Forest Plan Revision Chippewa and Superior National Forests Regional Forester Sensitive Animals Biological Evaluation Prepared by: Forest Service Biologists Date: June 2004 Regional Forester Sensitive Animals Biological Evaluation Draft Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................3 Outcomes..................................................................................................................3 Determination of Effect..............................................................................................7 BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION ...........................................................................................8 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................8 Analysis Area ............................................................................................................9 Description of the Alternatives.................................................................................10 Consultation with US Fish and Wildlife Service.......................................................10 EXISTING CONDITION – SPECIES EVALUATED AND ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE ..............11 Animals....................................................................................................................11 Analysis process .....................................................................................................17 Ecological Outcomes...............................................................................................17 Determination of Effect............................................................................................21 Indicators.................................................................................................................21 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES................................................................................23 Mammals.................................................................................................................23 Heather vole (Phenocomys ungava) (Formerly intermedius)........................................... 23 Northern bog lemming (Synaptomys borealis)................................................................. 26 Birds ........................................................................................................................29 Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator).............................................................................. 29 (Accipiter gentiles) ............................................................................................................ 32 Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) ............................................................................ 45 Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) ................................................................................. 51 Sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)........................................................... 53 Spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) ......................................................................... 56 Yellow rail (Conturnicops noveboracensis) ...................................................................... 63 Wilson’s phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor).......................................................................... 66 Common tern (Sterna hirundo)......................................................................................... 68 Caspian tern (Sterna caspia)............................................................................................ 71 Black tern (Chlidonias niger) ............................................................................................ 74 Great gray owl (Strix nebulosa)........................................................................................ 76 Boreal owl (Aegiolus funereus)......................................................................................... 87 Black-backed woodpecker (Picoides arcticus)................................................................. 92 Three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) ................................................................. 97 Olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus borealis)..................................................................... 103 Black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens) ................................................. 105 Bay-breasted warbler (Dendroica castanea).................................................................. 113 Chippewa and Superior 1 Forest Plan Revision National Forests Regional Forester Sensitive Animals Biological Evaluation Draft Connecticut warbler (Opornis agilis) .............................................................................. 123 LeConte’s sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii) ................................................................. 129 Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow (Ammondramus nelsoni)................................................ 132 Amphibians and Reptiles.......................................................................................135 Wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta).................................................................................... 135 Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) ........................................................................ 138 Four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) ......................................................... 141 Fish........................................................................................................................144 Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) ......................................................................... 144 Shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus) .......................................................................... 147 Least darter (Etheostoma microperca)........................................................................... 149 Northern brook lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fosser) ............................................................. 152 Greater redhorse (Moxostoma valenciennes)................................................................ 155 Pugnose shiner (Notropis anogenus)............................................................................. 158 Mollusks ................................................................................................................161 Creek heelsplitter (Lasmigona compressa).................................................................... 161 Fluted-shell mussel (Lasmigona costata)....................................................................... 164 FOREST......................................................................................................................165 Black sandshell (Ligumia recta)...................................................................................... 167 CURRENT ...................................................................................................................168 Insects...................................................................................................................169 Taiga alpine (Erebia mancinus)...................................................................................... 169 Red-disked alpine (Erebia discoidalis) ........................................................................... 173 Nabokov’s northern blue (Lycaeides idas nabokovi)...................................................... 176 Jutta arctic (Oenis jutta aserta)....................................................................................... 179 Freija’s grizzled skipper (Pyrgus centaureae freija) ....................................................... 182 Vertree’s caddisfly (Ceraclea vertreesi) ......................................................................... 185 Tiger beetle species (Cicindela denikei)......................................................................... 188 Recommendations for Removing, Avoiding, or Compensating for any Adverse Impacts..................................................................................................................190 REFERENCES..............................................................................................................191 APPENDIX A: MANAGEMENT INDICATOR HABITATS............................................200 Chippewa and Superior 2 Forest Plan Revision National Forests Regional Forester Sensitive Animals Biological Evaluation Draft Executive Summary This Biological Evaluation (BE) documents the likely direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on 41 sensitive animals from forest management activities and programs proposed under seven alternatives in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Forest Plan Revision on the Chippewa and Superior National Forests (USDA FS 2003). It also provides the Forest Service’s judgment on the likelihood of each alternative to maintain species viability, well-distributed habitats, and to prevent a trend toward federal listing of any species. The findings of the BE are summarized below in two complementary evaluations of impacts: • Table 1: Outcomes of Ecological Conditions • Table 2: Determination of effect of Alternatives Outcomes The estimated historical (~1600-1900 AD), current, and projected future abundance and distribution of suitable ecological conditions for each sensitive animal for each alternative is displayed in