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Coconino County Wildlife Connectivity Assessment: Detailed Linkages San Francisco Peaks to Mogollon Rim Linkage Design

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Coconino County Wildlife Connectivity Assessment: Detailed Linkages San Francisco Peaks to Mogollon Rim Linkage Design 1 August 2013 Coconino County Wildlife Connectivity Assessment: Detailed Linkages San Francisco Peaks to Mogollon Rim Linkage Design Arizona Game and Fish Department Coconino County ii SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS – MOGOLLON RIM LINKAGE DESIGN Prepared by Jessica Gist and Mark Ogonowski 22 August 2013 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would not have been possible without the help of many individuals: The models and report developed by Jessica Gist and Mark Ogonowski followed closely the methodology, terminology, and reporting format of Arizona’s Missing Linkages (AML), a project funded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) and undertaken by Dr. Paul Beier and colleagues at Northern Arizona University (www.corridordesign.org). Much of the material presented herein including text and many figures is taken directly from previous AML linkage reports by permission of the authors, for which we are most grateful. Paul Beier, Emily Garding, Jeff Jenness, and Dan Majka provided guidance on GIS analyses. Erika Nowak, Janet Lynn, Jeff Gagnon, and Scott Sprague reviewed portions of the results and provided empirical data for model validation, and Sue Boe generously shared the results of AGFD telemetry studies. Jeff Gagnon generously shared his I-40 crossing recommendations. We thank Sylvester Allred, Melissa Amarello, Terry Arundel, Thomas Brennan, Jeff Corcoran, Charles Drost, Andrew Edelman, Shaula Hedwall, Holly Hicks, Carrie King, Chad Loberger, Lee Luedeker, Carl Lutch, Susi MacVean, Tom McCall, Emily Nelson, Erika Nowak, Justin Schofer, and Mike Sredl for parameterizing focal species models and suggesting focal species. Sarah Reif, Fenner Yarborough, Janet Lynn, Andi Rogers, Jeff Gagnon, and Larry Phoenix helped identify focal species and provided species expertise. Bill Noble provided both recommendation and inspiration for a future Interstate Highway 40 wildlife overpass. Bill Knowles, Shea Meyer, Julie Mikolajczyk, Dean Pokrajac, Dana Warnecke, and Kelly Wolff- Krauter provided technical, planning, editing, and implementation support. John Aber, Tiffany Antol, Sue Pratt, and Bill Towler of the Coconino County Department of Community Development helped prioritize linkages for modeling, and the County provided necessary financial support through partial funding of Mr. Ogonowski’s position. RECOMMENDED CITATION Arizona Game and Fish Department. 2013. Coconino County Wildlife Connectivity Assessment: Detailed Linkages. San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim Linkage Design. Phoenix, Arizona. GIS DATA Accompanying GIS data for this linkage design are available from the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Habitat Branch by request. San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim Linkage Design iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii TERMINOLOGY ............................................................................................................ viii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................3 Habitat connectivity matters ........................................................................................................ 3 A statewide-to-local approach for conserving habitat connectivity in Arizona ........................... 4 STUDY AREA AND METHODS ......................................................................................6 Study area ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Delineation of wildland blocks .................................................................................................... 6 Focal species selection ................................................................................................................. 9 Modeling methods and field investigations ............................................................................... 10 RESULTS: LINKAGE DESIGN AND MODEL VALIDATION ....................................11 Linkage design ........................................................................................................................... 11 Model validation ........................................................................................................................ 13 Non-modeled areas important to wildlife movement ................................................................. 16 MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................17 Impacts of roads and railways on wildlife ................................................................................. 17 Types of roadway mitigation structures ..................................................................................... 18 Guidelines for implementing wildlife crossing structures ......................................................... 21 Existing roads affecting the linkage design ............................................................................... 23 Recommendations for crossing structures in the linkage design ............................................... 23 Urban and rural development as a barrier to wildlife movement ............................................... 27 Guidelines for mitigating impacts of urban and rural development ........................................... 29 Mitigating barriers from urban and rural development in the linkage planning area ................. 30 Summary: Using the linkage design as a planning tool ............................................................. 31 San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim Linkage Design v APPENDIX A: LINKAGE DESIGN METHODS ............................................................33 Focal species selection ............................................................................................................... 33 Habitat suitability models .......................................................................................................... 34 Identifying potential breeding patches and potential population cores ...................................... 36 Identifying biologically best corridors ....................................................................................... 37 Patch configuration analysis ...................................................................................................... 39 Minimum linkage width ............................................................................................................. 40 Field investigations and empirical validation ............................................................................ 40 Creating a final linkage design ................................................................................................... 41 APPENDIX B: INDIVIDUAL SPECIES ANALYSES ....................................................42 APPENDIX C: NON-MODELED SPECIES WITHIN LINKAGE DESIGN ..................80 APPENDIX D: DESCRIPTION OF LAND COVER CLASSES .....................................81 APPENDIX E: CREATING A PERENNIAL WATERS DATASET ..............................86 APPENDIX F: LITERATURE CITED .............................................................................88 San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim Linkage Design vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Focal species selected for San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim linkage design Table 2: Characteristics which make species vulnerable to the three major direct effects of roads Table 3: Habitat suitability scores and factor weights for each focal species Table 4: Non-modeled species occurring in the linkage design which are of conservation concern to state and federal management agencies San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim Linkage Design vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Land ownership within the linkage planning area Figure 2: Land cover within the linkage planning area Figure 3: The linkage design between the San Francisco Peaks and Mogollon Rim wildland blocks Figure 4: Mule deer telemetry data validate modeled mule deer corridor Figure 5: Relation of elk-vehicle collisions on Interstate Route 40 to elk corridor model Figure 6: Non-modeled areas important to wildlife movement in the linkage planning area Figure 7: Road mitigation structures Figure 8: Desert bighorn sheep overpasses in northwestern Arizona Figure 9: Highway underpasses linked by ungulate-proof fencing near Payson, Arizona Figure 10: Linkage design and biologically-best corridor for elk in relation to Interstate Highway 40 mileposts Figure 11: Recommended crossing locations on Interstate Highway 40 Figure 12: Location photo and possible design of wildlife overpass near milepost 174 on Interstate Highway 40 Figure 13: Elk crossings of U.S. Highway 180 northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona Figure 14: Percent natural vegetation declines rapidly at housing densities greater than 1 dwelling unit per 40 acres Figure 15: Habitat factors used to create habitat suitability models Figure 16: Example moving window analysis used to calculate the average habitat suitability surrounding a pixel Figure 17: Creation of biologically best corridors Figure 18: Modeled habitat suitability for Abert’s squirrel in the San Francisco Peaks – Mogollon Rim Linkage Figure 19: Modeled habitat suitability for 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