To: USDA Forest Service Forest Supervisors within the Area of the Northwest Forest Plan and USDI Bureau of Land Management District Managers (Coos Bay, Eugene, Lakeview, Medford, Roseburg, Salem) and Field Managers (OR: Klamath Falls, Tillamook)
The Record of Decision (ROD) for Survey and Manage (S&M) Species (ROD and Standards and Guidelines for Amendments to the Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation Measures Standards and Guidelines) provides several situations where specific projects may be exempted from the Standards and Guidelines. These provisions are varied, and are intended for very specific sets of conditions. The identification of non-high priority sites (Standards and Guidelines, Page 10) is one such example. The enclosed is a four-step process that allows the local land manager to identify non-high priority sites for Category C and D species on a case-by-case basis. This is an interim process until a Management Recommendation that identifies high priority sites is completed.
Please use this process. We will monitor its implementation and adjust the process as necessary. If you have questions please call me, Terry Brumley, at 503-808-2968, or your agency representative: Rob Huff, R6 Forest Service at 503-808-2661, Paula Crumpton, R5 Forest Service at 530-242-2242, or Cheryl McCaffrey, BLM at 503-952-6050.
/s/ Bruce H. Rittenhouse (for)
TERRY D. BRUMLEY
Interagency Survey and Manage Program Manager
Enclosure
cc: BLM Distribution
Terry Brumley, R6 WO-230 (Room 204LS) – 1
P. Crumpton, R5 CA-330 (Paul Roush) – 1
G. Lottritz, R5 CA-930 – 1
R. Huff, R6 OR-912 (Cathy Harris, Chris Strebig) – 2
R. Escano, R6 OR-930 (Ed Shepard) – 1
P. Kain, R6 OR-931 (Judy Nelson, Lyndon Werner,
S. Odell, R6 Al Wood) – 3
S. Mohoric, R6 OR-935 (Neal Middlebrook, Cheryl McCaffrey) – 2
Monty Knudsen, FWS REO (Debbie Pietrzak, Jay Watson,
Dave Renwald) – 3
OVERVIEW OF FOUR-STEP PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING
The Record of Decision (ROD) (January 11, 2001) allows managers to identify non-high priority sites for Category C and D species. Both categories are comprised of species considered to be “uncommon” and with direction to manage high priority sites. It is practical to conduct pre-disturbance surveys for Category C species. It is not practical to conduct pre-disturbance surveys for Category D species.
To identify a Category C or D species site as a Non-High Priority site (NHP), the four-step process listed on Survey & Manage Standards & Guidelines page 10 (see below) is to be followed and documented in the project NEPA determination. The NHP document (described in Step 3) is intended to be a concise and complete record of the process prepared by the originating administrative unit, no more than 5-7 pages in total length. The document provides the rationale and scientific evidence for designating sites as Non-High Priority. This guidance applies, on a case-by-case basis, to activities at the project level.
“Manage High-Priority Sites: High-priority sites will be managed according to the Management Recommendations for the species. Professional judgment, Appendix J2 in the Northwest Forest Plan Final SEIS, and appropriate literature will be used to guide individual site management for those species that do not have Management Recommendations.
Until a Management Recommendation is written addressing high-priority sites, either assume all sites are high priority, or local determination (and project NEPA documentation) of non-high priority sites may be made on a case-by-case basis with:
1)
Guidance from the Interagency Survey and Manage Program Manager;
2)
Local interagency concurrence (BLM, FS, USFWS):
3)
Documented consideration of the condition of the species on other administrative units as identified by the Program Manager- typically adjacent units as well as others in the species range within the province: and,
4)
Identification in ISMS.
The Survey and Manage Program Manager will involve appropriate taxa specialists”.
Step 1. Guidance from the Interagency S&M Program Manager (PM)
q The first step in the process consists of the BLM Field Manager/FS Line Officer originating the proposal (“Originating Manager”) notifying the Survey and Manage Program Manager (PM) of their intent to proceed.
q The PM assigns a taxa specialist (taxa lead, expert, team member, or other qualified individual), who will provide technical assistance to the originating office through out the process.
q The originating office takes the lead in completing all four steps of the process. The Originating Manager is responsible for confirming that all steps of this process have been completed and will make the final determination of whether to proceed with the NHP site designation before signing the NEPA record, concluding the process.
Step 2. Local interagency concurrence (BLM, FS, FWS)
q The Originating Manager will request written concurrence on the proposed NHP site designations from other BLM Field Managers, FS Line Officers, and FWS Field Office Managers in the local area that may potentially be affected (see Appendix A for list of FWS contacts). The tribes, the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges may also be contacted, since they may have additional data useful in the analysis.
q If local concurrence cannot be reached, all supporting documentation, including responses from adjacent land managers, should be forwarded to the S&M PM for review and assistance in gaining resolution. If a satisfactory resolution cannot be achieved with the PM’s assistance, a memo to that effect will be included in the administrative record and the Originating Manager will modify or withdraw NHP proposal.
Step 3. Document consideration of the condition of the species on other administrative units as identified by the PM - typically adjacent units as well as others in the species range within the province.
Using the format below, the originating administrative office staff is responsible for documenting the condition of the species by preparing an analysis on a local scale. The taxa specialist will provide technical assistance to the originating office in preparation of the analysis.
Introduction (1/2 to 1 page)
q Briefly explain the purpose for the NHP proposal.
Analysis (3 to 5 pages)
q Using the most recent scientific information available (from all verified sources, including ISMS and Annual Species Review) consider the condition of the species by briefly discussing the species’ life history, ecology, number and distribution of known sites, and general habitat condition on the originating administrative unit and adjacent units within the province or other logical analysis unit that more appropriately addresses the species distribution.
q Describe the proposed NHP sites and explain how this proposal will comply with species persistence objectives and persistence criteria, on the originating administrative unit and adjacent units within the province or other logical analysis unit that more appropriately addresses the species distribution. Base the analysis on the following where most of these criteria must be met:
Moderate-to-high number of likely extant sites/records
High proportion of sites and habitat in reserve land allocations; or limited number of sites within reserves, but the proportion or amount of potential habitat within reserves is high and there is a high probability that the habitat is occupied.
Sites are relatively well distributed within the species range.
Matrix Standards and Guidelines or other elements of the Northwest Forest Plan provide a reasonable assurance of species persistence.
q
Originating office sends completed analysis and supporting documentation to the S&M PM and the taxa specialist. This becomes part of the administrative record.
Maps
q
Prepare maps at two different scales to show distribution of proposed NHP sites in relation to: 1) all known sites in the field unit, and 2) all known sites in the province or other logical analysis unit that more appropriately addresses the species distribution.
q
Delineate clearly the administrative unit boundary, project area boundary, and all reserves and matrix land allocations on these maps. Copies of these maps will be included in the administrative record maintained by the field unit.
Identify preparers on the file documents.
Step 4. Identification of NHP sites in ISMS.
A field has been created in Interagency Species Management System (ISMS) for “Site Management Status”. Once a site has been determined to be a “non-high priority” site, please designate it as such in this field in ISMS. Only a few designated people will have access to make changes in this field. A request must be made to the ISMS team to have the database administrator grant edit privileges to the Site Management Status field. To assure that Step 4 required on S&G page 10 has been met, the sites should be entered into and identified in ISMS immediately prior to the signing of the NEPA decision. (If the decision is not signed, the NHP designation will need to be reversed). The NHP sites will be included in the Annual Species Review process.
APPENDIX A LIST OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE CONTACTS
CALIFORNIA
Field Office Manager/Staff
Arcata FWO David Solis 1655 Heindon Rd.
Arcata CA 95521-5582
Robin Hamlin Six Rivers NF, Arcata RA
Ph: 707-822-7201 BLM
North Central Valley FWO James Smith 10950 Tyler Rd.
Red Bluff Red Bluff, CA 96080
Ron Clementsen Shasta-Trinity NF, Mendocino NF,
Ph: 530-527-3043 Lassen NF, Redding BLM
Yreka FWO Phil Dietrich P.O. Box 1006
Yreka, CA 96097-1006
Laura Finley Klamath NF
Ph: 530-842-5763
OREGON
Central Oregon FO Jerry Cordova 20300 Empire Ave.
Bend Suite B-3
Bend, OR 97701-5713
Dede Steele Deschutes NF, Eastslope Mt.
Ph: 541-312-6423 Hood NF
Klamath Falls FWO Steven Lewis 6610 Washburn Way
Klamath Falls, OR 97603
Doug Laye Winema NF, Klamath BLM
Ph: 541-885-8481
Oregon State Office Gary Miller 2600 SE 98th Ave Suite 100
Portland Portland, OR 97266
Ray Bosch Willamette NF, Siuslaw NF,
Ph: 503-231-6179 Siskiyou NF, Medford BLM, Rogue River NF, Mt Hood (west); Eugene, Salem and Coos Bay District BLM
Southwest Oregon FO Craig Tuss 2600 NWW Stewart Parkway
Roseburg Roseburg, OR 97470
Scott Center Roseburg BLM, Umpqua NF
Ph: 541-957-3472
WASHINGTON
Wenatchee FO Jodi Bush 215 Melody Lane
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Jeff Krupka Okanogan NF; Wenatchee
Ph: 509-665-3504 NF
Western Washington FWO Pam Repp 510 Desmond Drive SE
Olympia Lacey, WA 98503
Cindy Levy Mt Baker-Snoqualmie
Ph: 360-753-7760 Olympic NF
Vince Harke Gifford-Pinchot NF;
Ph: 360-753-9529 Mt.Adams RD