Revision of the Inyo, Sequoia and Sierra National Forests Land Management Plans Draft Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Wildlife, Fish and Invertebrate Species Prepared by: Patricia A. Krueger Regional Threatened and Endangered Species Coordinator for: the Inyo, Sequoia and Sierra National Forests May 25, 2016 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). 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Draft Biological Evaluation, Wildlife and Fish Forest Plan Revision Inyo, Sequoia, and Sierra National Forests Contents Purpose ............................................................................................................................................ 1 Current management direction ........................................................................................................ 2 Description of Proposed Action ...................................................................................................... 2 Species of Conservation Concern ............................................................................................... 4 Willow Flycatcher (All Three National Forests) ..................................................................... 5 Great Gray Owl (Sequoia and Sierra National Forests) .......................................................... 5 Sierra Marten (All Three National Forests) ............................................................................. 5 Bats (All Three National Forests) ............................................................................................ 6 Invasive Species .......................................................................................................................... 6 Climate Change ........................................................................................................................... 6 Assumptions ................................................................................................................................ 6 Existing Environment ...................................................................................................................... 6 Sensitive Species that are also Species of Conservation Concern .............................................. 7 Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) .................................................................................. 8 Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) ........................................................................... 14 Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ................................................................................. 21 California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) ...................................................... 27 Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) ........................................................................................... 40 Sierra Marten (Martes caurina) ............................................................................................. 45 Sierra Nevada Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) ................................................................... 54 Townsend’s Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii) ...................................... 61 Pacific Fringed-tailed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes) ............................................................... 74 Pacific Fisher (Martes pennanti) ........................................................................................... 86 Inyo Mountains Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps campi)............................................... 131 Relictual Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps relictus) ....................................................... 137 Kern Canyon Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps simatus) ................................................ 142 Fairview Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps bramei) ........................................................ 146 Kings River Slender Salamander (Batrachoseps regius) .................................................... 150 Black Toad (Anaxyrus exsul) ............................................................................................... 154 Limestone Salamander (Hydromantes brunus) ................................................................... 160 Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii) ......................................................................... 164 California Golden Trout (Oncoryhnchus mykiss aguabonita)............................................. 172 Hardhead Minnow (Mylopharodon conocephalus) ............................................................. 176 Kern brook lamprey (Lampetra hubbsi) .............................................................................. 178 Kern River Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gilberti) ............................................... 186 Tehachapi fritillary butterfly (Speyeria egleis tehachapina) ............................................... 192 Apache Silverspot Butterfly (Speyeria nokomis apacheana) .............................................. 195 Western Pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) ......................................................................... 198 Owens Valley Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis owensensis) ......................................................... 207 Wong’s Springsnail (Pyrgulopsis wongi) ............................................................................ 210 Sensitive Species not selected as Species of Conservation Concern ...................................... 214 Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)................................................................................ 214 Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus) ........................................................................................... 222 Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) ............................................................................ 234 Wolverine (Gulo gulo) ........................................................................................................ 242 Western Pond Turtle (Actinemys marmorata) ..................................................................... 255 Panamint Alligator Lizard (Elgaria panamintina) .............................................................. 262 California Legless Lizard (Anniella pulchra) ...................................................................... 267 i Draft Biological Evaluation, Wildlife and Fish Forest Plan Revision Inyo, Sequoia, and Sierra National Forests Contributers: ................................................................................................................................ 272 Tables Table 1. List of wildlife, fish and invertebrate species considered and forests with status for evaluation by national forest ................................................................................................... 1 Table 2. Acres of both sage-grouse priority habitat and population management unit (PMU) on the Inyo National Forest ........................................................................................................ 16 Table 3. Active livestock grazing allotments within sage-grouse priority habitat on the Inyo NF 18 Table 4. Sierra Nevada red fox habitat (CWHR) associations in the winter ................................. 57 Table 5. Sierra Nevada red fox habitat (CWHR) associations in the summer .............................. 57 Table 6. Proportion of sites occupied in the Sequoia and Sierra National Forests ........................ 88 Table 7. CWHR 2.1 high and moderate capability habitat for fisher (CWHR 2008 as modified by Davis et al. 2007 [CWHR2] and applied to southern Sierra Nevada forest types [CWHR2.1]) ............................................................................................................................................... 91 Table 8. Estimates of the