Giant Sequoia National Monument Specialist Report Signature: __________________________________________ Date: _______________________________________________ The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Contents WILDLIFE BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT SUMMARY 2 INTRODUCTION 3 CURRENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTION 6 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSAL 8 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 13 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 15 Analysis Assumptions and Methodology 15 California Condor-Effects 16 Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle-Effects 21 Little Kern Golden Trout-Effects 27 LITERATURE CITED AND REFERENCES 32 APPENDIX A-SPECIES ELIMINATED FROM 40 DETAILED ANALYSIS Wildlife Biological Assessment GSNM Specialist Report Wildlife Biological Assessment Summary DRAFT WILDLIFE BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Fresno, Tulare and Kern Counties Sequoia National Forest Giant Sequoia National Monument Prepared by: Jeff Cordes and Emilie Lang Date: 26 January 2010 Summary: This BA covers programmatic effects of long-term management of the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Analysis of effects is tiered to the Sierra Nevada National Forest Plan Amendment Published January 2001. Species addressed and effects are as follows: Species Status Determination California condor FE Alternatives A, B, C, and D of the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Gymnogyps californianus) will have “no effect” on California condors. Alternatives E and F of the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement “may affect, not likely to adversely affect”California condors. Valley elderberry longhorn FT All Alternatives of the Giant Sequoia National Monument beetle Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement “may affect, not likely to adversely affect” Valley Elderberry Longhorn (Desmocerus californicus Beetles. dimorphus) Little Kern golden trout FT, CH Alternatives A, B, C, E, and F of the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Oncorhynchus mykiss whitei) “may affect, are not likely to adversely affect” Little Kern Golden Trout. Alternative D of the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement will have “no effect” on Little Kern Golden Trout. FE = Federally Endangered; FT = Federally Threatened; PT = Proposed for Federal listing; CH = Designated Critical Habitat GSNM Specialist Report Wildlife Biological Assessment 2 Wildlife Biological Assessment Introduction This Biological Assessment (BA) documents analysis of programmatic direction (long term goal and objective based management) rather than individual projects under the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement. A determination is made on potential effects to wildlife species listed as Threatened, Endangered, or Proposed for listing (Listed species) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS species of concern, candidates for listing under the ESA and Forest Service Sensitive species are covered in a separate document (Biological Evaluation for the Giant Sequoia National Monument Management Plan Draft Environmental Impact Statement). This biological assessment (BA) was prepared in accordance with Forest Service Manual (FSM) direction 2672.42, and meets legal requirements under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, and implements regulations [19 U.S.C. 1536 (c), 50 CFR 402.12 (f) and 402.14 (c)]. The BA provides a process through which federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act receive full consideration in the decision making process. Table 1. Threatened, Endangered, & Proposed Wildlife Species, Giant Sequoia National Monument (Report date: 1/19/2010, updated by USFWS 12/1/2009) Common Name Listing Status Habitat Potential for Addressed in BA ? (Scientific Name) Requirements Occurrence in the Monument Tipton kangaroo rat FE Alkali sinks and Unlikely, no suitable No, outside known valley floor habitat. habitat. historic range. (Dipodomys nitratoides) California bighorn FE Rugged mountain Unlikely, no historic No, outside known sheep areas, mostly eastern range in the historic range. Sierra with small Monument. (Ovis canadensis historic range on californiana) western edge of Kern Drainage. San Joaquin kit fox FE Valley floor annual Unlikely, no historic No, outside known grassland, alkali records. Monument range. (Vulpes macrotis washes generally above known range. mutica) below 1,000’. SW Willow flycatcher FE Riparian forest and Only known to occur No, outside range. meadow with dense at Lake Isabella, (Empidonax trailii willow habitat and outside the extimus) standing water. Monument. California condor FE, CH Mountain and foothill Designated roost Yes rangeland and forest areas, critical habitat, Wildlife Biological Assessment GSNM Specialist Report 3 Wildlife Biological Assessment Table 1. Threatened, Endangered, & Proposed Wildlife Species, Giant Sequoia National Monument (Report date: 1/19/2010, updated by USFWS 12/1/2009) Common Name Listing Status Habitat Potential for Addressed in BA ? (Scientific Name) Requirements Occurrence in the Monument (Gymnogyps habitats; nests on nest area and potential californianus) cliffs and in large nest trees identified in trees. the Monument. Least Bell's vireo FE Riparian forest. Unlikely, historic to No, no current or Kern Valley, recent historic detections. (Vireo bellii pusillus) incidental detections limited to South Fork Wildlife Area. Blunt-nosed leopard FE Open grassland, Unlikely. No No, outside known lizard valley floor below populations in near range. 1,000’. proximity. (Gambelia sila) Giant garter snake FT Valley floor aquatic Unlikely, outside No, outside known habitats. known range. range. (Thamnophis gigas) California red-legged FT Low gradient streams Unlikely. One No, outside known frog and ponds with unverified historic range. emergent vegetation. occurrence in 1926 (Rana aurora adjacent to the draytonii) Monument, no detections since. Most streams high gradient, high spring flow California tiger FT Annual grassland and Small area along the No, no known salamander grassy understory of Kings River is within populations in the valley-foothill CWHR range. No Monument. (Ambystoma hardwoods. Spend detections in the californiense) most of the year Monument. underground. Breed in vernal pools, some human-made ponds w/o fish, not in streams. <1,000’. Delta smelt FT Limited to San None. No outlet from No, outside known Joaquin/Sacramento the Monument to range. (Hypomesus Delta. Delta. transpacificus) GSNM Specialist Report Wildlife Biological Assessment 4 Wildlife Biological Assessment Table 1. Threatened, Endangered, & Proposed Wildlife Species, Giant Sequoia National Monument (Report date: 1/19/2010, updated by USFWS 12/1/2009) Common Name Listing Status Habitat Potential for Addressed in BA ? (Scientific Name) Requirements Occurrence in the Monument Little Kern golden FT, CH Native to cold water Approximately 4,500 Yes trout streams in Little Kern acres of Critical Drainage. Habitat in the (Oncorhynchus mykiss Monument. whitei) Vernal pool fairy FT Valley floor annual Unlikely, Monument No, outside known shrimp grassland, alkali is outside known range. washes generally range. Potential for (Branhinecta lynchi) below 1,000’. disturbance low. Valley elderberry FT Elderberry plants with Known exit holes on Yes longhorn beetle base > 1” diameter in Hume Lake Ranger chaparral and riparian District outside of the (Desmocerus habitats below 2,900’. Monument and in the californicus Tule River Valley. dimorphus) Kern primrose sphinx FT Valley foothill, oak Unlikely. Some No, outside known moth woodland and potential habitat on range, believed chaparral associated forest. No known extinct. (Euproserpinus with evening records from forest euterpe) primrose. Range and species believed limited to Walker extinct. Basin area. FE = Federally Endangered; FT = Federally Threatened; PT = Proposed for Federal listing; CH = Designated Critical Habitat 2.0 CONSULTATION TO DATE The species list for the Sequoia National Forest is based on the official list received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Sacramento Field Office (http://sacramento.fws.gov/es/spp_lists/NFActionPage.cfm). The version used as a reference for this document was dated January 29, 2009. The California Department of Fish and Game’s (CDFG) California Natural Diversity Data Base (CNDDB) (02/2009) was reviewed for additional species information as well as Forest and district level data on detections of wildlife and fish. Informal consultation on the initial Monument management plan began with a request for comment to the Notice of Intent, sent to the Fish and Wildlife Service in