Brubaker, and Michelle Reilly). We also received assistance from Ray Davis of the U.S. Forest Service, and Matt Gregory and Zhiqiang Yang of Oregon State University in developing the fire and vegetation disturbance and trend tools. Additionally, valuable reviews of a draft of this document were provided by Daniel Applebee, A. Baker, Therese Bradford, Derek Broman, Steven Buskirk, David Clayton, Ray Davis, S. McMillin, Katie Moriarty, B. Munk, Anne Poopatanapong, Kristin Schmidt, Randy Smith, Jake Verschuyl, Jennifer Weikel, and Chris West. Suggested reference: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2018. Species status assessment report for the coastal marten (Martes caurina), Version 2.0. July 2018. Arcata, CA. 2 Species Status Assessment for Coastal Marten (Martes caurina) Prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This species status assessment reports the results of the comprehensive status review for the distinct population segment (DPS) of the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) in coastal Oregon and northern coastal California, commonly referred to as the coastal marten, and provides a thorough account of the overall viability and extinction risk for the coastal marten. The coastal marten is a mammal in the weasel family and is native to forests of coastal Oregon and coastal California. They occur primarily in older forests, although there is one remnant population occupying the coastal dune forest of central Oregon. To evaluate the biological status of the coastal marten both currently and into the future, we assessed a range of conditions to allow us to consider the species’ resiliency, redundancy, and representation (together, the 3Rs). Coastal marten needs multiple resilient populations distributed widely across its range to maintain persistence into the future and to avoid extinction. Several factors influence whether coastal marten populations will increase to maximize habitat occupancy, which increases the resiliency of a population to stochastic events. These factors are the connectivity between populations, amount of suitable habitat for establishing home ranges, and amount of habitat that allows for predator avoidance. As we consider the future viability of the species, more populations with high resiliency distributed across the known range of the species are associated with higher overall species viability. Coastal marten historically ranged throughout coastal Oregon and coastal northern California, but has not recently been detected throughout much of the historical range, despite extensive surveys. The species exists in four small populations and is absent from the northern and southern ends of its historical range. We have assessed the coastal marten’s levels of resiliency, redundancy, and representation currently and into the future by ranking the condition of each population. Rankings are a qualitative assessment of the relative condition of occupied habitat based on the knowledge and expertise of Service staff, as well as published reports. Our analysis of the past, current, and future influences on what the coastal marten needs for long term viability revealed that there are two factors that pose the largest risk to future viability of the species. These risks are primarily related to habitat loss and associated changes in quality and distribution: decrease in connectivity between populations, and habitat conversion from that suitable for martens to that suitable for generalist predators and competitors, increasing potential 3 interactions and subsequent marten injury, mortality, or predation; these are all influenced by vegetation management, wildfire, and changing climate. The coastal marten faces a variety of risks from loss of habitat, wildfire, and increased predation risk. These risks play a large role in the resiliency and future viability of the coastal marten. If populations lose resiliency, they are more vulnerable to extirpation, with resulting losses in representation and redundancy. Given the uncertainty regarding connectivity between populations, suitable habitat, and increases in predation within the populations, we have forecasted what the coastal marten may have in terms of resiliency, redundancy, and representation under three plausible future scenarios. While we don’t expect all assumptions to be met in each scenario, these scenarios are meant to give a range of possibilities for the future. To create this range of possibilities we made the following assumptions about stressors to the populations: (1) Scenario One (Continuation): Central Coastal Oregon – Trapping is legal. Loss of older forest continues to follow current trends on Federal and private lands due to wildfire and vegetation management, proposed restoration on the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area moves forward potentially affecting currently occupied suitable habitat. There is no change in connectivity across Highway 101. Southern Coastal Oregon – Trapping is legal. There is a moderate loss of older forest on Federal and private lands due to wildfire and vegetation management. California–Oregon Border – There is little change to older forest on Federal and private lands due to limited impacts of wildfire and vegetation management. Northern Coastal California – There is a moderate loss of older forest on Federal and private lands due to wildfire and vegetation management. (2) Scenario Two (Upper Bound): Central Coastal Oregon – There is a ban on trapping. Connectivity improves to the east through implementation of functional corridors across Highway 101, and there is no increase in the rate of loss of older forest above current trends as described in Scenario One. Proposed dune restoration at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area does not negatively impact suitable habitat. Southern Coastal Oregon – There is a ban on trapping. There is a 25% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return interval and drought, based on a moderate emissions scenario. The rate of timber harvest does not increase. California–Oregon Border – There is a 25% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return interval and drought, based on a moderate emissions scenario. The rate of timber harvest does not increase. Northern Coastal California – Assisted dispersal is feasible and is implemented to create one additional population and the Habitat Management Guide is implemented. There is a 25% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return 4 interval and drought, based on a moderate emissions scenario. The rate of timber harvest does not increase. (3) Scenario Three (Lower Bound): Central Coastal Oregon – Trapping remains legal. Proposed dune restoration at the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area negatively impacts the amount of suitable habitat. There is a 50% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return interval and drought, based on a high emissions scenario. There is no change in connectivity across Highway 101. Southern Coastal Oregon – Trapping remains legal. There is a 50% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return interval and drought, based on a high emissions scenario. California–Oregon Border – There is a 50% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return interval and drought, based on a high emissions scenario. Northern Coastal California – The assisted dispersal study is not feasible. There is a 25% increase over the rate of older forest lost in Scenario 1 from a shorter fire return interval and drought, based on a moderate emissions scenario. We examined the resiliency, representation, and redundancy of coastal marten under each of these plausible scenarios (Table ES–1). Resiliency of coastal marten populations depends on connectivity, available suitable habitat, and habitat that allows for predator avoidance. We expect the four extant coastal marten populations to experience changes to these aspects of their habitat in different ways under the different scenarios. We projected the coastal marten’s expected future resiliency, representation, and redundancy based on the events that would occur under each scenario (Table ES–2). For these projections, populations in high condition are expected to have high resiliency at that time period; i.e., they occupy habitat of sufficient size and in sufficient numbers to survive stochastic events. Populations in high condition are expected to persist into the future and have the ability to withstand stochastic events that may occur. Populations in moderate condition have less resiliency than those in high condition, but the majority of these populations are expected to persist into the future. Populations in moderation condition are smaller and less dense than those in high condition. Finally, the populations in low condition have low resiliency and are not necessarily able to withstand stochastic events. As a result, they would not be likely to persist in that condition into the future. Under Scenario One (Continuation) – We would expect the coastal marten’s viability
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