Klamath Falls Record of Decision: Special Status and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

Special Status and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Special Attention Species Habitat

Objectives

See Late-Successional/District Designated Reserve, Riparian Reserve, Matrix, and Special Area objectives.

Protect, manage, and conserve federal listed and proposed species and their habitats to achieve their recovery in compliance with the Endangered Species Act, approved recovery plans, and Bureau special status species policies.

Manage for the conservation of federal candidate and bureau sensitive species and their habitats so as not to contribute to the need to list and to recover the species.

Manage for the conservation of state listed species and their habitats to assist the state in achieving management objectives.

Protect and manage assessment species where possible so as to not elevate their status to any higher level of concern.

Protect Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement special attention species so as not to elevate their status to any higher level of concern.

Study, maintain, or restore community structure, species composition, and ecological processes of special status plant and animal habitat.

Land Use Allocations

All of the major land allocations in this plan are designed in part to benefit or maintain special status species in the aggregate.

Management Actions/Direction

All Land Use Allocations

Special Status Species

Protect the following sites from grazing: known and newly discovered sites of the following mollusk species will be protected from grazing by all practicable steps to ensure that the local populations of the species will not be impacted. These species include: Fluminicola n. sp. 1, Flumincola n. sp. 11, Fluminicola n. sp. 19, Fluminicola n. sp. 20, Fluminicola n. sp. 3, and Fluminicola seminalis. Freshwater mollusks in the family Hydrobiidae (to which the genus Fluminicola belong) are known to exist in the resource area. Tentative identification of mollusks collected at several sites in the resource area has been made. Further investigation is required for more positive identification of which species of Fluminicola are present in the resource area. Implementation of protection actions will be initiated after watershed analysis and appropriate National Environmental Policy Act decisions.

Review all proposed actions to determine whether or not special status species occupy or use the affected area or if habitat for such species is affected.

Conduct field surveys according to protocols and other established procedures. This includes surveying during the proper season unless surveys are deemed unnecessary through watershed analysis, project planning, and environmental assessment. For example, field surveys may not be conducted in all cases depending on the number and timing of previous surveys conducted, whether previous surveys looked for all species that a new survey would look for, and the likelihood of potential habitat. The intensity of field surveys will also vary depending on the same factors.

Consult/conference with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service for any proposed action which may effect federal listed or proposed species or their critical or essential habitat. Based on the results of consultation/conferencing, modify, relocate, or abandon the proposed action. Request technical assistance from one of these agencies for any proposed action which may affect federal candidate species or their habitat.

Coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and other appropriate agencies and organizations and jointly endeavor to recover federal listed and proposed plant and animal species and their habitats.

Modify, relocate, or abandon a proposed action to avoid contributing to the need to list federal candidate species, state listed species, or Bureau sensitive species.

Coordinate and cooperate with the state of Oregon to conserve state listed species.

Identify impacts of proposed actions, if any, to bureau assessment species as a whole and clearly describe impacts in environmental analyses. As funding permits
and as species conservation dictates, Bureau assessment species will be actively managed.

Retain under federal management, or other appropriate management organization, habitat essential for the survival or recovery of listed species. Retain habitat of candidate or bureau sensitive species where disposal will contribute to the need to list the species.

Where appropriate opportunities exist, acquire land to contribute to recovery, reduce the need to list, or enhance special status species habitat.

Where appropriate, pursue opportunities to increase the number of populations of species under BLM management through land acquisition and/or species reintroduction in coordination with other responsible agencies.

Coordinate with other agencies and groups in management of species across landscapes. Coordination will be accomplished through conservation plans or similar agreements which identify actions to conserve single or multiple species and/or habitats. Such strategies could preclude the need for intensive inventories or modifications to some projects where the conservation plan provides adequate protection for the species and meets the intent of policy.

Where plans exist for species no longer on the special status list, continue with the prescribed conservation actions if determined to be required to avoid relisting or future consideration for listing. In the case of interagency plans or agreements, this determination will be mutually decided. Such plans may be modified as needed based on adequacy of existing range-wide conditions and conservation management.

Pursue opportunities for public education about conservation of species.

In addition to protection of federally listed or proposed threatened or endangered plant or animal species, manage areas to restore and retain biological diversity to provide protection for clusters of federal candidate category 1 and 2, state listed, Bureau sensitive, and Bureau assessment species. Modify or constrain Bureau management actions and permitted actions to the extent considered necessary to avoid contributing to the need to list federal candidate category 1 and 2, state listed, state candidate, and Bureau sensitive species.

Monitor and manage habitats of federally listed or proposed threatened or endangered species as required by law. Prior to any vegetation or ground manipulation, or any disposal of BLM-administered land, conduct a review of the affected site(s) or tract(s) for such plants and animals.

Conduct general inventories for special status species where needed to determine species distribution and status. Conduct monitoring of these species populations to determine their requirements and trends. Prepare management plans when necessary, and implement active management where needed to prevent listing or to conserve the species. Report population and occurrence data to the Oregon Natural Heritage Program.

Listed, Proposed, or Candidate Threatened and Endangered Species

General

Implement the land use allocations and management actions/direction of this resource management plan which are designed to enhance and maintain habitat for threatened and endangered species.

Animals

Northern Spotted Owl (federal threatened species). In the Matrix, retain 100 acres of the best northern spotted owl habitat as close as possible to a nest site or owl activity center for all known (as of January 1, 1994) spotted owl activity centers.

Fall no trees within ¹¦₄ mile of all active northern spotted owl nest sites from approximately March 1 to September 30 to avoid disturbance and harm to young owls.

With minor exceptions, restrict human activities that could disturb owl nesting, especially use of large power equipment, within ¹¦₄ mile of all active spotted owl nest sites from approximately March 1 to September 30. Restrictions on activities will usually not be required for owl nests and activity centers located near roads or in other areas of permanent human activity.

Continue the Surveyor Mountain study to monitor spotted owl density, northern goshawk, and other old growth species and their response to harvest prescriptions.

Bald Eagle (federal threatened species). Protect known and potential habitat sites identified in the Pacific Bald Eagle Recovery Plan.

Provide a buffer of up to 30 acres around nest sites and restrict management activity near nest sites between January 1 and August 31. Coordinate with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to maintain optimum fish populations in reservoirs providing potential nesting and foraging sites. All management activities will be consistent with objectives identified in the recovery plan and the Working Implementation Plan for Bald Eagle Recovery in Oregon and Washington.

Provide snags for perching and protect those snags within ¹¦₄ mile of nest, roost, and known forage sites. Retain old growth characteristics in existing and potential habitat, including large trees and snags, to provide for future population expansion. Acquire easements or ownership of private lands within ¹¦₂ mile of existing or potential habitat that aids in meeting recovery plans; also specifically evaluate acquisition of the Algoma and Swan Lake nest sites as recommended in the recovery plan. Conduct fuels reduction management actions to help reduce potential loss of habitat to catastrophic wildfire occurrences.

Write and implement a site-specific habitat management plan for bald eagle nest sites and major use areas in the Klamath Falls Resource Area, incorporating those management actions identified in the Working Implementation Plan for Bald Eagle Recovery in Oregon and Washington for which the BLM is responsible.

Peregrine Falcon (federal endangered species). Comply with the Pacific Coast Recovery Plan for Peregrine Falcons and any other site-specific habitat management plans.

Provide a buffer of up to 30 acres around known and future sites; survey for presence in potential nesting habitat and cooperate with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to reintroduce peregrines into the Klamath River Canyon.

Restrict new roads and other management activities within ¹¦₂ mile of existing and potential nest sites. Protect potential habitat in cliff areas of upper Klamath River Canyon.

Northern Goshawk (Federal Candidate Category 2). Provide up to a 30-acre buffer around known and future activity centers.

Townsend's Big-eared Bat (Federal Candidate Category 2). When available, obtain through exchange or other mutual agreement private lands that support bat populations or contain potential habitat. Continue the Salt Caves seasonal habitat closure from May 1 to September 15.

Buffer current and future use sites up to 20 acres. Restrict management activities within ¹¦₄ mile of occupied sites.

Conduct an inventory of Townsend's big-eared bats in all potential habitat. To optimize big-eared bat populations, minimize detrimental human disturbance in habitat used by the bat. As opportunities arise, obtain through exchange or other mutual agreement, private lands with habitat that support big-eared bat populations or have the potential for use by the bat.

Western Sage Grouse (Federal Candidate Category 2). Conduct surveys in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Inventory, monitor, and manage important habitats for those characteristics important for grouse.

Provide a buffer around lek sites up to 20 acres; institute a seasonal restriction on surface disturbing activity of up to ¹¦₄ mile around lek sites from March 1 through May 1.

Prohibit the removal of large tracts of sagebrush in and near important sage grouse use areas.

Amphibians and Reptiles. Conduct inventories for special status reptiles and amphibians in the planning area. Inventory and documentation of non-status reptiles and amphibians will also take place during this time.

Shortnose Sucker (Endangered), Lost River Sucker (Endangered), Klamath Largescale Sucker (Candidate), Western Pond Turtle (Candidate). Provide a buffer of up to 300 feet around waterbodies used by these species. Maintain riparian crown cover in accordance with best management practices and riparian-wetland areas.

Redband Trout (Candidate). Provide a buffer of up to 300 feet around waterbodies used by this species. Maintain riparian crown cover in accordance with best management practices and riparian-wetland areas.

Plants

Astragalus applegatei (federal endangered). Although there are known populations within the planning area, none of these populations have been found on BLM-administered lands.

Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
Special Attention Species

This incorporates the "Survey and Manage" and "Protection Buffer" species and standards and guidelines from the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement record of decision.

Survey and Manage

Implement the survey and manage provision of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision within the range of Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement special attention species and the particular habitats that they are known to occupy. Appendix C shows which species are covered by this provision, and which of the following four categories and management actions/direction are to be applied to each:

Manage known sites (highest priority).

Acquire and manage information on these sites, make it available to all project planners, and use it to design or modify activities.
Protect known sites. For some species, apply specific management treatments such as prescribed fire.
For rare and endemic fungus species, temporarily withdraw known sites from ground-disturbing activities until the sites can be thoroughly surveyed and site-specific measures prescribed.

Survey prior to activities and manage sites.

Continue existing efforts to survey and manage rare and sensitive species habitat.
For species without survey protocols, start immediately to design protocols and implement surveys.
Within the known or suspected ranges and within the habitat types of vegetation communities associated with the species, survey for red tree voles and lynx. These surveys will precede the design of all ground-disturbing activities that will be implemented in 1997 or later.
For the other species listed in Appendix C, begin development of survey protocols promptly and proceed with surveys as soon as possible. These surveys will be completed prior to ground-disturbing activities that will be implemented in Fiscal Year 1999 or later. Work to establish habitat requirements and survey protocols may be prioritized relative to the estimated threats to the species as reflected in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.
Conduct surveys at a scale most appropriate to the species.
Develop management actions/direction to manage habitat for the species on sites where they are located.
Incorporate survey protocols and proposed site management in interagency conservation strategies developed as part of ongoing planning efforts coordinated by the Regional Ecosystem Office.

Conduct extensive surveys and manage sites.

Conduct extensive surveys for the species to find high-priority sites for species management. Specific surveys prior to ground-disturbing activities are not a requirement.
Conduct surveys according to a schedule that is most efficient and identify sites for protection at that time.
Design these surveys for efficiency and develop standardized protocols.
Begin these surveys by 1996.

Conduct general regional surveys.

Survey to acquire additional information and to determine necessary levels of protection for arthropods, fungi species that were not classed as rare and endemic, bryophytes, and lichens.
Initiate these surveys no later than Fiscal Year 1996 and complete them within 10 years.

Protection Buffers

Provide protection buffers for specific rare and locally endemic species and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement special attention species in the upland forest matrix and all habitats identified in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement record of decision. A list of these species and related management actions/direction are presented in Appendix C and the section on Special Status and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Special Attention Species. These species are likely to be assured viability if they occur within reserves. However, there might be occupied locations outside reserves that will be important to protect as well.

Apply the following management actions/direction:

Develop survey protocols that will ensure a high likelihood of locating sites occupied by these species.
Following development of survey protocols and prior to ground-disturbing activities, conduct surveys within the known or suspected ranges of the species and within the habitat types or vegetation communities occupied by the species. See the previous Survey and Manage section for an implementation schedule.
When located, protect the occupied sites of:
Nonvascular plants
Amphibians
Birds
Mammals

Animals. Roosting Bats. Conduct surveys to determine the presence of roosting bats, including fringed myotis, silver-haired bats, long-eared myotis, long-legged myotis, and pallid bats. Surveys will be conducted according to protocol defined in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision and in any subsequent revisions to protocol.

As an interim measure, allow no timber harvest within 250 feet of sites containing bats. Develop mitigation measures in project or activity plans involving these sites. The intent of these measures is to protect sites from destruction, vandalism, disturbance from road construction or blasting, or any other activity that could change cave or mine temperatures or drainage patterns.

When Townsend's big-eared bats are found on federal land, notify the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Develop management prescriptions for these sites that include special consideration for potential impacts on this species. See the management actions/direction for Townsend's big-eared bats listed in the Special Status Species section.

Late-Successional/District Designated Reserves

Design projects for recovery of threatened or endangered animal and plant species even if they result in some reduction of habitat quality for late-successional species. These projects will be designed for least impact to late-successional species.

Design projects to maintain health of the habitat for the long term.