United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Roseburg Field Office 2900 NW Stewart Parkway Roseburg, Oregon 97471 Phone: (541) 957-3474 FAX: (541)957-3475 In Reply Refer To: OIEOFW00-2014-F-0161 June 25, 2014 Filename: Douglas Complex Post Fire Salvage BiOp Tails#: 01 EOFW00-2014-F-0!6! TS#: 14-576 Memorandum To: District Manager, Medford District Bureau of Land Management Medford, Oregon ~~ -r;t~i!J *1 From: Field Supervisor, Roseburg Fish and Wildlife Office Roseburg, Oregon Subject: Formal consultation on the Medford Douglas Post-Fire Salvage Project (Reference Number 0 1EOFW00-20 14-F-0 161) Tllis document transmits the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) Biological Opinion (Opinion) addressing the Medford Douglas Post-Fire Salvage Project proposed by the Medford District (District) of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). At issue are the effects of the proposed action (or Project) on the threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentqlis caw·ina) (spotted owl) and spotted owl critical habitat. The attached Opinion was prepared in accordance with the requirements of section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 as amended (16U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The Opinion is based on information provided in the District's Biological Assessment (USDI BLM 2014; Assessment), dated April28, 2014 and received in our office on April 30, 2014, along with other sources of information cited herein. A complete decision record for this consultation is on file at the Service' s Roseburg Field Office. The Opinion includes a finding by the Service that the District's proposed action is not likely to jeopardize the spotted owl or adversely modify spotted owl critical habitat. The Assessment includes a finding that it may take several years to fully complete the proposed action. On that basis, the Opinion is valid for the term of the proposed action as discussed and analyzed herein. In accordance with the implementing regulations for section 7 at 50 CFR 402.16, re-initiation of consultation is required where discretionary Federal agency involvement or control over the action has been maintained (or is authorized by law) and if: (1) the amount or extent of exempted incidental take is exceeded; (2) new information reveals effects of the agencies' action that may affect listed species or critical habitat in a manner or to an extent not considered in the Opinion; (3) the agency action is 2 Douglas Complex Post-Fire Salvage project, TAILS #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161 subsequently modified in a manner that causes an effect to the listed species or critical habitat that was not considered in the Opinion; or (4) a new species is listed or critical habitat designated that may be affected by one or both of these actions. When consultation is reinitiated, the provisions of section 7 (d) of the ESA apply. If you have any questions regarding the attached Opinion, please contact Cindy Donegan of the Service’s Roseburg Field Office at 541-618-2374. cc: Robin Snider, District Biologist, Medford District BLM, Medford, Oregon. (e) Dayne Barron, District Manager, Medford District BLM, Medford, Oregon. (e) Allen Bollschweiler, Field Manager, Grants Pass Resource Area, Medford District BLM. (e) Office Files, FWS-OFWO, Portland, Oregon (e) 3 Douglas Complex Post-Fire Salvage project, TAILS #01 EOFW00-20 14-F-0 161 Biological Opinion Addressing The Medford Douglas Post-Fire Salvage Project Proposed by The Medford District of the Bureau of Land Management (FWS Reference Number 01EOFW00-2014-F-0161) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Roseburg Field Office June 25,2014 1 Signature: ---f<l~......:...::... ""-----/ -'<..:£'v:....;_c~=-=·-L~:........:i~:...._/_·, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I Jim ThrailkiU Field Supervisor Date Signed: __r;__,· /,_·-=z ---=s'-f-{ """"""z_==--' Li_.____ ____ _ r 1 4 Douglas Complex Post-Fire Salvage project, TAILS #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 6 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ...................................................................................... 7 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE JEOPARDY AND ADVERSE mODIFICATION DETERMINATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 16 RANGE-WIDE STATUS OF THE Spotted Owl .................................................................................... 17 SPOTTED OWL RESOURCE USE ........................................................................................................ 25 EFFECTS OF THE ACTION ON THE SPOTTED OWL ...................................................................... 30 POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN (NWFP) AND THE REVISED RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE SPOTTED OWL .... 46 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ON THE SPOTTED OWL .......................................................................... 50 STATUS OF SPOTTED OWL CRITICAL HABITAT .......................................................................... 51 EFFECTS OF THE ACTION ON SPOTTED OWL CRITICAL HABITAT ......................................... 53 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ON SPOTTED OWL CRITICAL HABITAT ............................................ 56 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................ 57 INCIDENTAL TAKE STATEMENT ..................................................................................................... 59 CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 60 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................................. 62 APPENDIX A. MEDFORD DOUGLAS POST FIRE PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTIONS, MEDFORD DISTRICT BLM (COPIED FROM THE ASSESSMENT) (USDI BLM 2014). .............................................................................................................................................. 69 APPENDIX B. STATUS OF THE SPECIES, RANGE-WIDE HABITAT BASELINE AND STATUS OF 2012 REVISED CRITICAL HABITAT. ........................................................................... 81 APPENDIX C. EFFECTS OF WILDFIRE ON NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL AND ITS HABITAT1 ............................................................................................................................................. 130 APPENDIX D. MONITORING FORM ............................................................................................... 137 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Burn severity acres for the 2013 Douglas Fire Complex across the Medford and Roseburg Districts of the BLM (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161) (portions of table are excerpted from the Assessment). ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Table 2. Overview of salvage treatment acres within the proposed Medford Douglas Project (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161). ..................................................................................................... 9 Table 3. Spotted owl habitat, post-fire, occurring within 1.3 miles of the Medford Douglas Project Action Area (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161). .................................................................... 22 Table 4. Amount of spotted owl habitat (acres) likely to be impacted by the proposed Medford Douglas Project on the BLM Medford District (see Table 3 for habitat definitions; Table copied from Assessment and partially modified) (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161). ............................... 34 Table 5. Percent of post-fire spotted owl habitat and proposed acres for removal on District lands affected by the proposed Medford Douglas Project (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161). ....... 39 Table 6. Potential salvage acres by spotted owl habitat category for the Medford Douglas Post-Fire Salvage Project, Medford District BLM (acres reflect BLM lands; copied from Assessment, Table 13) (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161). ......................................................................................... 48 Table 7. Current (post-fire) condition of spotted owl critical habitat (within subunit KLW 1) in the Medford Douglas Post Fire Action Area, Medford District BLM (FWS reference #01EOFW00-2014-F- 0161). ....................................................................................................................................................... 53 5 Douglas Complex Post-Fire Salvage project, TAILS #01EOFW00-2014-F-0161 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Burn severity across the area likely to be affected by the proposed Medford Douglas Project. This figure is excerpted from the Assessment. .......................................................................................... 8 Figure 2. Burn severity and proposed salvage units in the Perkins and Poorman Creeks area, Medford District BLM. Map provided by District. ............................................................................................... 25 Figure 3. Distribution of spotted owl sites and proposed harvest activities across the proposed Medford Douglas action area. Copied from the Assessment. ............................................................................... 37 Figure 4. Post-fire habitat condition