BERKELEY TUOLUMNE CAMP BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR SENSITIVE PLANTS ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT: City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit 46690 PROJECT: City of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Permit 46690 RANGER DISTRICT: Groveland Ranger District, Stanislaus National Forest PREPARED BY: DATE: March 8, 2018 Wendy Fisher, Botanist/Plant Ecologist Live Oak Associates, Inc. PO Box 2697 Oakhurst, CA 93644 (559) 642-4880 This biological evaluation has been prepared in accordance with direction in FSM 2672.4. It is in compliance with 36 CFR 219.19 and 36 CFR 241.1. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 II. CONSULTATION TO DATE ............................................................................................. 2 III. CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION ..................................................................... 2 IV. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT ..................................................................... 3 Project Location .................................................................................................................. 3 Primary Purposes ................................................................................................................ 3 Description of Alternatives ....................................................................................................... 7 Sensitive Plant Protection ................................................................................................... 7 V. EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................. 9 Permit Area Plant Communities ......................................................................................... 9 VI. EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ..................................................................... 24 VII. DETERMINATION OF EFFECTS ................................................................................ 27 VIII. MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................. 28 IX. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 29 APPENDIX A: PROJECT ALTERNATIVES APPENDIX B: LIST OF FLORA IDENTIFIED AT THE BERKELEY TUOLUMNE CAMP APPENDIX C: RESUME OF LOA STAFF CONDUCTING THE FLORISTIC SURVEYS APPENDIX D: CNDDB FORMS AND MAPS FOR MIMULUS FILICAULIS Live Oak Associates, Inc. ii Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Sensitive Plant Biological Evaluation I. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this botanical evaluation is to determine whether implementation of the Berkeley Tuolumne Camp (Camp) Master Plan (hereafter referred to as the BTC Project) would result in potential effects on Forest Service Sensitive Plant species or a trend toward Federal listing of any Sensitive Plant species within their geographical range on the Forest. A Sensitive Plant is defined as a plant species identified by a Regional Forester for which population viability is a concern, as evidenced by: "a. Significant current or predicted downward trends in population numbers or density." and "b. Significant current or predicted downward trends in habitat capability that would reduce a species' existing distribution." (FSM 2670.5 (19), USDA 1990). Furthermore, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 USC 1531 et seq.) requires that any action authorized by a federal agency will not jeopardize the continued existence of a threatened or endangered species, or result in the destruction or adverse modification of habitat of such species that is determined to be critical. The Berkeley Tuolumne Camp is a family camp that was operated by the City of Berkeley from 1922 until August 25, 2013, when it was largely destroyed by the Rim Fire, one of the largest and most damaging wildfires in California’s history. Of the 138 structures at the Camp, only 18 tent cabins and one restroom remain. The botanical survey area includes the Camp itself and areas north of the Camp and Hardin Flat Road proposed for construction of a parking area, staff housing, and water storage. Areas proposed for construction total approximately 12 acres. There are two action alternatives. Alternative 1, the Proposed Action includes construction of buildings, parking lots, recreational areas, trails, and other camp facilities, removal of existing structures within an archaeological site, revegetation and restoration efforts, and removal of hazard trees. The general purpose of rebuilding the camp is to retain its continuum of use as an organizational camp consistent with Stanislaus National Forest management emphasis for developed recreation sites. A complete description of project purpose is described below in Section IV. Under the Alternative 2, the all structures would be removed and the site would be recontoured and stabilized to protect water quality of the South Fork Tuolumne River and its tributaries. Comprehensive floristic surveys for those Sensitive Plant species for which suitable habitat was present were completed in April, May and June of 2015 within the 23.3 acre survey area. An additional site survey was completed on February 7, 2018 to assess habitat values in the area north of the road proposed for water storage. Potential habitat for Sensitive Plant species was analyzed within the permit area with the aid of previous reports prepared for projects in the vicinity. A complete description of the survey methods is located within the methodology section of this document. All federally listed and Forest Service Sensitive Plants that were analyzed in this evaluation have been included in Table 1. The only Forest Service Sensitive plant species identified within the limits of the Camp was slender-stemmed monkey flower (Mimulus filicaulis) (CNPS 1B.2, Forest Service Sensitive (FSS), Park Rare (PR). Other rare or uncommon species found on the site are discussed in the Botany Report prepared concurrently by LOA for the project. Live Oak Associates, Inc. 1 Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Sensitive Plant Biological Evaluation Surveys were conducted at the appropriate time of year to document occurrences of all sensitive plant species within the majority of the camp area. Seven subpopulations including approximately 45 individuals were found on the site in 2015. Where sensitive plants are present, the proposed project activities could cause a number of adverse effects including the burying or possibly killing of seed, changes in the way soil moisture or runoff moves through an occurrence, and increases in competition from noxious weeds and invasive pest plants. Additional preconstruction surveys will be completed in areas not surveyed in 2015 prior to implementation of project activities. The BTC Project includes protective measures that are designed to reduce, minimize or alleviate adverse effects to the known occurrences of slender-stemmed monkey flower, including eliminating overnight camping within the floodplain, conducting preconstruction plant surveys, avoidance where possible, riparian restoration that would enhance riparian habitat, minimizing impact and restoring channels, enhance erosion control and water quality, and controlling noxious weeds. In addition to these measures, management recommendations have been developed to reduce, minimize or alleviate adverse effects to the Sensitive Plant occurrences on the BTC Project site. II. CONSULTATION TO DATE An official list of Federal Threatened, Endangered, and Proposed Species that could occur in or be affected by the BTC Project was obtained from the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office using the USFWS Information Planning and Conservation (IPaC) system on June 22, 2015. No federally listed plants species that occur in the vicinity are present within the Camp, as indicated by the list. No consultation with the USFWS with regards to federally listed plant species is required. LOA botanist Wendy Fisher has consulted with Jennie Haas, botanist with the Stanislaus National Forest, and Alison Colwell (Botanist, Resources Management and Science, Yosemite National Park) prior to and during field surveys and reporting in preparation of this report. The information provided to LOA was used in preparation of this document, including occurrence information for Sensitive Plant species in the vicinity and guidance regarding report formatting and other agency recommendations. III. CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION Management of Sensitive Plants in the Stanislaus National Forest is based on Forest Service policy set out in the Forest Service Manual (FSM 2670) and the Forest Service Handbook (FSH 2609.25), the Stanislaus National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), as amended (USDA 2005), the Stanislaus National Forest Sensitive Plant Management Guide (Beck and Hurley 1984) and, where applicable, Species Management Guides. Live Oak Associates, Inc. 2 Berkeley Tuolumne Camp Sensitive Plant Biological Evaluation It is the Secretary of Agriculture's policy to "avoid actions 'which may cause a species to become threatened or endangered'" (FSM 2670.12). Further, it is a Forest Service objective to "maintain viable populations of all native...plant species in habitats distributed throughout their geographic range on National Forest System lands" (FSM 2670.22). Forest Service policy set out in FSM 2670.32 is to "avoid or minimize impacts to [Sensitive] species whose viability has been identified as a concern." Where it is determined that impacts cannot be avoided, "the line officer