FINAL Small Mammal Survey Report in Support of the Proposed Fallon Range Training Complex Expansion, Nevada Prepared for: Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest San Diego, CA Prepared by: ManTech International Corporation Environmental, Range and Sustainability Services Lompoc and Solana Beach, CA January 2019 Cover – clockwise from left: Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys microps), Trap Transect, and Desert Woodrat (Neotoma lepida). Small Mammal Survey Report – Proposed FRTC Expansion Final TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Study and Survey Areas ................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Vegetation Communities within the Proposed Expansion Areas .................................................... 3 1.3. Small Mammal Species within the Study Area ................................................................................ 3 2. METHODS ........................................................................................................................................ 19 2.1. Field Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 19 2.2. Data Management ......................................................................................................................... 20 2.3. Data Analysis .................................................................................................................................. 20 2.4. Scientific Permit ............................................................................................................................. 20 3. RESULTS........................................................................................................................................... 20 3.1. Survey Effort .................................................................................................................................. 20 3.2. Small Mammal Species Occurrences ............................................................................................. 27 4. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................................... 36 5. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 38 APPENDIX A: Nevada Department of Wildlife Scientific Collection/Possession/Education Permit: Application and Issued Permit (TBP) List of Figures Figure 1-1. Regional Location of the Proposed FRTC Expansion Areas ........................................................ 2 Figure 1-2. Vegetation Alliances within the Proposed B-16 Expansion Area ............................................... 5 Figure 1-3. Vegetation Alliances within the Proposed B-20 Expansion Area ............................................... 6 Figure 1-4. Vegetation Alliances within the Proposed Northern DVTA Expansion Area .............................. 7 Figure 1-5. Vegetation Alliances within the Proposed B-17 and Southern DVTA Expansion Areas ............. 8 Figure 1-6. Occurrences of Small Mammal Species within the Study Area Based on Past DoN, NDOW, and NNHP Surveys and Data ....................................................................................................... 9 Figure 1-7. Merriam’s Shrew (Photo: J. Tapia) ............................................................................................ 12 Figure 1-8. (left) Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Photo: P. Dotson); (right) Desert Woodrat (Photo: P. Dotson) .. 12 Figure 1-9. (left) Canyon Deermouse (Photo: Alyssa M.); (middle) North American Deermouse (Photo: S. Wilson); (right) Piñon Deermouse (Photo: S. Wilson) .............................................. 13 Figure 1-10. (left) Chisel-toothed Kangaroo Rat (Photo: A. Ambos); (right) Desert Kangaroo Rat (Photo: A. Mercieca) ................................................................................................................. 14 Figure 1-11. (left) Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat (Photo: T. McHugh); (right) Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Photo: J. Zipp) .......................................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 1-12. (left) Pale Kangaroo Mouse (Photo: K. Schaefer); (right) Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Photo: M. Chappell) ................................................................................................................. 16 Figure 1-13. (left) Little Pocket Mouse; (right) Long-tailed Pocket Mouse (Photos: A. Abela) ................... 16 Page i Small Mammal Survey Report – Proposed FRTC Expansion Final Figure 1-14. (left) Long-tailed Vole (Photo: Anonymous); (middle) Montane Vole (Photo: T. McHugh); (right) Sagebrush Vole (Photo: T. McHugh) .............................................................................. 17 Figure 1-15. (left) Northern Grasshopper Mouse (Photo: T. McHugh); (right) Southern Grasshopper Mouse (Photo: G. Lepp) ............................................................................................................ 18 Figure 1-16. Western Harvest Mouse (Photo: A. Abela) ............................................................................. 18 Figure 1-17. (left) Least Chipmunk (Photo: S. Krasemann); (right) White-tailed Antelope Squirrel (Photo: J. Boone) ....................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 3-1. Small Mammal Transects within the Proposed B-16 Expansion Area ...................................... 22 Figure 3-2. Small Mammal Transects within the Proposed B-17 and Southern DVTA Expansion Areas .... 23 Figure 3-3. Small Mammal Transects within the Proposed B-20 Expansion Area ...................................... 24 Figure 3-4. Small Mammal Transects within the Proposed Northern DVTA Expansion Area .................... 25 Figure 3-5. Small Mammal Captures within the Proposed B-16 Expansion Area ....................................... 28 Figure 3-6. Small Mammal Captures within the Proposed B-17 and Southern DVTA Expansion Areas ..... 29 Figure 3-7. Small Mammal Captures within the Proposed B-20 Expansion Area ....................................... 30 Figure 3-8. Small Mammal Captures within the Proposed Western Portion of the Northern DVTA Expansion Area .......................................................................................................................... 31 Figure 3-9. Small Mammal Captures within the Proposed Eastern Portion of the Northern DVTA Expansion Area .......................................................................................................................... 32 List of Tables Table 1-1. Acreage and Elevation Range of Vegetation Alliances Mapped within the Proposed FRTC Expansion Areas (DoN 2018a) ..................................................................................................... 4 Table 1-2. Regulatory Status and Known or Potential Occurrences of Small Mammal Species within the Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 10 Table 3-1. 2018 Small Mammal Survey Dates and Number of Transects, Traps, and Trap Nights ............ 20 Table 3-2. Summary of Number of Transects and Traps Set in Vegetation Alliances within the Proposed FRTC Expansion Areas ............................................................................................... 21 Table 3-3. Summary of Number of Transects, Traps, Trap Nights, Captures, and Trap Success by Proposed FRTC Expansion Area ................................................................................................ 26 Table 3-4. Summary of Number of Transects, Traps, Trap Nights, Captures, and Trap Success by Vegetation Alliance ................................................................................................................... 26 Table 3-5. Species, Number, and Relative Abundance of Small Mammals Captured within Proposed FRTC Expansion Areas ............................................................................................................... 27 Table 3-6. Species and Number of Small Mammal Captures by Vegetation Alliance within the Proposed FRTC Expansion Areas (pg 1/2) ................................................................................. 34 Acronyms and Abbreviations ac acre(s) ha hectare(s) BLM Bureau of Land Management m meter(s) DoN Department of the Navy mm millimeters DVTA Dixie Valley Training Area NAS Naval Air Station FRTC Fallon Range Training Complex NDOW Nevada Department of Wildlife ft foot/feet NNHP Nevada Natural Heritage Program g grams U.S. United States GIS geographic information system WAP Wildlife Action Plan Page ii Small Mammal Survey Report – Proposed FRTC Expansion Final 1. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon manages the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC), which currently encompasses a combination of withdrawn and acquired lands totaling approximately 223,600 acres (ac) (90,490 hectares [ha]) of military training land located near Fallon, Nevada (Figure 1-1). The FRTC is the United States (U.S.) Department of the Navy’s (DoN or Navy) premier integrated strike warfare training complex, supporting air units and special operations forces