Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project Preliminary Biological Assessment and Evaluation for Botanical Species Report Prepared by: Brenna Montagne Botanist for: Shasta-McCloud Management Unit Shasta-Trinity National Forest October 26, 2017 Final Biological Assessment and Evaluation for Botanical Species Report – Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project October 26, 2017 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.) 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Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Compliance with Forest Plan, and Other Relevant Laws, Regulations, Policies and Plans .... 2 Project Location....................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Need .................................................................................................................... 2 Alternatives ............................................................................................................................. 5 Overview of Issues Addressed ................................................................................................ 5 Botanical Biological Assessment for Listed or Proposed, Threatened and Endangered Species (including Candidates) ................................................................................................................ 6 Determination of Effects ......................................................................................................... 7 Botanical Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Species ............................................................... 7 Affected Environment ..................................................................................................................... 7 Existing Conditions Related to Sensitive Plants ...................................................................... 7 Desired Condition .................................................................................................................... 8 Environmental Consequences ....................................................................................................... 10 Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 10 Results of Surveys ................................................................................................................. 10 Spatial and temporal Context for Effects Analysis ............................................................... 10 Effects Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 11 Monitoring Recommendations .............................................................................................. 11 Determination of Effects ....................................................................................................... 11 Other Agencies and Individuals Consulted ............................................................................... 12 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................... 13 Appendix 1 ‒ Official Species Lists USFWS selection (6 pages from the USDI letter) ....... 14 Appendix 2 – Sensitive Plant List ......................................................................................... 21 Appendix 3 – Plant List ......................................................................................................... 26 List of Tables Table 1: Conifers and Flowering Plants Listed by FWS for the Highway 89 Project Area ............................... 6 Table 2: Sensitive and endemic plants with potential to occur in the Highway 89 project Area ...................... 8 Table 3: Sensitive and Endemic Plant species known or potentially occurring on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest including McCloud, Mt. Shasta and Shasta Lake Range Districts as of July 24, 2013 .......................21 Table 4: List of plants known to occur in the Highway 89 Project Assessment Area (Baldwin, 2012) ............26 List of Figures Figure 1: Highway 89 Vicinity Map .................................................................................................................. 3 Figure 2: Highway 89 Project Area Map ......................................................................................................... 4 Shasta-McCloud Management Unit, Shasta-Trinity National Forest i Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project Introduction This document is a combined Biological Assessment/Biological Evaluation (BA/BE). Plants found were identified to the degree necessary to determine if they were Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive species. No plant species listed as Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive were found during surveys. List of acronyms used for this report: BA Biological Assessment BE Biological Evaluation CH Critical Habitat CNDDB California Natural Diversity Data Base FEIS Draft Environmental Impact Statement ESA Endangered Species Act of 1973 FSM Forest Service Manual FWS US Fish and Wildlife Service MA Management Area NFS National Forest System NRIS National Resource Information System S&M Survey and Manage T&E Threatened and Endangered Species Compliance with Forest Plan, and Other Relevant Laws, Regulations, Policies and Plans The Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project is in compliance with the Forest Plan, USDA Departmental Regulation 9500-4, and other relevant laws, regulations, policies, and plans including the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Project Location The Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project is located in Siskiyou County, California. It is north and south of Highway 89 from near Interstate 5 (I-5) to the east of Cattle Camp turn-off (Forest Roads 43N19 and 40N44) (see Figure 2). The project area under analysis is 13,341 acres. The legal locations are: Township 39 North, Range 1 West, Sections 2-10, 17-18; Township 39 North, Range 2 West, Sections 1-3, 12; Township 40 North, Range 1 West, Sections 27, 28, 31-34; Township 40 North, Range 2 West, Sections 34-36; Township 40 North, Range 3 West, Sections 32-33, Township 40 North, Range 4 West, Sections 22-26, 34, Mt. Diablo Meridian. Elevations range from 3,200 to 4,400 feet. Purpose and Need The project purpose and need for action was generated by looking at the difference between the existing conditions and the desired conditions (as identified in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Land Resource Management Plan) in the project area. The Forest Plan identifies desired conditions for the McCloud Flats (MA 2), Mt. Shasta (MA 3), Parks-Eddy (MA5) and McCloud River (MA 10) Management Areas. A complete discussion regarding purpose and need can be found in the Highway 89 project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). 2 Shasta-McCloud Management Unit, Shasta-Trinity National Forest Final Biological Assessment and Evaluation for Botanical Species Report – Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project October 26, 2017 Figure 1: Highway 89 Vicinity Map Shasta-McCloud Management Unit, Shasta-Trinity National Forest 3 Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project Figure 2: Highway 89 Project Area Map 4 Shasta-McCloud Management Unit, Shasta-Trinity National Forest Final Biological Assessment and Evaluation for Botanical Species Report – Highway 89 Safety Enhancement and Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project October 26, 2017 Alternatives All alternatives are described in detail in chapter 2 of the Highway 89 project FEIS. Four alternatives were analyzed in detail, including the no action and modified proposed action alternatives. Alternative 1: No Action Alternative 1 is the no action alternative. This is the continuation of the existing condition, current management and ongoing activities in the project area. Alternative 3: Modified Proposed Action – Preferred Alternative Alternative 3 is the preferred alternative. The proposed treatments would be implemented through a combination of commercial and non-commercial thinning using mechanical and hand methods. In addition to thinning activities, fuels activities will include: treating with a combination of machine piling and burning, hand piling in sensitive areas as needed, lop and scatter, mastication and/or underburning to