Final Algoma Vegetation Management Project Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Plants Prepared by: Rhonda Posey Shasta-Side Planning Botanist Shasta-McCloud Management Unit Shasta-Trinity National Forest Date February 29, 2012 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (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). 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Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Location ........................................................................................................................................ 1 Regulatory Framework ................................................................................................................................. 1 Compliance with Forest Plan, and Other Relevant Laws, Regulations, Policies and Plans ..................... 1 Federal Law .......................................................................................................................................... 1 Endangered Species Act of 1973 as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544) ................................................. 1 Forest Service Manual Direction .......................................................................................................... 2 2600-Wildlife, Fish and Sensitive Plant Habitat Management, Chapter 2670-2671 ............................ 2 Forest Plan ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Preferred Alternative ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Biological Assessment .................................................................................................................................. 4 Determination ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Biological Evaluation ............................................................................................................................... 5 Alternatives ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Affected Environment ........................................................................................................................... 6 Environmental Consequences ............................................................................................................. 10 Determination of Effects ..................................................................................................................... 12 Monitoring Recommendations ............................................................................................................... 12 References (Literature Cited) ................................................................................................................. 12 Appendices .................................................................................................................................................. 14 Appendix A – Federally Listed Species ................................................................................................. 14 Appendix B - Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Sensitive Plant Species .................................................. 16 List of Tables Table 1: Threatened, Endangered and Candidate species as listed by the Arcata office of USFWS ............ 4 Table 2: Species targeted during surveys for the Algoma Vegetation Management Project ........................ 8 Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Plants, Algoma Vegetation Management Project – February 29, 2012 List of Abbreviated Terms BA Biological Assessment BE Biological evaluation CNPS California Native Plant Society CNDDB California Natural Diversity Database DEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement FSM Forest Service Manual GIS Geographical Information Systems (maps) LRMP Land and Resource Management Plan aka Forest Plan LSR Late Successional Reserve MA Management Area MLSA Managed Late Successional Reserve S&M Survey and Manage T&E Threatened and Endangered USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Plants, Algoma Vegetation Management Project – February 29, 2012 R W R P R W R o ect ocat on P P P P P Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Shasta-McCloud Management Unit 1 Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Plants, Algoma Vegetation Management Project – February 29, 2012 Forest Service Manual Direction 2600-Wildlife, Fish and Sensitive Plant Habitat Management, Chapter 2670-2671 Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Plants and Animals; effective date 09/23/2005 sets USDA Forest Service Directives in management of TES species and their habitats: 2670.11 – Endangered Species Act (see Endangered Species Act above) 2670.12 – Department Regulation 9500-4 directs the Forest Service to: 1. 1. The Department will conduct its activities and programs to assist in the identification and recovery of threatened and endangered plant and animal species and to avoid actions which may cause a species to become threatened or endangered. 2. 2. Conduct activities and programs “to assist in the identification and recovery of threatened and endangered plant and animal species.” 3. 3. Avoid actions “which may cause a species to become threatened or endangered.” 2670.22 – Sensitive Species (objectives) 1. Develop and implement management practices to ensure that species do not become threatened or endangered because of Forest Service actions. 2. Maintain viable populations of all native and desired nonnative wildlife, fish and plant species in habitats distributed throughout their geographic range on National Forest System lands. 3. Develop and implement objectives for populations and/or habitat of sensitive species. 2670.32 – Sensitive Species (policy) 1. Assist states in achieving their goals for conservation of endemic species. 2. Review programs and activities as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 process through a biological evaluation, to determine their potential effect on sensitive species. 3. Avoid or minimize impacts to species whose viability has been identified as a concern. 4. Analyze, if impacts cannot be avoided, the significance of potential adverse effects on the population or its habitat within the area of concern and on the species as a whole. (The line officer, with project approval authority, makes the decision t allow or disallow impact, but the decision must not result in loss of species viability or create significant trends toward federal listing.) 5. Establish management objectives in cooperation with the states when projects on National Forest System lands may have a significant effect on sensitive species population number or distributions. Establish objectives for federal candidate species, in cooperation with the FWS or NOAA Fisheries and states. 2 - Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Shasta-McCloud Management Unit Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Plants, Algoma Vegetation Management Project – February 29, 2012 2671.1 Cooperation with State Agencies The Forest Service cooperates with state agencies to inventory, protect, manage and plan for threatened, endangered, proposed and sensitive species. 2672.4 Biological Evaluations (1990) Review all Forest Service planned, funded, executed or permitted programs and activities for possible effects on endangered, threatened, proposed or sensitive species. 2672.42 – 2672.43 Standards for Biological Evaluations (1990) This language provides direction on conducting and preparing biological evaluations. Forest Plan The Shasta-Trinity National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) provides standards and guidelines for botanical resources. The following excerpt is particularly pertinent to the proposed action: Forest Goals1 Manage habitat for sensitive plants and animals in a manner that will prevent any species from becoming a candidate for T&E status. Forestwide Standards & Guidelines for Sensitive & Endemic Plants2 Standards and Guidelines applicable at the project level are: • 4a. Map, record and protect essential habitat for known and newly discovered Sensitive and endemic plant species until conservation strategies are developed. • 4b. Analyze the potential effects of all ground-disturbing projects on Sensitive and endemic plants and their habitats. • 4c. Monitor the effects of management activities on Sensitive and endemic plants. If monitoring results show a decline in species viability, alter management strategy. Management