Biological Opinion for Issuance of an Incidental Take Permit Section 10 (a)(1)(B) The Villages at Seagrove and Camp Creek St. Joe Company Walton County, Florida Prepared by: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Panama City Field Office, Florida March 23, 2000 Table of Contents CONSULTATION HISTORY ......................................................................................................2 BIOLOGICAL OPINION .............................................................................................................6 Description of the proposed action ...................................................................................6 The Villages at Seagrove (a.k.a. WaterColor) .....................................................6 Camp Creek ............................................................................................................7 Conservation Measures .........................................................................................8 Additional Conservation Measures to be Required in the ITP .......................10 Action Area ...........................................................................................................13 Biological Goal of Issuing the Incidental Take Permit .....................................13 Status of the species/critical habitat (range-wide) ........................................................14 Choctawhatchee beach mouse ............................................................................14 Species/critical habitat description ............................................................14 Historic distribution ...........................................................14 Habitat description .............................................................15 Species recovery ................................................................17 Life history (growth, life span, survivorship, and mortality) .....................19 Population dynamics ..................................................................................20 Density ...............................................................................20 Movement and home ranges ..............................................21 Population estimates ..........................................................21 Number of CBM captured per 100 trap-nights ..................22 Population viability and persistence ..................................22 Status and distribution (rangewide) ...........................................................22 Reasons for Federal listing as an endangered species .......22 Coastal development ..........................................................22 Hurricanes ..........................................................................25 Genetic viability .................................................................29 Predation ............................................................................30 Competition........................................................................31 Analysis of the species/critical habitat likely to be affected ......................32 Sea Turtles ............................................................................................................33 Species/critical habitat description ............................................................33 Loggerhead turtle ...............................................................33 Green turtle ........................................................................33 i Leatherback turtle ..............................................................34 Life history (growth, life span, survivorship, and mortality) .....................34 Loggerhead turtle ...............................................................35 Green turtle ........................................................................35 Leatherback turtle ..............................................................35 Population dynamics (population size, population variability, population stability) .........................................................................................35 Loggerhead turtle ...............................................................35 Green turtle ........................................................................36 Leatherback turtle ..............................................................36 Status and distribution (reasons for listing, rangewide trend, new threats) ........................................................................................................36 Hurricanes Erin, Opal, Earl, and Georges ......................................37 Beachfront lighting ........................................................................37 Predation ........................................................................................37 Sea turtle strandings .......................................................................37 Nesting ...........................................................................................38 Analysis of the species/critical habitat likely to be affected ......................39 Environmental Baseline...................................................................................................39 Choctawhatchee beach mouse ............................................................................39 Status of the species within the action area ...............................................39 Grayton Beach population .............................................................39 Deer Lake population .....................................................................40 Factors affecting the species environment within in the action area .........41 Hurricanes ......................................................................................41 Genetic viability .............................................................................41 Predation ........................................................................................42 Low densities of CBM on primary dune habitats at Grayton Beach SRA .........................................................................43 Absence of CBM on the western units of Grayton Beach SRA ....43 Unauthorized beach access ............................................................43 Other factors...................................................................................44 Effects of the Action .........................................................................................................44 Factors to be considered ......................................................................................44 Choctawhatchee beach mouse ...................................................................44 Analyses for effects of and species response to the proposed action ........................................................................................................45 Direct effects ..................................................................................45 South parcel .......................................................................45 Camp Creek .......................................................................51 Indirect Effects ...............................................................................52 ii South parcel .......................................................................52 Camp Creek .......................................................................52 South parcel and Camp Creek ...........................................53 Interrelated and interdependent actions effects .............................55 South parcel and Camp Creek ...........................................55 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS .........................................................................................................56 Change (foreseen) and unforeseen circumstances ........................................................58 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................59 INCIDENTAL TAKE STATEMENT........................................................................................60 Amount or extent of incidental take ...............................................................................61 The Villages at Seagrove .....................................................................................61 Camp Creek ..........................................................................................................62 .............................................................................................................................. Effect of the take 62 ............................................................................................................................................................ The Villages at Seagrove 62 ............................................................................................................................................................ Camp Creek 63 ................................................................................................. Reasonable and prudent measures 63 Terms and conditions ..........................................................................................63 CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................................................................65 ..................................................................................................................................... High priority 66 .......................................................................................................................................Public