BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION, NON-NATIVE SPECIES RISK ASSESSMENT, WILDLIFE AND BOTANY REPORTS, and MANAGEMENT INDICATOR SPECIES EVALUATIONS for the MILLER CANYON OHV STAGING AREA Mountaintop Ranger District San Bernardino National Forest Prepared by: /s/ Deveree Kopp July 26, 2013 Deveree Kopp, Botanist Date Prepared by: /s/ Robin Eliason July 26, 2013 Robin Eliason, Wildlife Biologist Date SUMMARY This report addresses the potential effects of the proposed project on Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive, Watchlist, Management Indicator Species, and general vegetation and wildlife that are known or likely to occur at the Miller Canyon OHV staging area project. The purpose and need for the project is to reduce effects to riparian habitat, riparian-dependent species, and archaeological sites while providing a designated staging area for OHVs to access the associated green sticker trail system. The San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) proposes to designate an official staging area on Forest Road 2N37 in Miller Canyon. This document assesses the potential effects associated with the proposed action, three alternatives, and the “no action” alternative. Because the proposed staging area alternatives would not be larger than the existing staging area, no change in use of the connected OHV trails (approximately 20 miles) would result from any of the proposed staging area sites. As such, this document will only analyze the potential effects of the staging areas themselves, not the OHV trail network connected to the staging area. Table 1 displays the known and potential occurrences of special status species in the project area and summarizes the “Determinations of Effects” for each. Federally-Listed Species and Critical Habitat The Miller Canyon project area contains suitable habitat for five Threatened/Endangered (T/E) animals: southwestern willow flycatcher, least Bell’s vireo, arroyo toad, California red-legged frog, and mountain yellow-legged frog. None of these species are currently known from Miller Canyon but there have not been enough recent protocol-level surveys to determine that they do not occur. No proposed or designated Critical Habitat for any animals occurs within the project area or with the range of potential effects. Table 1 summarizes the “determinations of effects”. No federally-listed T/E plant species are known or expected to occur in the project area. No designated Critical Habitat is present in the project area. The determination of effects for T/E plant species and their designated Critical Habitat is “no effect”. Depending on which alternative is selected, Section 7 Endangered Species Act compliance for southwestern willow flycatcher, arroyo toad, and least Bell’s vireo would be achieved through Section 7 consultation. Forest Service Sensitive Species Several Sensitive wildlife species are known or expected in the project area. The determinations of effects for all of the Sensitive wildlife species with potential to occur in the project area are “may affect individuals but not likely to lead in a trend toward federal listing” (Table 1). No Forest Service Sensitive plant species are known from within or adjacent to the staging area sites. There are two Sensitive plants species in the Miller Canyon area but they are not present at the staging area sites. The determinations of effects for all of the Sensitive plant species is “No Effect” (Table 1). Page 2 SBNF Watchlist Species No threat to the viability of any of the SBNF Watchlist animals or plants, or other potentially vulnerable species, is expected from the proposed project (Table 1). Summary of Determinations Table 1 provides a summary of species known to occur in or adjacent to the project area or those with a high probability of occurrence. Other sections of this document display all of the species considered in this evaluation. In addition, the following Management Indicator Species were evaluated for this project: mule deer, mountain lion, California spotted owl, and song sparrow. Table 1. Summary Of Effects Determinations For TESW Species In And Near the Project Area Common Name Occurrence Information1 Determinations 2 Threatened and Endangered Animals Mohave tui chub Considered extirpated from E. Fk. W. Fk. Mojave NE River Arroyo toad Considered extirpated from E. Fk. W. Fk. Mojave May Affect – all River alternatives California red-legged frog Considered extirpated from E. Fk. W. Fk. Mojave NE River Mountain yellow-legged frog Considered extirpated from E. Fk. W. Fk. Mojave NE River southwestern willow flycatcher (E) Potential for nesting – Houston Creek and E. Fk. W. May Affect – Fk. Mojave River, unnamed tributary Proposed Action and No Action; NE-Alts 1, 2, 3 least Bell’s vireo Potential for nesting – Houston Creek and E. Fk. W. May Affect – Fk. Mojave River, unnamed tributary Proposed Action and No Action; NE-Alts 1, 2, 3 Forest Service Sensitive Animals large-blotched ensatina L MAI; NTV yellow-blotched ensatina L MAI; NTV southern rubber boa P MAI; NTV northern three-lined boa L MAI; NTV San Bernardino ringneck snake Y MAI; NTV San Bernardino mountain kingsnake L MAI; NTV Two-striped garter snake Y MAI; NTV Bald eagle Y MAI; NTV Western yellow-billed cuckoo P in Mojave River MAI; NTV California spotted owl Y MAI; NTV Willow flycatcher (migrant) Y MAI; NTV Fringed myotis P MAI; NTV pallid bat P MAI; NTV San Bernardino flying squirrel Y MAI; NTV Forest Service Sensitive Plants Calochortus palmeri var. palmeri P – from nearby; may occur at sites NE; NTV Castilleja lasiorhyncha P – not at project site but nearby NE; NTV SBNF Watchlist Animals and Other Species of Local Interest Springsnails P NTV Westfork shoulderband P NTV Page 3 Table 1. Summary Of Effects Determinations For TESW Species In And Near the Project Area Common Name Occurrence Information1 Determinations 2 simple hydroporus diving beetle P NTV Dorhn’s elegant eucnemid beetle P NTV Bicolored rain beetle L NTV August checkerspot butterfly L NTV Andrew's marble butterfly L NTV Monterey ensatina salamander Y NTV coast horned lizard Y NTV mountain garter snake Y NTV southwestern speckled rattlesnake P NTV Western least bittern P NTV Osprey P NTV White-tailed kite P NTV Northern harrier P NTV sharp-shinned hawk (breeding) L NTV Cooper's hawk (breeding) Y NTV golden eagle L-foraging; N-nesting NTV Merlin L NTV prairie falcon P NTV American peregrine falcon N for nesting; P for foraging MAI; NTV Flammulated owl L NTV western screech owl Y NTV northern pygmy owl Y NTV long-eared owl L NTV northern saw-whet owl L NTV common nighthawk L NTV whip-poor-will P NTV Black swift P NTV calliope hummingbird Y NTV Lewis’ woodpecker Y NTV Williamson’s sapsucker P NTV Red-breasted sapsucker Y NTV Nuttall's woodpecker Y NTV White-headed woodpecker Y NTV Olive-sided flycatcher Y NTV tree swallow Y NTV Swainson's thrush P NTV hermit thrush (breeding) P NTV Bendire's thrasher P NTV LeConte's thrasher P NTV loggerhead shrike P NTV Cassin’s vireo P NTV plumbeous vireo L NTV warbling vireo Y NTV Virginia’s warbler (breeding) P NTV yellow warbler Y NTV MacGillivray's warbler L NTV common yellowthroat L NTV Wilson's warbler Y NTV yellow-breasted chat P NTV hepatic tanager P NTV Page 4 Table 1. Summary Of Effects Determinations For TESW Species In And Near the Project Area Common Name Occurrence Information1 Determinations 2 summer tanager P NTV black-chinned sparrow L NTV Lincoln's sparrow P NTV tri-colored blackbird P NTV Lawrence's goldfinch Y NTV spotted bat P NTV western small-footed myotis P NTV long-eared myotis P NTV little brown myotis P NTV long-legged myotis P NTV Yuma myotis P NTV western bonneted bat P NTV hoary bat Y NTV golden-mantled ground squirrel P NTV Western red bat P NTV Porcupine P NTV Ringtail P NTV American badger P NTV western spotted skunk P NTV mountain lion Y NTV SBNF Watchlist Plants And Other Rare/Vulnerable Plants Boykenia rotundifolia Y – known from unnamed tributary and upstream in NTV Houston Creek Lilium humboldtii var. ocellatum Yes – in Houston Creek, W. Fk of E. Fk. Mojave NTV River, unnamed tributary to Mojave River Packera ionophylla Known from nearby but not in the project area NTV Phacelia mohavensis Known from nearby but not in the project area NTV 1Occurrence Codes: Y = Species is known to occur. P = Occurrence of the species is possible; suitable habitat exists and it is within the distribution of the species. H=Historic record. 2Determination Codes: Threatened/Endangered Species: NE=No Effect; NLAA = not likely to adversely affect; MA=May Affect Sensitive Species: MAI = may affect individuals but not likely to lead to a trend to Federal listing for Sensitive species. NE=No effect Watchlist Species: Determinations are not made for Watch species – this is simply documentation of an occurrence. All: NTV=No threat to viability VT=Viability threat Page 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page # PART I – INTRODUCTION 9 I-1.0 – Methods 9 I-2.0 – Current Management Direction 11 I-3.0 – Description Of The Proposed Action And Alternatives And Design Features 13 PART II - WILDLIFE AND BOTANY REPORT FOR GENERAL WILDLIFE AND 25 VEGETATION AND WATCHLIST SPECIES II -1.0 – Introduction 25 II -2.0 – Existing Environment – General 25 II -3.0 – Effects Of Proposed Action – General 29 II -4.0 – Existing Environment And Potential Effects – SBNF Watchlist Species 40 II-5.0 –Findings 74 PART III - BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR SENSITIVE SPECIES 76 III-1.0 – Introduction 76 III-2.0 – Summary of Determination Of Effects for Sensitive Species 113 PART IV - BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR FEDERALLY-LISTED SPECIES