INTRA-SERVICE SECTION 7 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION FORM Originating Person: Boyd Blihovde, Refuge Manager Telephone Number: 956-245-7823 Date: January 19, 2020 I. Region: Southwest II. Service Activity (Program): Proposed expansion of Hunt Program at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR) to include Bahia Grande, LANWR Subunit 4, LANWR Subunit 7, and La Selva Verde Unit. Proposed approval of new Refuge Hunt Plan: “Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge White-tailed Deer, Exotic Ungulate, and American Alligator Hunt Plan” III. Pertinent Species and Habitat: A. Listed species and/or their critical habitat within the action area: Laguna Atascosa NWR–Cameron County, TX Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), no Designated Critical Habitat – Dense brush habitat on lomas/uplands. Jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi cacomitli), no Designated Critical Habitat – Dense brush habitat and cordgrass habitats. Northern Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis), no Designated Critical Habitat – Coastal “prairie” /savannah grassland. Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Designated Critical Habitat – Shoreline: coastal beaches, sandflats, and mudflats. Red Knot (Calidris canutus), no Designated Critical Habitat – Shoreline: sandy beaches, saltmarshes, lagoons, mudflats, salt ponds, and mangrove swamps. B. Proposed species and/or proposed critical habitat within the action area: Eastern Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis), no proposed Designated Critical Habitat – Coastal wetlands and marshes. C. Candidate species within the action area: None. D. The ocelot, jaguarundi, Northern Aplomado Falcon, Piping Plover, Red Knot, and Eastern Black Rail may occur within suitable habitat within Laguna Atascosa NWR. See attached map. IV. Geographic area or station name and action: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. V. Location: See attached map. A. County and state: Cameron, Texas. B. Latitude and longitude: 26°13'41.71"N; 97°20'53.19"W (Refuge Headquarters). C. Distance (miles) and direction to nearest town: 14 miles directly east of Rio Hondo, TX (to refuge headquarters). VI. Description of proposed action: The refuge has prepared a hunt plan (The Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge White-tailed Deer, Exotic Ungulate, and Alligator Hunt Plan), which is presented in this document as the Proposed Action Alternative. Under the Proposed Action Alternative, the Service seeks to expand hunting opportunities to include three new opportunities: 1) expansion of hunting on the Laguna Atascosa Unit, 2) opening Bahia Grande Unit to hunting, and 3) providing an opportunity to hunt alligators on LANWR Subunit 6. The Bahia Grande Unit is a large, singular tract and has large populations of non-native nilgai antelope and feral hogs. The LRGVNWR owns 3,865 huntable acres of those being proposed and therefore, the Hunt Plan will also be approved by the LRGVNWR Manager before implementation. This unit includes approximately 9,293 total huntable acres proposed to be opened to nilgai antelope and feral hog hunting for archery and muzzleloader/slug-only shotgun hunts only. Up to 150 archery permits and 150 muzzleloader/slug-only shotgun permits may be issued annually for the Bahia Grande Unit. As part of this alternative, 4,366 huntable acres that make up Laguna Atascosa’s Subunit 4 will be opened to nilgai antelope and feral hog hunting during firearm hunts. A maximum of 50 firearm permits may be issued annually. This subunit is located north of the Harlingen Ship Channel on an island of coastal prairie and isolated thornscrub patches. The hunt will be accessible by boat only. Approximately 9,400 huntable acres in Subunit 7 are also proposed to be opened for youth firearm hunts during the months of April and May only. These hunts would be open to no more than 30 youth. Each youth hunter, age 9 to 17, must be under the direct supervision of an adult age 18 or older.. In addition, a new refuge hunt for American alligators (alligators) within the Laguna Atascosa Unit is proposed for either spring or fall. There would be a maximum of 20 permits issued annually in a geographically restricted portion of human-made canals and a portion of the Cayo Atascosa within Subunit 6, to which there is limited access. The new hunt for this species is proposed to help the refuge control population numbers, especially during periods of high rainfall and overall high water when American alligators are more conspicuous and numbers may increase. The proposed action is consistent with Goal 3 of the refuge’s 2010 CCP which calls for enhancement of hunting access and opportunities for compatible, safe, quality hunting experiences for a diverse public. Under the proposed alternative, up to 45,086 acres may be open to hunting (25,086 acres more than Alternative A). As in Alternative A, only white-tailed deer, feral hogs, and nilgai antelope will be hunted on the refuge during the typical period (November through January). American alligator hunts will occur within the designated TPWD hunt season and follow the State regulations and bag limits. Youth hunts would be conducted in April and May, while exotic-only hunts (e.g., feral hog and nilgai antelope) would continue to be conducted between October and early March. In total, the Service is proposing to issue an additional 420 hunt permits annually for all new hunt acreage and new hunted species.. This alternative offers increased opportunities for public hunting/fishing and fulfills the Service’s mandate under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997. The Service has determined that the hunt plan is compatible with the purposes of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and the mission of the NWRS. VII. Determination of Effects: A. Explanation of effects of the action on species and critical habitat in item III A: The ocelot was listed as endangered internationally (without critical habitat) in 1972 due primarily to over-collection for the fur trade, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation (37 FR 2589) and listed domestically in 1982 (47 FR 31670). Ocelots are medium-sized wild cats, weighing between 20 and 25 pounds as adults, with striking coats marked by black- rimmed spots and chain-like streaks. Two black cheek stripes on each side surrounding an almost white area characterize the face pattern of ocelots. The underside is snowy white with black spots, and the tail is ringed or barred with black on the upper side, whitish on the underside, and black tipped. Like most wild cats, the backs of the rounded ears are black with a white central spot. This species prefers dense thornscrub or brush occurring along riparian areas, drainages, lomas, and other uplands, but it has also been found in other dense habitats such as live oak forest with brushy understory. Optimal habitat consists of dense thornscrub with 95% or more canopy cover (USFWS 1990). One of two known breeding populations of ocelot in the U.S. occurs on Laguna Atascosa NWR. Ocelots may occur in/near areas where hunting is taking place. Hunters typically avoid entering the dense brush areas where these cats typically occur but do hunt adjacent to these areas and drive their vehicles in areas of known ocelot presence. Vehicle collisions are the largest cause of known ocelot mortalities, so increased vehicle activity within areas of ocelot occupancy has the potential to increase the risk of ocelots getting hit by vehicles. By following the measures presented in the next section, the proposed action, which includes additional hunts in Bahia Grande and LANWR Subunit 4, may affect, but is not likely to adversely affect this species. The Gulf Coast jaguarundi was listed as endangered (without critical habitat) in 1976 (41 FR 24062) due primarily to habitat loss and habitat fragmentation. This subspecies is a small, exceedingly rare wild cat in the United States weighing between 8 and 16 pounds, with a relatively long tail and short legs. This felid has been documented in the past on Laguna Atascosa NWR, but not recently. The last known record of a jaguarundi in the United States was in 1986 along State Highway 4, just east of Brownsville, Texas. There have been several reported sightings of jaguarundis in the local area. However, despite ongoing efforts using remote cameras and live-trapping to document the existence of these cats, particularly at LANWR, no jaguarundi have been detected on the refuge or anywhere in the surrounding areas. It is now estimated that less than 15 cats may possibly exist in South Texas (Klepper 2005). Just like the ocelot, brush clearing activities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas (Valley) have eliminated much of their habitat, leading to their endangered status. Efforts aimed at acquiring, protecting, and restoring native brush are necessary in order to support any remaining cats, particularly in eastern Cameron and Willacy counties. Jaguarundis have not been documented on the refuge recently but suitable habitat exists on the refuge in areas where hunts may be occurring. Vehicle collision is also a threat to jaguarundi, as evidenced by the fact that the jaguarundi recorded in 1986 was discovered as a road-killed specimen. However, due to the fact there is no evidence of the presence of jaguarundi on the refuge, hunting is not likely to adversely affect this species. The Northern Aplomado Falcon was listed as endangered in 1986 (51 FR 6686) due to its extirpation in the U.S. as a breeding bird and evidence of pesticide contamination and population declines in eastern Mexico (USFWS 1990b). In South Texas, Aplomado Falcons typically occur in coastal prairie or savanna grasslands containing scattered, but prominent, woody vegetation such as yuccas or mesquites. Egg collection cards and other historical records (Oberholser 1974) indicate that the species was apparently concentrated in the “salt prairie” between Brownsville and Port Isabel, as this is where major collecting activities were occurring in the late 1800s-early 1900s (Hotchkiss 1939). In South Texas, the Aplomado Falcon has made a comeback due to an aggressive recovery program that began in the late 1980s to early 1990s, involving captive breeding and reintroduction efforts by The Peregrine Fund.