ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST SAN GABRIEL RIVER CONFLUENCE WITH CATTLE CANYON IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS MONUMENT AND ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST DRAFT BOTANY BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION/BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT June 2017 PREPARED BY: DATE: _______ __________ Janet Nickerman Forest Botanist, Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Mountains National Monument TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Introduction. 1 Consultation to Date . ... .1 Management Direction. .. .1 Proposed Action . ..........3 Existing Environment. 5 Effects Analysis . .15 Summary of Determination Statements………………………………34 References……………………………………………………………….35 Appendix A Vehicle Washing Protocol……………………………………………39 I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this Biological Assessment/Biological Evaluation (BEBA) is to analyze and display the biological effects of the proposed activities on all federally listed threatened, endangered, proposed, Candidate and Forest Service sensitive plant species (TEPCS) that are known to occur, or have the potential to occur within the East Fork of the San Gabriel River (proposed project area). Proposed enhancements include the development of new picnic areas, pedestrian trails, river access points, placement of established parking spaces and upgrades to existing facilities, improvements to paved and unpaved roadways, restoration of riparian and upland vegetation communities of the East Fork of the San Gabriel River and Cattle Canyon Creek confluence area, and implementation of a Forest Closure Order to prohibit overnight camping. This document is prepared in conformance with the legal requirements set forth under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1536©, 50 CFR 402), and policy and standards set forth in Forest Service Manual 2672.4 through 2672.42. II. CONSULTATION TO DATE Janet Nickerman, Angeles National Forest, Forest Botanist called Jesse Bennet, US Fish and Wildlife Service in June 2016 to discuss the project. Both Jesse Bennet and Janet Nickerman agreed there is no need to consult for plants unless listed species are discovered during floristic surveys in the 2018 plant surveys. III. CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION Management direction for TEPS species on the Forest comes from the Angeles National Forest Land Management Plan (LMP) adopted by the Record of Decision signed on September 20, 2005 (USDA 2005). Strategic Goals, Program Strategies and Tactics, Standards, and Appendices A-J provide guidance on management of wildlife and botany resources. Specific direction related to protection of TEPS species comes from Standards 11-44 (LMP- Design Criteria, Part 3, pages 6-10). Appendieces in LMP-Part 3 that are of particular relevance to this project include Appenidix D (Adaptive Mitigation for Recreation Uses), Appendix E (Five- Step Project Screening Process for Riparian Conservation Areas), and Appendix H (Species Guidance Summary). Direction for management of wildlife and botany resources included in the Forest Service Manual includes the following: Forest Service Manual (FSM) Direction (T&E Species): 1. Place top priority on conservation and recovery of endangered, threatened, and proposed species and their habitats through relevant National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, and Research activities and programs. 2. Establish through the Forest planning process objectives for habitat management and/or recovery of populations, in cooperation with States, the FWS, and other Federal agencies. 3 3. Through the Biological Assessment process, review actions and programs authorized, funded, or carried out by the Forest Service to determine their potential for effect on threatened and endangered species and species proposed for listing. 4. Avoid all adverse impacts on threatened and endangered species and their habitat except when it is possible to compensate adverse effects totally through alternatives identified in a biological opinion rendered by the FWS, when an exemption has been granted under the Act, or when the FWS biological opinion recognizes an incidental taking. Avoid adverse impacts on species proposed for listing during the conference period and while their Federal status is being determined. 5. Initiate consultation or conference with the FWS or National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) when the Forest Service determines that proposed activities may have an adverse effect on threatened, endangered, or proposed species or when Forest Service projects are for the specific benefit of a threatened or endangered species. 6. Identify and prescribe measures to prevent adverse modification or destruction of critical habitat and other habitats essential for the conservation of endangered, threatened, and proposed species. Protect individual organisms or populations from harm or harassment as appropriate. National Forest Management Act (NFMA) for all Species: National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976 states that “fish and wildlife habitat shall be managed to maintain viable populations of existing native and desired nonnative vertebrate species in the planning area in order to meet multiple-use objectives”. For planning purposes, a viable population shall be regarded as one which has the estimated numbers, and distribution of reproductive individuals to insure its continued existence is well distributed in the planning area. In order to insure that viable populations will be maintained, habitat must be provided to support, at least a minimum number of reproductive individuals and that habitat must be well distributed so that those individuals can interact with others in the planning area (36 CFR 219.19). The regulations also mandate that “all management prescriptions shall provide for adequate fish and wildlife habitat to maintain viable populations of existing native vertebrate species and provide that habitat for species chosen under 219.19 is maintained and improved to the degree consistent with multiple-use objectives established in the plan” (36 CFR 219.27(a)(6)). Diversity states in part: “Management prescriptions, where appropriate and to the extent practicable, shall preserve and enhance the diversity of plant and animal communities, including endemic and desirable naturalized plant and animal species” (36 CFR 219.27(g)). IV. PROPOSED ACTION BACKGROUND It is estimated that over 15 million people live within a 90-minute commuting distance of the ANF, with over 3.5 million visiting annually. Due to steep topography and dense chaparral, recreation is highly concentrated in areas that are relatively flat with road access. In addition, water is an attraction that draws large crowds in many areas. 4 The East Fork San Gabriel River (EFSGR) and Cattle Canyon are common destinations for forest visitors. The majority of the public use occurs along a 2.5-mile stretch of the river where visitors can park and access the river within a few hundred feet. The heavy use combined with the lack of facilities has resulted in the degradation of the Cattle Canyon area. Impacts include: damage to vegetation, soil compaction and erosion, on-site litter, and stream alteration where visitors build rock dams in the river bed to create recreational bathing pools. The East Fork of the San Gabriel River (EFSGR) has also experienced high levels of litter deposition both in and adjacent to the watercourse. The Regional Water Board determined that the level of trash has exceeded the existing Water Quality Standard necessary to protect the beneficial uses of the river; water quality is impaired due to trash (section 303(d) listing). Current conditions are not sustainable for long-term management. To respond to increasing public demand, the United States Forest Service (USFS) partnered with the Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA), a joint powers authority between the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (LACFCD), to develop a project to promote sustainable recreation. Under the collaboration of the WCA and the USFS, the San Gabriel River Confluence with Cattle Canyon Improvements Project (project) was developed. The project would provide recreational improvements and ecological restoration opportunities to address resource management challenges with a focus on mitigating impacts along the most heavily used section of the river. Such improvements include the new construction of public recreation areas, repair and maintenance of existing roadways, restoration of wildlife habitat and increased regulation of public use along the EFSGR. The purpose of this Botany Biological Assessment/Biological Evaluation (BABE) is to review the proposed project in sufficient detail to determine any effects to Endangered, Threatened, Proposed, Candidate and Forest Service Sensitive (FSS) plant species. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION: The purpose and need for the project is to: • Provide recreation facilities and infrastructure that are high quality, well-maintained, safe, accessible and consistent with visitors’ expectations. • Shift and concentrate recreational use to certain areas in order to minimize adverse effects over a broader area. • Promote stewardship of public land by providing quality and sustainable recreation opportunities that result in increased visitor satisfaction. • Allow for better management of the recreation resources on the Forest. • Improve riparian habitat conditions in certain areas and make progress toward enhancing stream habitat conditions by restoring vegetation, minimizing invasive plants and noxious weed presence, and