1 Biological Opinion on the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program June 16, 2006 2 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................2 LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................................................................5 LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................................................................7 LIST OF APPENDICES...........................................................................................................................................10 I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................................11 II. CONSULTATION HISTORY ............................................................................................................................13 A. DEVELOPMENT OF A BASIN-WIDE RECOVERY PROGRAM ...................................................................................17 B. DETERMINATIONS OF EFFECTS FROM THE FEDERAL ACTION ..............................................................................20 III. SCOPE OF THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION...................................................................................................24 A. PROGRAM EFFECTS ON THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES.......................................................................24 B. ESA COMPLIANCE .............................................................................................................................................26 C. SECTION 7 CONSULTATION PROCEDURES FOLLOWING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM ............................27 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE FEDERAL ACTION .............................................................................................30 A. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM IN THE FEIS.....................................................................................................30 B. INTERDEPENDENT AND INTERRELATED ACTIONS ...............................................................................................33 C. PROGRAM DOCUMENT .......................................................................................................................................33 C1. Final Draft Platte River Recovery Implementation Program.....................................................................35 C2. Program Purposes......................................................................................................................................35 C3. Program Goals...........................................................................................................................................36 C4. Program Elements......................................................................................................................................37 C5. Regulatory Certainty ..................................................................................................................................47 C6. Program Cost Share and Exit Strategy ......................................................................................................50 C7. Conforming Federal Funding or Authorization .........................................................................................50 C8. Consistency of Documents..........................................................................................................................50 D. ATTACHMENTS TO THE PROGRAM DOCUMENT ..................................................................................................50 D1. Finance Document, Crediting, and Exit Principles, and Program Budget (Attachment 1) .......................51 D2. Milestones Document (Attachment 2) ........................................................................................................51 D3. Adaptive Management Plan (Attachment 3)...............................................................................................52 D4. Land Plan (Attachment 4) ..........................................................................................................................61 D5. Water Plan (Attachment 5).........................................................................................................................63 D6. Organizational Structure for the Program (Attachment 6) ........................................................................71 V. STATUS OF THE SPECIES/CRITICAL HABITAT......................................................................................76 A. WHOOPING CRANE BIOLOGICAL STATUS...........................................................................................................76 A1. Species and Critical Habitat Description...................................................................................................76 A2. Life History.................................................................................................................................................82 A3. Population Dynamics..................................................................................................................................86 A4. Status and Distribution...............................................................................................................................93 B. LEAST TERN BIOLOGICAL STATUS .....................................................................................................................99 B1. Species Description ....................................................................................................................................99 B2. Life History...............................................................................................................................................100 B3. Population Dynamics................................................................................................................................106 B4. Status and Distribution.............................................................................................................................111 C. PIPING PLOVER BIOLOGICAL STATUS...............................................................................................................115 C1. Species Description ..................................................................................................................................115 C2. Life History...............................................................................................................................................117 3 C3. Population Dynamics ...............................................................................................................................120 C4. Status and Distribution.............................................................................................................................122 D. PALLID STURGEON BIOLOGICAL STATUS .........................................................................................................127 D1. Species Description..................................................................................................................................127 D2. Life History...............................................................................................................................................131 D3. Population Dynamics ...............................................................................................................................139 D4. Status and Distribution.............................................................................................................................140 E. BALD EAGLE BIOLOGICAL STATUS ..................................................................................................................147 E1. Species Description ..................................................................................................................................147 E2. Life History...............................................................................................................................................147 E3. Population Dynamics................................................................................................................................148 E4. Status and Distribution.............................................................................................................................149 F. WESTERN PRAIRIE FRINGED ORCHID BIOLOGICAL STATUS..............................................................................150 F1. Species Description ..................................................................................................................................150 F2. Life History...............................................................................................................................................150 F3. Population Dynamics................................................................................................................................152 F4. Status and Distribution.............................................................................................................................152 VI. ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE ...........................................................................................................157 A. PLATTE RIVER SYSTEM ENVIRONMENTAL