Appendix D. Revised Biological Assessment and Evaluation
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Appendix D. Revised Biological Assessment and Evaluation Introduction The USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region (Forest Service), proposes to authorize the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to use herbicides as part of vegetation management along Interstate Highways, Federal Highways, and State roads that pass through National Forest System lands in Arizona. The purpose of this program is: 1) to control vegetation that presents a safety hazard to motorists; and 2) to contain, control, or eradicate noxious weeds that can spread from highways onto adjacent forests and rangelands. This Biological Assessment and Evaluation (BAE) determines the effects of this program (i.e. herbicide use) on 21 animals and 4 plants that are listed or proposed under the Endangered species Act of 1973, as amended (Table 1). It also determines the effects of this program on 36 animals and 27 plants designated as Sensitive by the Regional Forester of the Southwestern Region (Table 2). This BAE will not analyze the effects of other vegetation management techniques (i.e. mowing, grading, etc.) that are already authorized and being used. We have determined that this program of herbicide use with its proposed conservation measures is not likely to adversely affect or will have no effect on any endangered, threatened, or proposed species; any designated or proposed critical habitat areas; or, any nonessential experimental populations. We have further determined that this program of herbicide use with its proposed conservation measures will not reduce population viability or harm any Forest Service Sensitive species in a way that would increase its likelihood of trending toward Federal listing. Table 1. Species with Federal Endangered Species Act status and proposed or designated critical habitat areas that may be affected by the use of herbicides along Federal or State highways that pass through National Forest System lands in Arizona Forest Where There Common Name Scientific Name Status May be an Effect Mammals Black-footed ferret Mustela nigripes Endangered Coconino Jaguar Panthera onca Endangered Coronado Lesser long-nosed bat Leptonycteris curasae Endangered Coronado yerbabuenae Mexican gray wolf Canis lupus baileyi Nonessential Apache-Sitgreaves Experimental Population Birds Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Threatened Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, Tonto Brown pelican Pelecanus occidentalis Endangered Apache-Sitgreaves, Tonto California condor Gymnogyps californianus Nonessential Kaibab, Coconino Experimental Population Mexican spotted owl Strix occidentalis lucida Threatened, Proposed Apache-Sitgreaves, Environmental Assessment for Management of Noxious Weeds and Hazardous 1 Vegetation on Public Roads on National Forest System Lands Appendix D – Revised Biological Assessment and Evaluation Forest Where There Common Name Scientific Name Status May be an Effect Critical Habitat Coconino, Coronado, Kaibab, Prescott, Tonto Southwestern willow Empidonax traillii extimus Endangered Apache-Sitgreaves, Tonto flycatcher Yuma clapper rail Rallus longirostris Endangered Coconino, Tonto yumanensis Fish Apache trout Oncorhynchus apache Threatened Apache-Sitgreaves, Coronado Colorado Ptychocheilus lucius Nonessential Coconino pikeminnow Experimental Population Gila chub Gila intermedia Proposed Coronado Endangered, Proposed Critical Habitat Gila topminnow Poeciliposis occidentalis Endangered Tonto Little Colorado Lepidomeda vittata Threatened, Critical Apache-Sitgreaves spinedace Habitat Loach minnow Tiaroga cobitis Threatened, Critical Coconino, Prescott, Tonto Habitat Razorback sucker Xyrauchen texanus Endangered, Critical Apache-Sitgreaves, Habitat Coconino, Prescott, Tonto Spikedace Meda fulgida Threatened, Critical Coconino, Prescott, Tonto Habitat Amphibians Chiricahua leopard Rana chiricahuensis Threatened Apache-Sitgreaves, frog Coconino, Coronado Sonora tiger Ambystoma tigrinum Endangered Coronado salamander stebbinsi Plants Arizona agave Agave arizonica Endangered Tonto Arizona cliffrose Purshia subintegra Endangered Coconino Arizona hedgehog Echinocereus Endangered Tonto cactus triglochidiatus var. arizonicus Huachuca water Lilaeopsis schaffneriana Endangered Coronado umbel ssp. recurva 2 Environmental Assessement for Management of Noxious Weeds and Hazardous Vegetation on Public Roads on National Forest Lands in Arizona Appendix D – Revised Biological Assessment and Evaluation Table 2. Forest Service Sensitive species, including Federal candidate species, that may be affected by the use of herbicides along Federal or State highways that pass through National Forest System lands in Arizona. Common Name Scientific Name Status Forest Mammals Navajo Mogollon vole Microtus mogollonensis Sensitive Coconino navaho New Mexican meadow Zapus hudsonius luteus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves jumping mouse Silky pocket mouse Perognathus flavus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves goodpasteri White Mountains ground Spermophilus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves squirrel tridecemlineatus monticola Wupatki Arizona pocket Perognathus amplus cineris Sensitive Coconino mouse Birds Bell’s vireo Vireo bellii Sensitive Coconino Common blackhawk Buteogallus anthracinus Sensitive Coconino, Tonto Eared trogon Euptilotis neoxenus Sensitive Tonto Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab Northern peregrine Falco peregrinus anatum Sensitive Tonto falcon Western yellow-billed Coccyzus americanus Candidate, Coconino cuckoo occidentalis Sensitive Fish Little Colorado sucker Catostomus sp3 Sensitive Coconino Roundtail chub Gila robusta Sensitive Coconino, Tonto Amphibians and Reptiles Arizona night lizard Xantusia vigilis arizonae Sensitive Coconino Arizona ridgenose Crotalus willardi willardi Sensitive Coronado rattlesnake Arizona southwestern Bufo microscaphus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves, toad microscaphus Coconino Lowland leopard frog Rana yavapaiensis Sensitive Coconino, Tonto Mexican garter snake Thamnophis eques Sensitive Coconino, Coronado megalops Narrowheaded garter Thamnophis rufipunctatus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves, snake Coconino Northern leopard frog Rana pipiens Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino Ramsey Canyon leopard Rana subaquavocalis Sensitive Coronado frog Sonoran desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii Sensitive Tonto Invertebrates Arizona giant-skipper Agathymus aryxna Sensitive Coconino Environmental Assessment for Management of Noxious Weeds and Hazardous 3 Vegetation on Public Roads on National Forest System Lands Appendix D – Revised Biological Assessment and Evaluation Common Name Scientific Name Status Forest A tiger beetle Cicindela hirticollis Sensitive Coconino corpuscula Blue-black silverspot Speyeria nokomis nokomis Sensitive Coconino butterfly California floater Anodonta californiensis Sensitive Coconino Desert green hairstreak Callophrys comstocki Sensitive Coconino Desert elfin Callophrys fotis Sensitive Coconino Four-spotted skipperling Piruna polingi Sensitive Coconino Freeman’s agave borer Agathymus baueri freemani Sensitive Coconino Huachuca springsnail Pyrgulopsis thompsoni Candidate, Coronado Sensitive Maricopa tiger beetle Cicindela oregona Sensitive Coconino Maricopa Mountain silverspot Speyeria nokomis nitocris Sensitive Coconino butterfly Obsolete viceroy Limenitis archippus Sensitive Coconino butterfly obsolete Orange giant skipper Agathymus neumoegeni Sensitive Coconino White Mountains water Psephenus montanus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves penny beetle Plants Arizona alumroot Heuchera glomerulata Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves Arizona sneezeweed Helenium arizonicum Sensitive Coconino, Apache- Sitgreaves Arizona willow Salix arizonica Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves Beardless cinchweed Pectis imberbis Sensitive Coronado Blumer’s dock Rumex orthoneurus Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves, Coronado, Tonto Chiricahua mountain Samolus vagans Sensitive Coronado brookweed Fish Creek rock daisy Perityle saxicola Sensitive Tonto Flagstaff beardtongue Penstemon nudiflorus Sensitive Tonto Gila groundsel Senecio quaerens Sensitive Apache Sitgreaves Goodding’s onion Allium gooddingii Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves Haulapai milkwort Polygala rusbyi Sensitive Coconino, Prescott Heathleaf wild Eriogonum ericifolium var. Sensitive Coconino, Prescott buckwheat ericifolium Hohokam agave Agave murpheyi Sensitive Tonto Kaibab bladderpod Lesquerella kaibabensis Sensitive Kaibab Kaibab paintbrush Castilleja kaibabensis Sensitive Kaibab Kaibab pincushion Pediocactus paradinei Sensitive Kaibab cactus Mearns sage Salvia dorrii ssp. mearnsii Sensitive Coconino, Prescott Mogollon paintbrush Castilleja mogollonica Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves Mt. Dellenbaugh Arenaria aberrans Sensitive Kaibab sandwort 4 Environmental Assessement for Management of Noxious Weeds and Hazardous Vegetation on Public Roads on National Forest Lands in Arizona Appendix D – Revised Biological Assessment and Evaluation Common Name Scientific Name Status Forest Ripley wild buckwheat Eriogonum ripleyi Sensitive Coconino, Prescott Rock fleabane Erigeron saxatilis Sensitive Coconino Rusbyi’s milkvetch Astragalus rusbyi Sensitive Coconino Sunset Crater Penstemon clutei Sensitive Coconino beardtongue Supine bean Macroptilum supinum Sensitive Coronado Tonto Basin agave Agave delamateri Sensitive Coconino, Tonto Tusayan rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus molestus Sensitive Kaibab White Mountain clover Trifolium longipes ssp. Sensitive Apache-Sitgreaves neurophyllum Consultation and Coordination Informal section 7 consultation on this proposed