Malpai Borderlands Group Habitat
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United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Arizona Ecological Services Field Office 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103 Phoenix, Arizona 85021-4951 Telephone: (602) 242-0210 Fax: (602) 242-2513 In Reply Refer to: AESO/SE 22410-2006-F-0408 August 12, 2008 Memorandum To: Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico (ARD-ES) (Attn: Susan Jacobsen) State Conservationist, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Phoenix, Arizona State Conservationist, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico From: Field Supervisor Subject: Biological and Conference Opinion on the Malpai Borderlands Habitat Conservation Plan, Arizona and New Mexico This biological and conference opinion (BCO) responds to the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) requirement for intra-Service consultation on the proposed issuance of a section 10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit (TE-15587-0) to the Malpai Borderlands Group (MBG), pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544), as amended (Act), authorizing the incidental take of 19 covered species. Along with the permit application, MBG submitted a draft of the Malpai Borderlands Habitat Conservation Plan (MBHCP). On August 30, 2007, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) requested programmatic consultation for their funding and implementation of NRCS conservation practices: fire management – Prescribed fire (code 338), erosion control – Grade Stabilization (code 410), mechanical brush control-Brush Management (code 314), and construction and maintenance of linear facilities – Access Road (code 560), Fence (382), and Pipeline (code 516) that are covered activities in the MBHCP and would be implemented within the covered area of the MBHCP . This BCO covers those portions of the NRCS conservation practices that are consistent with the MBHCP covered activities. NRCS will implement all minimization measures that are associated with covered activities in the MBHCP to minimize incidental take of listed species and covered species, as applicable. The MBHCP permit 2 area covers non-Federal lands in the southeastern corner of Cochise County, Arizona and the southwestern corner of Hidalgo County, New Mexico (See Figure 1). This BCO analyzes the potential effects that issuance of this permit may have on the threatened Chiricahua leopard frog (Lithobates [=Rana] chiricahuensis), threatened beautiful shiner (Cyprinella formosa) with critical habitat, threatened Yaqui catfish (Ictalurus pricei) with critical habitat, endangered Yaqui chub (Gila purpurea) with critical habitat, endangered Yaqui topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonoriensis), endangered Huachuca water umbel (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva) with critical habitat, threatened Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) with critical habitat, and threatened New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus) with critical habitat. We analyze the potential effects that issuance of this permit may have on the nonessential experimental population of northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis), candidate western yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), and the unlisted Yaqui sucker (Catostomus bernardini), Mexican longfin dace (Agosia chrysogaster), Mexican stoneroller (Campostoma ornatum), lowland leopard frog (Lithobates yavapaiensis), northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops), black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea), white-sided jackrabbit (Lepus callotis), and western red bat (Lasiurus blosseveillii). Consistent with our policies concerning intra-service consultations, for the purposes of this opinion, we will treat these species herein as if they were proposed for listing as threatened or endangered. We determined that this action may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect the threatened Cochise pincushion cactus (Coryphantha robbinsorum), endangered southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax trailli extimus) with critical habitat, endangered lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae), endangered Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis), and endangered jaguar (Panthera onca). Concurrences with the determinations on these species are in Appendix A. We further determined that this action will have no effect on the endangered Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupis baileyi) because they are not known or reasonably certain to occur within the action area during the term of the permit. This BCO is based on information provided in the draft MBHCP dated June 27, 2007; the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) dated June 27, 2007; telephone conversations; field investigations; FWS files; and other sources of information. Literature cited in this BCO is not a complete bibliography of all literature available on the species of concern, the activities covered in the Agreement and their effects, or on other subjects considered in this opinion. A complete administrative record of this consultation is on file in the Arizona Ecological Services Office (AESO). We appreciate the assistance of the NRCS Office in Douglas, Arizona, the San Bernardino/Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuge in Douglas, Arizona, and the New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico for assistance in preparing this document. If there are any question concerning this BCO, please contact Marty Tuegel (520) 670-6150 x232, Sherry Barrett x223, or me. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CONSULTATION HISTORY ....................................................................................................... 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION .......................................................................... 6 STATUS OF THE SPECIES .......................................................................................................... 9 AQUATIC SPECIES .................................................................................................................. 9 Chiricahua leopard frog ........................................................................................................... 9 Huachuca water umbel ........................................................................................................... 11 Lowland leopard frog ............................................................................................................. 12 Northern Mexican gartersnake ............................................................................................... 15 Yaqui Fish - listed .................................................................................................................. 16 Yaqui Fish - unlisted .............................................................................................................. 21 GRASSLAND SPECIES .......................................................................................................... 24 Northern aplomado falcon ..................................................................................................... 24 Black-tailed prairie dog .......................................................................................................... 28 Western burrowing owl.......................................................................................................... 30 White-sided jackrabbit ........................................................................................................... 31 MONTANE SPECIES .............................................................................................................. 33 Mexican spotted owl .............................................................................................................. 33 New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake ..................................................................................... 37 RIPARIAN SPECIES ............................................................................................................... 38 Western red bat ...................................................................................................................... 38 Western yellow-billed cuckoo ............................................................................................... 40 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE............................................................................................ 41 ACTION AREA........................................................................................................................ 41 AQUATIC SPECIES ................................................................................................................ 42 Chiricahua leopard frog ......................................................................................................... 42 Huachuca water umbel ........................................................................................................... 45 Lowland leopard frog ............................................................................................................. 45 Northern Mexican gartersnake ............................................................................................... 47 Yaqui Fish - listed .................................................................................................................. 47 Yaqui Fish – unlisted ............................................................................................................. 49 GRASSLAND SPECIES .......................................................................................................... 50 Northern