San Rafael Ranch Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan Santa Cruz County, Arizona Prepared for: San Rafael Cattle Company Ross Humphreys and Susan Lowell, general partners 1613 Patagonia-San Rafael Road Patagonia, Arizona 85624 Prepared by: David L. Harlow Environmental Consulting 4033 Poppleton Way Carmichael, CA 95608 December 2015 Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 1 Section 1: Introduction and Background .......................................................................... 3 1.1 Overview and Background ................................................................................ 3 1.2 Permit Holder/Permit Duration ........................................................................... 3 1.3 Permit Boundary/Covered Lands ...................................................................... 4 1.4 Species to be Covered by Permit ...................................................................... 4 1.5 Regulatory Framework ......................................................................................... 5 1.5.1 Federal Endangered Species Act ................................................................. 5 1.5.2 The Section 10(a)(1)(B) Process - Habitat Conservation Plan Requirements and Guidelines ............................................................................................................. 6 Section 2: Project Description/Activities Covered by Permit ........................................... 8 2.1 Project Description ............................................................................................ 8 2.2 Activities to be Covered by Permit ..................................................................... 8 2.2.1 Cattle grazing, herding, and watering. .......................................................... 9 2.2.2 Operation and maintenance of stock tanks, wells, waterlines, fences, roads, and utility lines supporting these facilities ...................................................... 9 2.2.3 Brush and invasive plant management ...................................................... 10 Section 3: Environmental Setting/Biological Resources ................................................. 10 3.1 Environmental Setting ..................................................................................... 10 3.1.1 Climate ...................................................................................................... 10 3.1.2 Topography/Geology.................................................................................. 10 3.1.3 Hydrology: Streams, Rivers, Drainages...................................................... 11 3.1.4 Vegetation .................................................................................................. 11 3.1.5 Existing Land Use ...................................................................................... 11 3.2 Covered Wildlife and Fish Species .................................................................. 12 3.2.1 Sonora Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi) .................... 12 3.2.2 Northern Mexican Gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) ................. 13 3.2.3 Gila Chub (Gila intermedia) ........................................................................ 15 3.2.4 Huachuca Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis thompsoni) ......................................... 16 3.3 Covered Plant Species .................................................................................... 17 3.3.1 Canelo Hills Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes delitescens) ............................... 17 3.3.2 Huachuca Water Umbel (Lileaopsis schaffneriana ssp. recurva) ................ 18 Section 4: Potential Biological Impacts/Take Assessment ............................................. 20 4.1 Direct and Indirect Impacts .............................................................................. 20 4.1.1 Livestock Watering and Grazing ................................................................ 20 4.1.2 Facilities Maintenance ................................................................................ 23 4.1.3 Brush and Invasive Plant Management ...................................................... 24 4.1.4 Hay Production .......................................................................................... 24 4.1.5 Beneficial Actions ...................................................................................... 24 4.2 Anticipated Take of Covered Wildlife or Fish Species ..................................... 25 4.2.1 Sonora Tiger Salamander .......................................................................... 25 4.2.2 Northern Mexican Gartersnake .................................................................. 25 4.2.3 Gila Chub ................................................................................................... 26 4.2.4 Huachuca Springsnail ................................................................................ 26 4.3 Anticipated Impacts on Covered Plant Species ............................................... 27 4.3.1 Canelo Hills Ladies’-Tresses ...................................................................... 27 4.3.2 Huachuca Water Umbel ............................................................................. 27 4.4 Effects on Critical Habitat ................................................................................ 28 i San Rafael Ranch Habitat Conservation Plan 4.4 Anticipated Impacts to Non-covered Listed Species ........................................ 29 4.4.1 Chiricahua Leopard Frog ........................................................................... 29 4.4.2 Gila Topminnow ......................................................................................... 30 4.4.3 Northern Aplomado Falcon ........................................................................ 30 4.4.4 Yellow-billed Cuckoo .................................................................................. 30 4.4.5 Jaguar ........................................................................................................ 31 4.4.6 Ocelot ........................................................................................................ 31 4.4.7 Lesser Long-nosed Bat .............................................................................. 31 4.5 Cumulative Impacts ......................................................................................... 32 4.5.1 Conservation Projects ................................................................................ 32 4.5.2 Illegal Immigration, Smuggling, and Other Trespass .................................. 32 4.6 Anticipated Effects of the Taking ..................................................................... 33 4.6.1 Sonora Tiger Salamander .......................................................................... 33 4.6.2 Northern Mexican Gartersnake .................................................................. 34 4.6.3 Gila Chub ................................................................................................... 34 4.6.4 Huachuca Springsnail ................................................................................ 34 Section 5: Conservation Program/Measures to Minimize and Mitigate for Impacts ....... 35 5.1 San Rafael Ranch Habitat Conservation Plan Goals and Objectives .............. 35 5.2 Avoidance, Minimization, and Mitigation Measures ......................................... 36 5.2.1 Measures to Avoid Impacts ........................................................................ 36 5.2.2 Measures to Minimize Impacts .................................................................. 36 5.2.3 Measures to Mitigate Unavoidable Impacts ............................................... 38 5.3 Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 38 5.3.1 Compliance and Effects Monitoring .............................................................. 39 5.3.2 Effectiveness Monitoring .............................................................................. 39 5.4 Performance and Success Criteria .................................................................. 41 5.5 Adaptive Management Strategy ...................................................................... 41 5.6 Plan Implementation ....................................................................................... 42 5.7 Reporting ........................................................................................................ 42 Section 6: Funding ........................................................................................................ 43 6.1 Costs of HCP Implementation ......................................................................... 43 6.2 Funding Source(s) ........................................................................................... 44 6.3 Funding Mechanism and Management ........................................................... 44 6.4 Additional Funding for Conservation Actions ................................................... 44 Section 7: Alternatives ................................................................................................... 45 7.1 Summary ........................................................................................................ 45 7.2 No Action Alternative ...................................................................................... 45 Section