United States Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Washington Fish and Wildlife Office 510 Desmond Dr. SE, Suite 102 Lacey, Washington 98 503 APR 2 6 20ll In Reply Refer To: 13410-2010-F-0488 Memorandum To: Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park Ashford, Washington From: Manager, Washington Fish and Wildlife Lacey, Washington Subject: Biological Opinion for the Carbon River Access Management Plan This document transmits the Fish and Wildlife Service's Biological Opinion based on our review of the proposed Carbon River Access Managernent Plan to be implemented in Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington. We evaluated effects on the threatened northern spotted owl (Sfrlx occidentalis caurina),marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus),bttll trout (Salvelinus confluentus), and designated bull trout critical habitat in accordance with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Your July 29,2010 request for formal consultation was received on August 2,2010. This Biological Opinion is based on information provided in the June 28, 2010 Biological Assessment and on other information and correspondence shared between our respective staff. Copies of all correspondence regarding this consultation are on file at the Washington Fish and Wildlife Office in Lacey, Washington. If you have any questions about this mernorandum, the attached Biological Opinion, or your responsibilities under the Act, please contact Vince Harke at (360) 753-9529 or Carolyn Scafidi at (360) 753-4068. Endangered Species Act - Section 7 Consultation BIOLOGICAL OPINION U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Reference: 13410-2010-F-0488 Carbon River Access Management Plan Mount Rainier National Park Pierce County, Washington Agency: National Park Service Consultation Conducted By: U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Washington Fish and Wildlife Office Lacey, Washington +-lL- lutl Date TABLE OF CONTENTS CONSULTATION HISTORY ....................................................................................................... 2 BIOLOGICAL OPINION ............................................................................................................... 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION .......................................................................... 4 Action Area – Upper Carbon River Watershed .......................................................................... 6 Overview of the Proposed Action ............................................................................................... 8 Project Elements ......................................................................................................................... 9 Work Activities and Project Equipment ................................................................................... 21 Project Schedule and Duration .................................................................................................. 24 Avoidance and Minimization Measures ................................................................................... 29 STATUS OF THE SPECIES: Spotted owl .................................................................................. 38 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE: Spotted Owl ........................................................................ 40 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION: Spotted Owl .......................................................... 42 Direct Effects to Spotted Owls ................................................................................................. 42 Indirect Effects to Spotted Owls ............................................................................................... 48 Effects of Interrelated or Interdependent Actions ..................................................................... 49 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS: Spotted Owl ................................................................................... 49 INTEGRATION AND SYNTHESIS OF EFFECTS: Spotted Owl ............................................ 51 CONCLUSION: Spotted Owl...................................................................................................... 53 STATUS OF THE SPECIES: Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus)....................... 55 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE: Murrelet .............................................................................. 56 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION: Murrelet ................................................................. 58 Direct Effects to Murrelets........................................................................................................ 58 Indirect Effects to Murrelets ..................................................................................................... 71 Effects of Interrelated or Interdependent Actions ..................................................................... 73 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS: Murrelet ......................................................................................... 74 INTEGRATION AND SYNTHESIS OF EFFECTS: Murrelet .................................................. 77 CONCLUSION: Marbled Murrelet ......................................................................................... 80 STATUS OF THE SPECIES: Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus)............................................. 81 Status of Bull Trout in the Puyallup Core Area ........................................................................ 81 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE: Bull Trout ............................................................................. 86 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION: Bull Trout ............................................................. 96 Direct Effects to Bull Trout ...................................................................................................... 97 Indirect Effects to Bull Trout .................................................................................................. 101 Effects of Interrelated and Interdependent Actions ................................................................ 114 Summary of Direct and Indirect Effects to Bull Trout ........................................................... 115 Effects to the Carbon River Bull Trout Local Population ...................................................... 119 Effects to the Puyallup Core Area .......................................................................................... 120 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS: Bull Trout..................................................................................... 120 INTEGRATION AND SYNTHESIS OF EFFECTS: Bull Trout.............................................. 122 CONCLUSION: Bull Trout ....................................................................................................... 123 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE: Designated Bull Trout Critical Habitat ............................. 125 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION: Designated Bull Trout Critical Habitat ............... 126 Summary of Effects to Designated Bull Trout Critical Habitat .............................................. 129 ii Effects to the Puyallup CHSU and Puget Sound CHU ........................................................... 130 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS: Designated Bull Trout Critical Habitat ........................................ 131 CONCLUSION: Designated Bull Trout Critical Habitat .......................................................... 132 CONSERVATION RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................ 138 REINITIATION NOTICE .......................................................................................................... 139 LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................... 140 APPENDIX A – CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS OF PROPOSED BANK PROTECTION STRUCTURES .............................................................................................. 152 APPENDIX B – STATUS OF THE SPECIES – NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL .................... 208 APPENDIX C: – STATUS OF THE SPECIES – MARBLED MURRELET ........................... 250 APPENDIX D – STATUS OF THE SPECIES – BULL TROUT AND DESIGNATED BULL TROUT CRITICAL HABITAT ..................................................................... 271 iii LIST OF ACRONYMS Act Endangered Species Act of 1973 ATVs All-Terrain Vehicles BA Biological Assessment CFR Code of Federal Regulations CHU Critical Habitat Units dB Decibels DSA Demographic Study Area ELJs Engineered Logjams FR Federal Register FWS U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service GIS Geographic Information System GMP General Management Plan HCP Habitat Conservation Plan MP Milepost NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NPS National Park Service NTUs Nephelometric Turbidity Units Opinion Biological Opinion Park Mount Rainier National Park PCEs Primary Constituent Elements RCW Revised Code of Washington RM River Mile RPMs Reasonable and Prudent Measures SOSEAs Spotted Owl Special Emphasis Areas Spotted Owl Northern Spotted Owl U.S.C. United States Code USFS U.S. Forest Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey WAC Washington Administrative Code WDFW Washington Fish and Wildlife WDNR Washington Department of Natural Resources WDOE Washington Department of Ecology iv LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1. Summary of townships and sections. Carbon River Access Management area, Pierce County, Washington, Willamette Meridian. .................................................................... 6 Table 2. Summary of live tree removal needed for trail realignments.