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Home , Grizzly bear

Department of the Interior

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Fish and Wildlife Office Central Washington Field Office 2l 5 Melody Lane Suite 103 Wenatchee, WA 9880l -8I22

In Reply Refer To: Aprit 6,2017 01EWFW00-2017-t-0697

Hydrologic Unit Code: 1702000602 (Okanogan River- Bonaparte Creek)

Mathew P. Reidy Dislrict Ranger Tonasket Ranger District Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest I West Winesap Tonasket, Washington 98855

Dear Mr. Reidy:

This letter responds to your request for initiation of informal consultation and conferencing on the Light Restoration Project (Project), located approximately l5 miles east of the town of Tonasket in Okanogan County, Washington. The section 7 streamlining process was completed on March 16,2017 , and the final version of the wildlife biological assessment (BA) was received in our office on March 2 I , 2017 , and included all the information we needed to complete informal consultation.

The Forest Service (FS) has requested U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) concurrence with the determination of "may affect, not likely to adversely affect" for the lynx (Lynx canadensis) and grizzly ( arctos horribilis), and "will notjeopardize the continued existence" of (Gulo gulo), in accordance with section 7(aX2) of the Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531etse4.). TheFS determined that effects to other listed or proposed species, and their critical habitat, are not anticipated to occur.

Proiect Dcsctiption The Project proposes vegetation and road treatments in the Upper Bonaparte Creek subwatershed to re-establish ecological processes, pattems, and functions that are resilient to future disturbances. Proposed actions include commercially thirning2,929 acres, non- commercially thinning 4,716 acres, and pile buming and/or underbuming activity slash and natural fuel accumulations on up to 6,487 acres. Methods for commercial thinning may include ground-based, cable, and helicopter logging systems. If economic factors preclude helicopter thinning, fuel reduction work (underbuming, non-commercial thinning/pruning) will still occur across five units (437 acres) identified for helicopter logging. Approximately Mathew P. Reidy 2

616 acres ofvegetation treatments (commercial and non-commercial) are proposed to develop late and old structure forested habitat between and adjacent to existing old forest habitat.

Road actions identified through a project-level roads analysis were developed to provide a road network that will support the short-term Project objectives while maintaining and improving wildlife habitat for large camivores. The Project will add 10.9 miles of unauthorized routes to the FS system, decommission 14.3 miles of unauthorized routes, decommission 3.3 miles of FS system roads, and replace undersized culverts on Pettijohn, Lightning, and Henderson Creek stream crossings on FS system roads 3300-100 and 3230- 015. Road densities are expected to increase incrementally during Project implementation, but will be reduced at the completion ofall project activities.

The Project also includes conservation measures and project prescriptions that, together, will likely be effective in reducing effects of the Project on listed species and their habitats. For a more detailed description ofthe proposed action and conservation measures, please refer to the Project BA.

The Project is expected to occur over a period of l0 years with vegetation treatments, prescribed fire, and road closures occurring across the action area at various times.

Effects on the Canada Lynx Lynx prey almost exclusively on snowshoe hare (Lepus americonus); therefore suitable snowshoe hare habitat is a vital component oflynx habitat. Snowshoe hare require dense horizontal cover that provides security and browse. Late-seral forests are also important to lynx and can provide denning habitat as well as altemate prey sources (red squirrels) and a high density ofhares if a dense horizontal cover is present.

The Project is located in unoccupied peripheral habitat in the Bonaparte Lynx Analysis Unit (LAU) which is located between the Kettle Wedge core habitat to the east and the core habitat to the west. Peripheral habitat is characterized as capable ofsupporting lynx movement and infrequent presence but not a resident or reproducing population (ILBT 2013). The Project area has suitable lynx habitat, including denning habitat, but lynx are known not to use the area.

The Project designed commercial, non-commercial, and prescribed fire activities to provide a rnosaic offorest structure to maintain landscape connectivity throughout thr Project area and the LAU, and to support snowshoe hare prey resources for individual lym that may infrequently move through or reside temporarily in the area. The best available denning habitat within the project area will not be treated, and treatments near these identified denning areas will focus on providing high quality prey habitat.

Iflynx were present, the primary effect nould be through disturbance during project activities, and we expect that their response would be to temporarily avoid the immediate vicinity ofthe activities. once Project activities are completed, peripheral habitat and connectivity will be maintained at the Project and LAU scale, open road density r,r,ill be reduced, and existing human use in the project area will not be altered. we do not expect that Mathew P. Reidy -1 avoidance ofProject activities or longer-term Project effects, will be measurable, thereby reducing the potential effect to insignificant levels.

Effeqls on the Grizzly Bear Grizzly are large, long-lived, . Adults are typically solitary, but home ranges ofadult bears frequently overlap. Although grizzly bears are very mobile, dispersal across the landscape and colonization ofunoccupied areas is a slow process, because dispersing young tend to establish home ranges within or overlapping their mother's home range.

The Project is located between two Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones, the North Cascades approximately 30 miles to the west and the Selkirk approximately 70 miles east. The grizzly bear is not currently known to inhabit the project area, however past sightings in Okanogan County indicate that they could be present.

Grizzly bears typically avoid areas ofhuman activity and are known to be displaced by open roads and trails. Human activity is correlated with increased potential for poaching, collisions with vehicles, and persecution in response lo negative interactions.

Prey for the grizzly bear includes ungulates, especially during fawning or calving, spawning , carrion, and some small . Soon after spring emergence from hibemation, bears feed primarily on vegetation. In the fall, -producing shrubs are a prime food source. The Project area lacks avalanche chutes, huckleberry fields, or anadromous fish runs that could provide spring and fall forage areas for bears.

Habitat alteration and human disturbance in the Project area and between Recovery Zones currently discourage the presence ofthe grizzly bear and limits their dispersal. If grizzly bear were present, the primary effect would be through disturbance during project activities, and we expect that their response would be to temporarily avoid the immediate vicinity of the activities, such temporary displacement is likely to be insignificant to bear survival or reproduction.

This Project will maintain habitat connectivity between the North Cascades and Selkirk Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones.

Conf'erence Report for North American Wolvenne On October 18, 2016 the Service reopened the comment period of the February 4,2013, proposed rule to list the wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) as threatened, under the Endangered Species Act (1973), as amended (81 FR 71670). The wolverine occupies habitats that are generally higher than 6,800 feet in elevation, as they are dependent on deep persistent snow cover for successful denning, and they concentrate their year-round activities in areas that maintain deep snow into spring and cool temperatures throughout summer. In Washington State, ongoing research proj ects and recent camivore surveys have detected in or near alpine and subalpine habitats in the cascade Mountains. Mathew P. Reidy 4

The wolverine's diet includes a variety ofprey in summer and primarily scavenged large canion in winter. Snow-covered talus slopes, boulder fields, roots, and log jams may be used as natal den sites (Banci 1994).

Wolverines are known not to occur in the analysis area, although as wide-ranging camivores there is a possibility that they may infrequently move through the area for incidental . Approximately Syo of the potential wolverine habitat in the Project area will be commercially harvested, however the harvest prescriptions are not expected to degrade habitat such that a transient wolverine would avoid and not forage in the area. If Wolverine were to move through the project area the primary effect would be through disturbance during project activities, and we expect that their response would be to temporarily avoid the immediate vicinity ofthe activities. The potential for temporary displacement oftransient individuals and minor habitat alteration in the Project area is likely to be insignificant to wolverine, survival, reproduction, or distribution.

Considering the current status ofthe wolverine, the environmental baseline for the action area, and the eflects ofthe proposed action, it is the Service's conference opinion that the action, as proposed, is "not likely to jeopardize the continued existence" ofthe wolverine. Ifthe wolverine is listed under the Act before this Project is completed and no significant changes in the action or the information used in the conference has occurred, then with your written request, the Service can adopt this conference concurence to satisfy consultation requirements.

Conclusion The Project BA describes eiiects that are either extremely unlikely to occur and/or are very small in scale. The Service agrees that implementation of the Project will result in insignificant effects to individuals and the habitats ofthe species analyzed above. Therefore, the Service concurs with your determinations of "may aflect, not likely to adversely affect" for the Canada lynx and grizzly bear based on the information provided in the BA. Our concurence is based on the Project being implemented as described in the BA and the Service's current understanding of the species' use in the Project area.

This concludes informal consultation pursuant to the implementing regulations of the Endangered Species Act, 50 C.F.R. $ 402.13. This Project should be reanalyzed ifnew information reveals effects of the action that may affect listed or proposed species or designated or proposed critical habitat in a mamer or to an exteqt not considered in this consultation; if the action is subsequently modified in a manner that causes an effect to a listed or proposed species or designated or proposed critical habitat that was not considered in this consultation; andlor, if a new species is listed or critical habitat is designated that may be affected by this Project.

Thank you for your assistance in the conservation oflisted species. Ifyou have questions or comments regarding this letter or your responsibilities under the Act, please contact cindy Raekes at the central washington Field office in wenatchee at (509)665-3508, extension 2009, or via e-mail at cvnthia [email protected] Matheu' P. Reidy 5

Sincerely, Zz.2- 7f,r Eric V. Rickerson, State Supervisor Washington Fish and Wildlife Office

Literature Cited

Banci, V. 1994. Wolverine. Pages 99-127 in L. F. Ruggiero, K. B. Aubry, S. W. Buskirk, L. J. Lyon, and W. J. Zielinski, technical editors. The scientific basis for conserving forest camivores: , fisher, lynx, and wolverine. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report RM-254. USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

ILBT (Interagency Lynx Biology Team). 2013. Canada lynx conservation assessment and strategy. 3rd edition. USDA Forest Service, USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, and USDI Service. Forest Service Publication R1-13-19, Missoula, MT. 128 pp.

cc: Send by E-mail: Matt Marsh, Tonasket Ranger District ([email protected]) Monte Kuk, OWNF, Wenatchee, WA ([email protected])