California Spotted Owl and Northern Goshawk Surveys for Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins Project #3540-03 Prepared for: Blair, Church & Flynn Consulting Engineers 451 Clovis Avenue, Suite 200 Clovis, CA 93612 Prepared by: H. T. Harvey & Associates August 2015 7815 N Palm Avenue, Suite 310 Fresno, CA 93711 Ph: 559.476.3160 F: 559.476.3170 Table of Contents Section 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Site Conditions ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Potential Occurrence of California Spotted Owl and Northern Goshawk ................................................... 4 Section 2.0 Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 California Spotted Owl Surveys ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 Northern Goshawk Surveys .................................................................................................................................. 5 Section 3.0 Results ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 California Spotted Owl Surveys ............................................................................................................................ 7 3.2 Northern Goshawk Survey .................................................................................................................................... 7 Section 4.0 Discussion................................................................................................................................................. 8 Section 5.0 References ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Figures Figure 1. Vicinity Map .................................................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Survey Area ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Preparers Brian Boroski, Ph.D., Vice President, Principal Amy Sparks, J.D., Senior Regulatory Specialist Susan V. Christopher, Ph.D., Senior Wildlife Ecologist, Project Manager Jeff L. Seay, B.A., Senior Wildlife Ecologist Douglas A. Drynan, B.S., Senior Wildlife Ecologist Cissy Fu, Geographic Information System Specialist Heather Ogston, B.A., Technical Editor Calif. Spotted Owl & Northern Goshawk Surveys H. T. Harvey & Associates i Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins August 2015 Section 1.0 Introduction This report summarizes the methods and findings of California spotted owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) and northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) surveys conducted on the Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins Project (Project) site. Surveys for these special-status raptor species were conducted to inform the Project environmental impact report and generally to support compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and other applicable regulations. The results of these surveys supplement the existing analysis provided in the Project’s Biotic Report (H. T. Harvey & Associates 2014). The Project involves constructing a high-end camping facility on approximately 24 acres in the community of Fish Camp, in Mariposa County, California. The Project site lies on the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada, approximately 2.8 miles south of the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park and 12.6 miles north of Oakhurst (Figure 1). Its elevation ranges from 4970 to 5050 feet above sea level. The site is bounded to the south by Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a resort operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts; to the west by State Route (SR) 41; and to the north and east by private property with restricted access (Figure 2). The Sierra National Forest surrounds the community of Fish Camp. Calif. Spotted Owl & Northern Goshawk Surveys H. T. Harvey & Associates 1 Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins August 2015 Squirrel Creek CA L AV E R A S Detail FOREST DR ChilnualnaChilnualna CreekCreek Sonora TUOLUMNE California S outth Fork Merc ced R WAWONA iive 120 MONO rr 120 MEADOW CIRCLE RD 49 140 41 Project k k MARIPOSA ee Vicinity e rr 59 Rush C Mariposa 140 MADERA MERCED BB 152 ii gg C Madera C 145 r r ee e k 168 FRESNO 99 180 Fresno 269 33 0 20 k 41 TULARE ee e e rr Miles CC l l ee rr 25 5S06 Rainier Creek uu aa LL 5S22 5S06 5S22 SUMMIT RD ek MariposaMariposa CountyCounty rre C w do ea 5S43 M g Lo n 5S37 SUMMIT RD CEDAR AVE FISH hiieff Branch e C Project Site hiitt CAMP Raiiniier Cr e k W re e 5S22 JACKSON RD 6S07 LEWIS 6S07 FORK MaderaMadera CountyCounty 41 5S18 LOCUST RD 630 M ia m 5S19 ii CC rr ee ee kk C a rt te r 6S90 C r re e k Peterson Creek 6S47Y 628 1 0.5 0 1 Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, USGS, Intermap,6S97 increment P Corp., NRCAN, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri (Thailand), Miles TomTom, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMapCALVIN CREST contributors, RD and the GIS User Community 6S70 N:\Projects3500\3540-01\03\Reports\Raptor Surveys\Figure 1Vicinity Map.mxd Figure 1: Vicinity Map California Spotted Owl and Northern Goshawk Surveys for Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins (3540-03) August 2015 LEGEND Project Site Boundary 0.25-mile Buffer Restricted Access Approximate Location of Northern Goshawk Survey Transects Spotted Owl Calling Stations Big Rainier Creek Fish Camp 11 --44 AA CC 1 White Chief Restricted Access Mountain Lodge Jack L Boyd Outdoor School 3 2 Tenaya Lodge 650 325 0 650 Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and Feet the GIS User Community N:\Projects3500\3540-01\03\Reports\Raptor Surveys\Figure 2Survey Area.mxd Figure 2: Survey Area California Spotted Owl and Northern Goshawk Surveys for Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins (3540-03) August 2015 1.1 Site Conditions The Project site is dominated by lower montane coniferous forest with cleared patches created by previous disturbance. It is bordered by aquatic habitats, including a wet meadow at the south end of the site, Big Rainier Creek along the eastern boundary, and a 1-acre permanent freshwater pond at the northwestern end of the site. Nine habitat types are present on the site: lower montane coniferous forest, alder/white fir/incense cedar riparian complex, willow shrub riparian/wetland, aspen forested wetland, wet meadow, freshwater pond, perennial stream, intermittent stream, and drainage channel (H. T. Harvey & Associates 2014). 1.2 Potential Occurrence of California Spotted Owl and Northern Goshawk California spotted owls, a California species of special concern, may forage or nest in the forested portions of the Project site. The California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) Spotted Owl Viewer (CNDDB 2015a) shows 25 California spotted owl territories within a 5-mile radius of the Project site; however, based on a review of these data, some of these territories are likely redundant. The territory nearest the Project site is approximately 0.7 mile southeast and centered on the east side of a north–south ridge. Discovered in 1992, surveys by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have detected owls there as recently as 2006. Surveys conducted by H. T. Harvey & Associates in 2010 detected a male California spotted owl south of Tenaya Lodge just below Jackson Road (H. T. Harvey & Associates 2010). The male was later heard calling with a female a great distance to the east. These detections likely represent the pair of owls occupying the territory referenced above that was discovered in 1992. The Project site contains some suitable habitat for California spotted owl (i.e., large trees and extensive fallen woody debris, with connectivity to a large expanse of USFS lands). The Project site, however, represents a relatively small area and is surrounded by many sources of human disturbance, including cabins and residences of Fish Camp, SR 41 to the west, Tenaya Lodge to the south, and White Chief Mountain Lodge and the Jack Boyd Outdoor School to the east. These factors reduce the likelihood that California spotted owls nest on the Project site. Northern goshawks, also a California species of special concern, may forage or nest in the forested portions of the site. There are no CNDDB records of northern goshawks in the Project vicinity (CNDDB 2015b). Two molted feathers from northern goshawks (an adult tail feather and a juvenile primary feather) were found south of the Project site during a northern goshawk survey conducted by H. T. Harvey & Associates in 2010 (H. T. Harvey & Associates 2010). These feathers confirm that northern goshawks are present locally, but the many sources of human disturbance surrounding the Project site reduce the likelihood that northern goshawks nest on the site. Calif. Spotted Owl & Northern Goshawk Surveys H. T. Harvey & Associates 4 Tenaya Lodge Explorer Cabins August 2015 Section 2.0 Methods To assess the presence of California spotted owls and northern goshawks on the Project site, H. T. Harvey & Associates ornithologists conducted recorded vocal broadcast surveys for California