Wildlife, Fish and Rare Plant Specialist Report for the Hassayampa Livestock Grazing Allotment
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Wildlife, Fish and Rare Plant Specialist Report for the Hassayampa Livestock Grazing Allotment Prescott National Forest Bradshaw Ranger District Yavapai County, Arizona Prepared by: Dan Garcia de la Cadena Wildlife Biologist Prescott National Forest And Albert Sillas Fishery Biologist Prescott National Forest August 2013 Hassayampa Allotment Wildlife, Fish & Rare Plant Specialist Report The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Page | 2 A. Introduction The Prescott National Forest, Bradshaw Ranger District, proposes to continue the authorization of livestock grazing on the Hassayampa Allotment under an adaptive management system. This report serves as the Biological Assessment and Evaluation that documents the effects of two Action and the No Action alternatives on plant and animal species and habitat that have the following status: federally listed or proposed under ESA (Endangered Species Act), any designated or proposed critical habitat under ESA, and USDA Forest Service Region 3 sensitive species. This report also serves as the Wildlife Specialist Report that documents the effects of the alternatives on Prescott National Forest MIS (management indicator species), and species under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act. See Appendix A-C for the complete lists of these species. The best available science was used in the completion of this report. Upon review of PNF habitat data, it was determined that federally listed species under the ESA do not occur in the project area, but there is one candidate species proposed for listing which may migrate through the project area. Tables 1a & 1b summarize the effects to one federally proposed for listing/candidate species and Region 3 Sensitive species analyzed in detail in this report. Table 2 summarizes the effects to MIS at the project level and to the forest-wide trends. Table 3 summarizes the effects to golden, bald eagles and migratory birds. Table 1a. Summary of effects for Federally Proposed Species within or near the Hassayampa Allotment. Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Species Name Status Proposed No Action No Grazing Action Endangered Species Act: Proposed for listing as Threatened under ESA on October 3, 2013 Candidate Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo species/Proposed No Effect No Effect No Effect for Listing Table 1b. Summary of effects for Region 3 Forest Service Sensitive Species that may occur within or near the Hassayampa Allotment. Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Species Name Status Proposed No Grazing Action Western red bat Sensitive No Impact No Impact No Impact Pale Townsend’s big-eared bat Sensitive No Impact No Impact No Impact Lowland leopard frog Sensitive MIIH MIIH No Impact Phillip’s Agave Sensitive No Impact MIIH No Impact Desert sucker Sensitive MIIH MIIH No Impact MIIH – May impact individual or habitat Hassayampa Allotment Wildlife, Fish & Rare Plant Specialist Report Table 2. Summary of effects on management indicator species (MIS) analyzed on the Hassayampa Allotment. Action Alternatives 1 & 2 No Grazing Alternative 3 Species – Indicator habitat Forest-wide Forest-wide Project Level Effects Project Level Effects Trends Trends Mule Deer – early No change to habitat No effect to No change to habitat No effect to seral pinyon juniper quantity of early seral forest-wide quantity of early seral forest-wide & chaparral stage of pinyon-juniper habitat or stage of pinyon- habitat or and chaparral vegetation. population trends. juniper and chaparral population May increase habitat vegetation. trends. quality slightly due to Habitat quality would construction and improve in areas maintenance of water where heavy grazing developments. pressure has Alternative 1: No impacts previously occurred. to early seral PJ with dormant seasonal grazing by livestock. Alternative 2: Under year around grazing, competition and grazing of low shrub vegetation by both livestock and big game might impact quality of the habitat, but not the quantity. Page | 4 Hassayampa Allotment Wildlife, Fish & Rare Plant Specialist Report Table 2. Summary of effects on management indicator species (MIS) analyzed on the Hassayampa Allotment. Action Alternatives 1 & 2 No Grazing Alternative 3 Species – Indicator habitat Forest-wide Forest-wide Project Level Effects Project Level Effects Trends Trends Spotted Towhee – No change in habitat No effect to No change in habitat No effect to late seral chaparral quantity of late-seral forest-wide quantity of late-seral forest-wide chaparral. habitat or chaparral. habitat or Habitat quality should not population trends. Habitat quality may population be impacted from improve with an trends. seasonal, rotational increase of insect grazing system. Soil species diversity and DFCs are to improve additional vegetative vegetative ground cover. cover for nests. Alternative 1: No impacts to nesting spotted towhees with dormant seasonal grazing occurring outside of the nesting season. Alternative 2: Under year around grazing, low shrub vegetation nests could be impacted by livestock while browsing and/or ground nests could be trampled by livestock while grazing in the uplands during the breeding season. Table 2. Summary of effects on management indicator species (MIS) analyzed on the Hassayampa Allotment. Action Alternatives 1 & 2 No Grazing Alternative 3 Species – Indicator habitat Forest-wide Forest-wide Project Level Effects Project Level Effects Trends Trends Macroinvertebrates Yearlong livestock grazing No effect to The No Action No effect to – aquatic habitat and in the project area using a forest-wide alternative would not forest-wide late seral riparian rest/deferred rotation trends. alter the quantity of trends. habitat. grazing system: aquatic habitat or late- The Action Alternatives seral riparian habitat. would not alter the quantity of aquatic habitat or late seral riparian habitat. Page | 5 Hassayampa Allotment Wildlife, Fish & Rare Plant Specialist Report Table 3. Summary of Effects for Eagles and Migratory Birds for the Hassayampa Allotment Species Status Alternative 1 Alternative 2 Alternative 3 Proposed Action No Grazing Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act: Bald & Golden eagles Protected No Take No Take No Take Migratory Bird Treaty Act: Migratory birds ------------- No Take Unintentional No Take Take Compliance with Federal Laws, Regulations, and Policies concerning Wildlife, Fish, and Rare Plant Management on National Forest lands. The ESA § 7(d) requires that Federal agencies “shall not make any irreversible or irretrievable commitment of resources with respect to the agency action which has the effect of foreclosing the formulation or implementation of any reasonable and prudent alternative measures which would not violate subsection (a)(2).” This project will not make irreversible or irretrievable commitments and the status quo will be maintained during the consultation process. This report was developed after considering the best available science for assessing resource conditions and then determining the ecological effects associated with livestock grazing. Biological Evaluations are required under FSM 2672.4 to review all Forest Service planned, funded, executed, or permitted programs and activities for possible effects on endangered, threatened, proposed, or sensitive species. The biological evaluation is the means of conducting the review and of documenting the findings. The objectives of the Biological Evaluation are: 1. To ensure that Forest Service actions do not contribute to loss of viability of any native or desired non- native plant or contribute to animal species or trends toward Federal listing of any species. 2. To comply with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act that the actions of Federal agencies not jeopardize or adversely modify critical habitat of Federally listed species. 3. To provide a process and standard by which to ensure that threatened, endangered, proposed, and sensitive species receive full consideration in the decision making process. Effects to endangered, threatened, proposed, or sensitive species and their habitats were considered for this project and those species that are found within or adjacent to the allotment are documented in this report. Management Indicator Species (MIS): The Forest Service is required to address MIS in compliance with various regulations and Agency policy (36 CFR 219, Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2621 and 1920), which are, themselves, tiered to the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, as amended by the NFMA. The Prescott National Forest Plan was prepared under planning regulations issued in 1982. Effects to MIS were