Malpai Borderlands Habitat Conservation Plan for Privately Owned and State Trust Rangelands in the Malpai Borderlands of Southern Arizona and New Mexico

Malpai Borderlands Habitat Conservation Plan for Privately Owned and State Trust Rangelands in the Malpai Borderlands of Southern Arizona and New Mexico

FINAL MALPAI BORDERLANDS HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN FOR PRIVATELY OWNED AND STATE TRUST RANGELANDS IN THE MALPAI BORDERLANDS OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO Prepared for: Malpai Borderlands Group 6226 Geronimo Trail Road P.O. Box 3536 Douglas, Arizona 85608 Prepared by: Malpai Borderlands Habitat Conservation Plan Technical Working Group And William Lehman 1205 N. Roosevelt Street Boise, Idaho 83706 2008 AESO/SE 22410-2006-F-0408 HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN FOR PRIVATELY-OWNED AND STATE-TRUST RANGELANDS IN THE MALPAI BORDERLANDS OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND........................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose and Need ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Description of the Applicant ................................................................................................. 2 1.2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Organizational Principles ............................................................................................... 3 1.2.3 Past/Current Activities/Programs ................................................................................... 4 1.3 MBHCP Planning History .................................................................................................... 8 1.4 Regulatory Background ........................................................................................................ 8 1.4.1 The “Take” Prohibition. ................................................................................................. 9 1.4.2 Section 10(a)/HCPs ........................................................................................................ 9 1.4.3 Critical Habitat ............................................................................................................... 9 1.4.4 Other Act Provisions ...................................................................................................... 9 1.4.5 Coordination with State Wildlife Agencies ................................................................. 10 2.0 OVERVIEW OF THE PLANNING AREA ....................................................................... 11 2.1 Description of the Area ....................................................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Land Ownership/Management ..................................................................................... 11 2.1.2 Environmental Setting ................................................................................................. 15 2.2 Land Use Management ....................................................................................................... 16 2.2.1 Livestock Grazing Management in the Malpai Borderlands ....................................... 16 2.2.2 Current Ecological Problems/Conditions .................................................................... 18 3.0 OVERVIEW OF THE MBHCP .......................................................................................... 22 3.1 Plan Structure/Organization ................................................................................................ 23 3.1.1 Required Elements ....................................................................................................... 23 3.1.2 Additional Elements. .................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................. 27 3.2.1 Plan Activities/Parties/Cooperators ............................................................................. 27 3.2.2 The “Programmatic” Approach ................................................................................... 29 3.3 Proposed Covered Species .................................................................................................. 32 3.4 Proposed Covered Area ...................................................................................................... 35 3.5 Proposed Covered Activities ............................................................................................... 35 3.5.1 Grassland Improvement Activities .............................................................................. 36 3.5.2 Ranch Management Activities ..................................................................................... 39 3.6 Role of Livestock Grazing under the MBHCP ................................................................... 42 3.7 Implementing Agreement. .................................................................................................. 43 3.8 Permit Term ........................................................................................................................ 43 4.0 BIOLOGY OF THE COVERED SPECIES ....................................................................... 44 4.1 Aquatic Species ................................................................................................................... 44 4.1.1 Rio Yaqui Fish ............................................................................................................. 44 4.1.2 Chiricahua Leopard Frog ............................................................................................. 48 4.1.3 Lowland Leopard Frog ................................................................................................ 49 4.1.4 Northern Mexican Gartersnake .................................................................................... 50 4.1.5 Huachuca Water Umbel ............................................................................................... 51 4.2 Grassland Species ............................................................................................................... 52 _________________________________________________________________________________ 2008 Page ii HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN FOR PRIVATELY-OWNED AND STATE-TRUST RANGELANDS IN THE MALPAI BORDERLANDS OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO __________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4.2.1 Northern Aplomado Falcon ......................................................................................... 52 4.2.2 Black-tailed Prairie Dog .............................................................................................. 54 4.2.3 Western Burrowing Owl .............................................................................................. 55 4.2.4 White-sided Jackrabbit ................................................................................................. 56 4.3 Riparian Species.................................................................................................................. 57 4.3.1 Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo .................................................................................... 57 4.3.2 Western Red Bat .......................................................................................................... 59 4.4 Montane Species ................................................................................................................. 60 4.4.1 New Mexico Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake ........................................................................ 60 4.4.2 Mexican Spotted Owl .................................................................................................. 61 5.0 CONSERVATION PROGRAM .......................................................................................... 63 5.1 MBHCP Goals/Objectives .................................................................................................. 63 5.1.1 MBHCP Goals ............................................................................................................. 63 5.1.2 MBHCP Objectives ..................................................................................................... 64 5.2 Conservation Program Summary ........................................................................................ 65 5.3 Rancher Participation in the HCP ....................................................................................... 66 5.3.1 Types of Rancher Participation .................................................................................... 66 5.3.2 Certificates of Inclusion ............................................................................................... 68 5.4 Determining Species Presence ............................................................................................ 70 5.4.1 Species Habitat and Occurrence Maps ........................................................................ 70 5.4.2 Pre-activity Survey Alternative .................................................................................... 76 5.5 Take Minimization Measures ............................................................................................. 79 5.5.1 Critical Time Periods and Species Habitat Associations ............................................. 80 5.5.2 Grassland improvement Activities ............................................................................... 81 5.5.3 Ranch Management Activities ..................................................................................

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