United States Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103 Phoenix, Arizona 85021 Telephone: (602) 242-0210 FAX: (602) 242-2513 AESO/SE 2-21-98-F-399 July 29, 1999 John McGee, Forest Supervisor Coronado National Forest 300 W. Congress Tucson, Arizona 85701 RE: On-going and Long-term Grazing Consultation Dear Mr. McGee: This document transmits the Fish and Wildlife Service's final biological opinion on the proposed On-going and Long-term Grazing on the Coronado National Forest (Forest) in New Mexico (Hidalgo County) and Arizona (Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pima, Pinal, and Graham Counties) following section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Your November 5, 1998, request for formal consultation was received on November 5, 1998. By letter of March 26, 1999, we extended the 90-day consultation period by 60 days. The draft biological opinion was delivered to you on April 16, 1999. We received your comments on the draft opinion and a summary of applicant comments and their original comments on June 21, 1999. We appreciate the cooperation and assistance of your staff and permittees during the consultation period. We look forward to assisting the Coronado National Forest with the implementation of this biological opinion. If you have any questions on the biological opinion please contact me or Doug Duncan (520/670-4860). Sincerely, /s/ David L. Harlow Field Supervisor 2 Enclosures: biological opinion zip disk 2 cc: Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, NM (GARD-AZ/NM, PARD-ES) Field Supervisor, New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, Albuquerque, New Mexico DKD:finalbo.cnf BIOLOGICAL OPINION On-going and Long-term Grazing on the Coronado National Forest Arizona Ecological Services Field Office US Fish and Wildlife Service AESO/SE 2-21-98-F-399 July 29, 1999 Mr. John McGee i BIOLOGICAL OPINION AESO/SE 2-21-98-F-399 On-going and Long-term Grazing on the Coronado National Forest This biological opinion was prepared by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) based on our review of the proposed On-going and Long-term Grazing on the Coronado National Forest (Forest) in New Mexico (Hidalgo County) and Arizona (Cochise, Santa Cruz, Pima, Pinal, Graham counties), and its effects on the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis), endangered lesser long-nosed bat (L. curasoae yerbabuenae), threatened New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi obscurus), endangered American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum), endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) with critical habitat, endangered Huachuca water umbel (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana var. recurva) with critical habitat, endangered Gila topminnow (Poeciliopsis occidentalis occidentalis), endangered Yaqui chub (Gila purpurea) with critical habitat, and endangered Sonora tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum stebbensi) following section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Forest also requested Service concurrence with your “not likely to adversely affect determinations. You made “not likely determinations on the following species: black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), jaguar (Panthera onca), lesser long-nosed bat, American peregrine falcon, aplomado falcon (F. femoralis septentrionalis), Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl, masked bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus ridgeway), Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus), Huachuca water umbel, Pima pineapple cactus (Coryphantha scheeri var. robustispina), and Gila topminnow. There were about 400 of these determinations. The basis for our concurrences is found in the appendix. You also requested concurrence that the proposed threatened Chiricahua dock (Rumex orthoneurus) was not likely to be jeopardized. The Service concurs with all “not likely to adversely affect determinations for black-footed ferret, lesser long-nosed bat, American peregrine falcon, bald eagle, masked bobwhite quail, Southwestern willow flycatcher, Pima pineapple cactus, and Gila topminnow. The Service conditionally concurs with some not likely determinations for the Mexican spotted owl and jaguar. The Service did not concur with all allotments with not likely to adversely to affect determinations for the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl, and for the Mescal and Lone Mountain/Parker Canyon allotments for the Mexican spotted owl. These allotments underwent formal consultation following personal communications with the Forest and your letters of April 7, and June 18, 1999. Mr. John McGee ii This biological opinion is based on information provided in the November 1998 biological assessment, correspondence between the Service and Forest Service, numerous telephone and personal conversations, field investigations, correspondence from, and meetings with, applicants and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD), and other sources of information. The proposed action was modified or clarified in letters from the Forest to the Service on March 12, April 2, April 7, and June 18, 1999. References cited in this biological opinion are not a complete bibliography of all literature available on the species of concern, livestock grazing and its effects, or on other subjects considered in this opinion. A complete administrative record of this consultation is on file at this office. After reviewing the status of the listed species, the environmental baseline for the action area, the effects of the proposed action, and the cumulative effects, it is the Service's biological opinion that the proposed action is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the endangered Mexican long-nosed bat, endangered lesser long-nosed bat, threatened New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake, endangered American peregrine falcon, endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl with designated critical habitat, endangered Huachuca water umbel with designated critical habitat, endangered Gila topminnow, endangered Yaqui chub with designated critical habitat, and endangered Sonora tiger salamander. The proposed project will not adversely modify or destroy any designated critical habitat. Because of the length of this biological opinion, we have included the following table of contents: Mr. John McGee iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CONSULTATION HISTORY ....................................................1 BIOLOGICAL OPINION .......................................................2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ...............................2 EFFECTS OF THE ACTION .............................................95 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE (FOREST-WIDE) ...........................97 SCOPE OF THE CONSULTATION .......................................121 LESSER LONG-NOSED BAT ...........................................122 MEXICAN LONG-NOSED BAT ........................................151 NEW MEXICO RIDGENOSE RATTLESNAKE .............................157 AMERICAN PEREGRINE FALCON .....................................172 CACTUS FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL .................................182 MEXICAN SPOTTED OWL ............................................211 HUACHUCA WATER UMBEL ..........................................229 GILA TOPMINNOW ..................................................248 YAQUI CHUB ........................................................291 SONORA TIGER SALAMANDER .......................................299 CONCLUSION .............................................................316 REFERENCES CITED .......................................................318 APPENDIX - CONCURRENCES ..............................................358 BLACK-FOOTED FERRET .............................................358 JAGUAR ............................................................359 AMERICAN PEREGRINE FALCON .....................................363 APLOMADO FALCON ................................................365 BALD EAGLE ........................................................366 CACTUS FERRUGINOUS PYGMY-OWL .................................367 MASKED BOBWHITE QUAIL ..........................................368 MEXICAN SPOTTED OWL ............................................368 SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHER ..............................371 CHIRICAHUA DOCK .................................................372 HUACHUCA WATER UMBEL ..........................................373 PIMA PINEAPPLE CACTUS ............................................373 GILA TOPMINNOW ..................................................375 Mr. John McGee 1 CONSULTATION HISTORY The Coronado National Forest Plan (USFS 1985) was the subject of a formal section 7 consultation, resulting in a biological opinion dated December 6, 1985 (2-21-83-F-012). Numerous grazing projects (i.e., pipelines, fences), grazing permits, and allotment management plans on the Coronado National Forest have undergone site-specific formal and informal consultation. Other actions on the Forest that might affect the environmental baseline have also been through consultation. The Coronado National Forest has been working toward compliance with the Endangered Species Act for the livestock grazing program since 1997. The Service has been involved during this process. Existing Forest Plans in the Forest Service’s Southwestern Region (which includes the Coronado) underwent formal consultation for their effects to Mexican spotted owl and designated critical habitat (November