R E S O U R C E S Lynx Habitat Management Plan .......................................................... For DNR-Managed Lands .......................................................... April 2006 N A T U R A L WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF Natural Resources Doug Sutherland - Commissioner of Public Lands Acknowledgements This Lynx Habitat Management Plan was drafted by Cheryl Quade and finalized by Teodora Minkova with additional and insightful input from Scott Fisher, Arne Johnson and Tim Vugteveen. Christina Kellum, James Poelstra, and Steve Myers provided cartographic support. The Implementation Monitoring Report was developed by Scott Fisher, Tony Flanagan, Guy Gifford, Jeff Pebworth, Cheryl Quade, Tim Vugteveen, and Paul Wik. Additional review was provided by Arne Johnson and Teodora Minkova. The Effectiveness Monitoring Report was drafted by Cheryl Quade and was finalized by Teodora Minkova. The data presented are the result of the dedicated and skillful efforts of: Robin Juliana (2002), Paul Wik (2002), Holiday Sloan (2001, 2000), Sue Harder (2000), Meagan Buck (1999), Brita Pyfer (1999), Nancy Bockino (1999), Rob Woeck (1999), Kelly Cruce (1998), John Maitland (1998), Allison Sirois (1997), Bradley Davis (1997), Ted Creviston (1997), Cheryl Quade (1997- 2001) and Northeast Region staff. A previous draft of the effectiveness monitoring report was greatly improved with the help of insightful reviews by Ethan Ellsworth, Scott Fisher, Karen Hodges, Camryn Lee, Matthias Leu, Teodora Minkova, Gary Roloff, and Derek Stinson. The technical editors of the entire document were Blanche Sobottke and Kyra Nourse. Cover photo credits (left to right clockwise): Jeff Heinlen, WDFW; © 2007 JupiterImages Corporation; Teodora Minkova, WDNR; Laura Romin and Larry Dalton, Wildlife Reflections Photography For additional copies please contact Teodora Minkova (360) 902-1175 Washington State Department of Natural Resources Land Management Division PO Box 47016 Olympia, WA 98504-7016 www.dnr.wa.gov Disabled persons needing this information in an alternate format, please call 711. Lynx Habitat Management Plan .......................................................... For DNR-Managed Lands .......................................................... April 2006 Prepared by Washington State Department of Natural Resources Land Management Division WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF Natural Resources Doug Sutherland - Commissioner of Public Lands Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 5 1.1 Conservation of Lynx in Washington............................................................................. 5 1.2 Changes to the 1996 Lynx Plan ...................................................................................... 6 1.3 Lynx Natural History ........................................................................................................ 8 Description of the species ..................................................................................................... 8 Foraging ................................................................................................................................ 8 Distribution ............................................................................................................................ 9 Habitat Relationships .......................................................................................................... 12 1.4 Conservation Issues ...................................................................................................... 13 Fur Harvest.......................................................................................................................... 13 Metapopulation dynamics ................................................................................................... 14 Habitat Management........................................................................................................... 14 2. LYNX HABITAT CLASSIFICATION .......................................................... 15 2.1 Open Areas ..................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Lynx Habitat Matrix ........................................................................................................ 18 Temporary Non-Lynx Areas ................................................................................................ 18 Forested Habitat.................................................................................................................. 19 3. PLANNING APPROACH ........................................................................... 23 3.1 Assumptions................................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Planning Scales .............................................................................................................. 24 3.3 Desired Future Landscape Condition .......................................................................... 26 Modeling.............................................................................................................................. 26 4. LYNX HABITAT MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES........................................ 29 4.1 Ecoprovinces and Ecodivisions ................................................................................... 30 Ecoprovince Guidelines ..................................................................................................... 32 4.2 Lynx Management Zones............................................................................................... 41 Lynx Management Zone Guidelines ................................................................................... 41 4.3 Lynx Analysis Units ....................................................................................................... 43 Lynx Analysis Unit (LAU) Guidelines .................................................................................. 46 Lynx Habitat Management Plan – April 2006 1 Washington State Department of Natural Resources 4.4 Ecological Communities................................................................................................ 49 Ecological Community Guidelines....................................................................................... 50 5. MONITORING AND EVALUATION ........................................................... 61 5.1 Implementation Monitoring ........................................................................................... 61 Reporting of Forest Management Activities ........................................................................ 62 Field Verification of the Lynx Plan Implementation at Stand Level.....................................62 Reporting of Landscape Level Habitat conditions............................................................... 63 5.2 Effectiveness Monitoring............................................................................................... 63 Forage, Travel and Denning Habitat................................................................................... 63 Snowshoe Hare Habitat Use ............................................................................................. 64 Cooperative Research ........................................................................................................ 64 5.3 Evaluation ....................................................................................................................... 65 APPENDIX 1 - IMPLEMENTATION MONITORING REPORT FOR THE PERIOD 1996-2004.......................................................................................................... 67 1. Implementation Planning................................................................................................. 67 1.1 Lynx Plan Training........................................................................................................ 67 1.2 Travel Route Identification ........................................................................................... 67 1.3 Denning Habitat Identification ...................................................................................... 68 1.4 Habitat Considerations in Timber Sales....................................................................... 68 1.5 Loomis State Forest Planning Activities....................................................................... 68 1.6 Negotiations with USFWS for “Take Avoidance” letter ................................................ 69 2. Forest Management Activities......................................................................................... 69 2.1 Timber Sales ................................................................................................................ 69 2.2 Other Silvicultural Activities.......................................................................................... 69 2.3 Road Construction and Management .......................................................................... 75 3. Field Verification of the Lynx Plan Implementation at Stand Level ............................ 77 4. Results from Implementation Monitoring at the Landscape Level ............................. 82 APPENDIX 2 - EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING REPORT: EVALUATING SNOWSHOE HARE USE OF NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON FOREST TYPES 1997-2002 ............................................................................................. 85 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................