Biological Evaluation. Plateau Facility Fire Protection Project. Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District

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1 Biological Evaluation Plateau Facility Fire Protection Project Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District 1.0 BACKGROUND/HISTORY The purpose of this Biological Evaluation (BE) is to address the effect of the Plateau Facility Fire Protection Project (PFFP) on species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), or their designated critical habitat. The project involves using mechanical thinning treatments and prescribed burning to protect 21 sites and facilities (Figure 1 and Table 1) on the North Kaibab Ranger District (NKRD). The priority is to provide for firefighter and public safety in the event of a wildfire. Species that have the potential to be impacted by the proposed project are Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) and its critical habitat, and California condor (Gymnogyps californianus). All other species identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for Coconino County would not be affected by the PFFP project because the NKRD is either outside of the species range or the district lacks suitable habitat (Kaibab 2010). Early coordination with the Service was conducted during various meetings, including FWS/Kaibab National Forest Coordination meeting 3/2/2010 and 4/26/2010, at NKRD on 4/12/2010, a review and discussion on the draft BE on 9/8/2011 and most recently a letter from the FWS on March 19, 2012 for further clarification. This BE addresses the proposed action in compliance with Section 7 of the ESA. Section 7 assures that, through consultation with the FWS, federal actions do not jeopardize the continued existence of any threatened, endangered or proposed species, or result in the destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.

2 Figure 1. Location of facilities on the North Kaibab Ranger District proposed for fire protection treatments. Locations with a contain mixed-conifer habitat and has the potential to affect MSO, see Appendix A for closer detail of the sites that include MSO habitat.

3 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION & ACTION AREA The proposed action treats approximately 5,081 acres around District facilities by mechanically thinning on about 1,841 acres and/or conducting prescribed fire operations on about 2,152 acres as shown in Figure 1 and listed in Table 1a and 1b below. Mechanical treatments would maintain groups of trees with interlocking canopy while maintaining and or creating interspersed openings to reduced crown fires. The action area includes the sites seen in Figure 1 and listed below in Table 1. For the purpose of this evaluation, only activities at the sites shown in Bold in Table 1 below have the potential to affect MSO habitat, Appendix A shows a close-up of each site and Table 2 lists acres of MSO habitat. The difference in acres between Table 1 and Table 2 is that the District speaks in broad habitat descriptions. For example the District describes DeMotte Vicinity polygon as mixed conifer, however it includes large meadows that are not considered MSO habitat. The proposed mechanical treatments would reduce residual basal area and stand density down to a specified scale for consistency. Prescribed burning is either a standalone treatment or encompasses the thinning acres after the mechanical treatments are complete. Thinning could be heavier closer to structures and decreasing towards adjacent habitat. Project design could include repeat burn entries to meet project objectives. The Proposed Action acres for thinning and prescribed burning by vegetation type are provided in Table 1 below and the thinning prescriptions include: Pinyon/Juniper Woodlands - Residual site makeup would leave about 30 trees per acre with a basal area of at least 24 square feet per acre. Create openings 4 acres or less adjacent to facilities, promoting and protecting cliffrose shrubbery. Ponderosa pine - Residual site makeup would leave about 120 trees per acre, reducing site density to about square feet of basal area per acre (BA), and a Stand Density Index (SDI) between 110 and 160. Create openings adjacent to facilities of 2 to 4 acres. Mixed conifer Dry Park Station/Lookout Tower will be thinned from below up to 24 inches in diameter, leaving a basal area of about 90 square feet per acre. Create openings adjacent to facilities up to 2 acres. East Rim Trailhead, Pleasant Valley Cabin and South Canyon Communication Site would be thinned from below up to 9 dbh. As described above openings adjacent to facilities of up to 2 acres will be created. This can also be described as a ft. buffer around each facility. The objective of these openings is to provide a defensible space of reduced fuels around buildings. The basal area will be the same as described in the bullets above, but less ground materials will be maintained compared to the overall post treatment polygon conditions, Table 3. Dry Park Station/Lookout Tower, DeMotte Vicinity and South Canyon Communication Sites include the Garkane powerline; mitigations identified for mechanical treatments in the Phase II Utility Maintenance in Utility Corridors on Arizona Forests Biological Opinion will be incorporated and are listed below. Although no PACs currently occur on the District, if a PAC is identified the mitigation measures would apply. 1. Avoid ground work (use of equipment) within PACs between March 1 and August 31.

4 2. Avoid use of loud machinery within 0.25 mile of PACs between March 1 and August 31, with goal to limit noise levels at PAC boundary to < 56 decibels (dba). 3. For hazard line maintenance and/or vegetation hazard treatment in an MSO PAC during the breeding season, coordinate the timing of the hazard treatments such that work is consolidated into the least number of days of work and least number of trips in and out of the PAC to minimize the duration and frequency of disturbance to the MSO as much as possible. 4. Coordinate disposal methods with District and if appropriate/feasible leave large (> 12 inches) logs at edge of ROW in or adjacent to PACs. 5. When feasible schedule hazard line maintenance and vegetation treatments after breeding season (i.e., defer activity to later date when low priority or not imminent threat to safe operation of lines/structures). 6. For APS LIDAR flights, APS will not land for refueling Prescribed fire was not a covered activity under that consultation and will be analyzed for this project. Prescribed fire, as defined in Appendix B, will follow thinning treatments or may be stand alone, see Table 1 above, if stand alone mechanical preparations are included with the goal to improve canopy base height, torching index and flame lengths as described below: Pinyon/Juniper Woodlands - Improve Canopy Base Height to 11.5 feet, increases the Torching Index to mph and lowers Flame Length to 6.74 feet. Ponderosa pine - Improve Canopy Base Height to feet, increases the Torching Index to mph and lowers Flame Length to 3.75 feet. Mixed conifer - improves Canopy Base Height to 4.61 feet, increases the Torching Index to mph and lowers Flame Length to 9.93 feet. The above expected fire behaviors are likely to exhibit torching (passive crown fire) and less likely to produce lofted embers that start more fires. These fires generally burn cooler and slower and typically burn in the surface fuels. Fire behavior conditions that would occur under these conditions would range from creeping surface fires with flame lengths less than one foot burning in litter and duff; to active surface fire burning freely in all surface fuels, and actively torching groups of seedling and sapling sized (1-6 inch ) trees. The more active fires may occasionally torch out individual overstory trees as well as small groups of overstory trees with continuous ladder fuels beneath them. These types of fire are less likely to cause high fire severity effects (Appendix B).

5 Table 1. Facilities proposed for thinning and prescribed burn treatments by vegetation type. Treatment Types 1 Vegetation Facility or Site Name Type Thinning Acres (i.e., thinning, rx burning, or both) Overall Acres at Prescribed Site Treated Burn Acres Indian Hollow Campground P/J LeFevre Overlook P/J Mangum Camp P/J Ryan House P/J Ryan Substation P/J Warm Water Tank P/J Pinion-Juniper Veg. Type Sub-total P/J ADOT yard & communication Site P Pine Jacob Lake Vicinity P Pine Jacob Lake Lookout Tower P Pine Warm Springs RAWS P Pine Area South of 89-A AZ Trailhead 3 P Pine (856 acres now w/in JR Project Area) Big Ridge Communication Site P Pine Big Springs Field Station P Pine Big Springs Lookout Tower P Pine Big Saddle Cabin P Pine Kaibab (205) Trailhead P Pine Ponderosa Pine Veg. Type Sub-total P Pine 969 2,691 2,782 Dry Park Station/Lookout Tower Mix Con East Rim Trailhead Mix Con Pleasant Valley Cabin Mix Con DeMotte Vicinity Mix Con South Canyon Comm. Site Mix Con Mixed Con. Veg. Type Sub-total* Mix Con 1,841 2,152 2,204 * Acreage includes mixed conifer stands, meadows, and pure aspen stands. See table 2 for acreage that shows just mixed conifer stands only. 1 Some acreages are listed both under Thinning and Prescribed Burning, these treatment areas may undergo thinning, prescribed burning, or both treatments within same area.

6 Table 2. Mixed Conifer stands (MSO restricted habitat) acres proposed for thinning and prescribed burning Treatment Area Prescribed Rx Burning Treatment acres Mechanical Thinning Treatment acres Total Acres Treated acres Dry Park Station/Lookout Tower East Rim Trailhead Pleasant Valley Cabin DeMotte Vicinity South Canyon Comm. Site Totals LISTED SPECIES & CRITICAL HABITAT IN THE ACTION AREA The following ESA-listed species and/or critical habitat occur within the action area, or may be affected by the proposed action: Mexican spotted owl and California condor Mexican spotted owls nest and roost primarily in rocky canyons in this portion of the Colorado Plateau (USFWS 1995). Owls on the NKRD use forests for foraging, if at all (district records). Protocol surveys for owls were completed in 2009 (NKRD records) and 2010 (SWCA) without any detection. Portions of the project area fall under the description restricted habitat, as defined in the Recovery Plan for the Mexican Spotted Owl (USFWS 1995) and as Critical Habitat CP-10. In general, the project area lacks the steep slopes, closed canopy, and large-diameter trees that are preferred by spotted owls for nesting and roosting sites, although the area could be used by spotted owls for foraging or dispersal (SWCA 2010). The California condor was reintroduced as an experimental, nonessential population under Section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. This non-essential, experimental designation provides increased opportunities for assuring that the release and the management of the condors do not disrupt or conflict with other activities. Depending on the time of year and food availability, the number of condors on the district at any one time may vary. Condors have been extensively radio-tracked and have been detected flying over and foraging throughout the project area. All condors are closely monitored by researchers sponsored by the California Condor Working Group. 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE CONDITIONS The mixed conifer type dominates the higher elevations on the Plateau above 9,000 feet, and is comprised mostly of Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, white fir, aspen, and Douglas-fir. This cover type comprises 2204 acres in the PFFP project area. This acreage includes large meadows, aspen and pure ponderosa pine stands. The actual acreage of just mixed conifer stands in the PFFP area, that is considered MSO habitat, is 911 acres (Table 2 and Appendix D).

7 The following table displays the No Action results in the mixed conifer habitat; the numbers represent average 2009/2010 stand data for all sites listed in Bold in table 1. Appendix E shows photos of treatment areas. Table 3. Forest Vegetation Simulation models for PFFP; No Action 2. TYPE EXISTING (NO ACTION) CONDITION Basal Area (sq. ft. per acre) Trees per Acre (18 24 ) Trees per Acre (greater than 24 ) Snags (greater than 14 ) Downed Woody Debris (tons per acre) Stand Density Index (max SDI = 635) EFFECTS OF THE ACTION Effects to Individual Spotted Owls Lack of Mexican spotted owl detections during PFFP project area surveys, as well as lack of detections during project surveys in similar habitat across NKRD over the past 10 years, indicates that spotted owl occupancy in the PFFP project area is unlikely. In addition, these sites include or are adjacent to high visitor use areas further decreasing the likelihood of owls being present. Therefore, it is unlikely that implementation of the proposed action would affect individual spotted owls directly; however, thinning and burning treatments would affect portions of stands classified as restricted spotted owl habitat, as well as designated spotted owl critical habitat. Effects to Spotted Owl Habitat The project area is located within the Colorado Plateau Recovery Unit. Three levels of habitat management are described in the Recovery plan: protected areas, restricted areas, and other forest and woodland types. There are no protected areas within the PFFP project area because there are no PACs or slope > 40%. There are 911acres of mixed-conifer restricted habitat within the project area. None of the stands within the project area currently meet minimum criteria for target/threshold (Table 3 and USFWS 1995: Table III.B.1 on page 92). The proposed action (See above) will retain all trees above 24 dbh. Trees will be thinned from below, up to 24 to reach proposed 90 sq. feet/acre basal area. Aspens, a key component of hardwoods, will not be mechanically treated but could be thinned by burning. The average amount of downed logs and snags are likely to increase post implementation (Table 4). 2 The conditions in Table 3 are different than those found by Vankat (2011) on the adjacent Grand Canyon National Park mixed conifer habitat type due to the lack of historical harvesting within in the Grand Canyon National Park.

8 Managed and prescribed fires have not occurred in the mixed conifer habitat on the NKRD and very little data is available. Based on the information provided in the 2009 Biological Assessment for the Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), Fire Management Plan we would expect similar fire behavior and data. Based on GCNP it is expected that large tree density, snag density, and ground layer species richness and cover would remain unchanged in low and moderate-low severity areas as proposed. A decrease in small diameter trees is expected, which would decrease overall basal area and canopy cover. Table 4. Average MSO habitat data from Forest Vegetation Simulation (using 2009/2010 stand exam data) models for PFFP before and after mechanical treatment. TYPE ( EXISTING TREATMENT- 5 CONDITION years) Basal Area (sq. ft. per acre) Basal Area for VSS 1-3 (in percentage) 44% 46% 57% 58% Basal Area for VSS 4-5 (in percentage) 45% 40% 32% 32% Basal Area for VSS 6 (in percentage) 11% 14% 11% 10% Trees per Acre (18 24 ) Trees per Acre (greater than 24 ) Snags (greater than 14 ) Downed Woody Debris (tons per acre) Canopy Cover (percentage) DeMotte Vicinity There are approximately 665 acres of MSO habitat within the DeMotte Vicinity (Table 2). Areas which did not meet the criteria for MSO habitat were subtracted and included meadows and vegetation areas dominated by aspen and ponderosa pine. The data in Table 5 represent the stands in the DeMotte Vicinity area as seen in the project area map or Appendix A. Although the basal area in Table 5 appears to meet MSO threshold conditions, the basal area is made up of numerous small diameter trees.

9 Table 5. MSO habitat data from Forest Vegetation Simulation models (using 2009/2010 stand exam data) for before and after mechanical treatment. Thin from below up to 24 leaving at least 90 sq. ft. of basal area after treatment. Minimum Percentage of Restricted Area Managed for Nest/Roost Characteristics STAND LOC/SITE Tree Size-Diameter and Stand Density Index (SDI) 10% = required minimum for all three size classes Stand Averages; Restricted area = 150 BA & 10% at 170 BA BA BEFORE BA Stand Average Requirement 20 TPA = required minimum TPA > 18 BEFORE TPA > Note: The SDI percentages are for after treatment. BA equals basal area; is diameter at breast height; SDI equals stand density index; TPA is trees per acre; and LOC/SITE equals the location ID number assigned to the stand that data was gathered for. Dry Park Station and Lookout Tower: For the Dry Park Station and Lookout Tower site there would be 87 acres which are mechanically treated before treatment of the whole area with prescribed fire. Table 6. MSO habitat data from Forest Vegetation Simulation models (using 2009/2010 stand exam data) for before and after mechanical treatment. Thin from below up to 24 leaving at least 90 sq. ft. of basal area after treatment. STAND LOC/SITE Tree Size-Diameter and Stand Density Index (SDI) 10% = required minimum for all three size classes Stand Averages; Restricted area = 150 BA & 10% at 170 BA BA BEFORE BA Stand Average Requirement 20 TPA = required minimum TPA > 18 BEFORE TPA >

10 Although the basal area in Table 5 and 6 appears to meet MSO threshold conditions, the basal area is made up of numerous small diameter trees. Other Treatment Areas: The other mixed conifer PFFPP sites which are smaller areas like the East Rim Trailhead, Pleasant Valley Cabin and South Canyon Communication Site, would all be pre-commercially thinned up to 9 dbh to remove ladder fuels and promote fire resistance. There would be no commercial treatments or prescribed burning at these three sites. The results of the thinning from below at these three sites would reduce basal area by approximately 7 10%. Effects to Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Most of PFFP project area is located in Critical Habitat Unit CP-10. Within the boundary of critical habitat unit CP-10, 912 acres of Critical Habitat are within the PFFP project analysis area. Critical habitat includes stands that meet primary constituent elements for the MSO. Primary constituent elements of critical habitat include: 1) a range of tree species composed of different tree sizes reflecting different ages of trees, 30-45% of which are large with a dbh of 12 inches or greater; 2) a shade canopy of 40% or greater; 3) large dead trees (snags) with a dbh of 12 inches or greater; 4) high volumes of fallen trees and other woody debris; 5) a wide range of tree and plant species, including hardwoods; and 6) adequate levels of residual plant cover to maintain fruits, seeds, and allow plant regeneration. Currently on average the site is made up of 51.5% tree classes greater than 12 (VSS4 26.3%, VSS5 18% and VSS6 7.2%). Post treatment modeling reduces VSS4 to 23% due to thinning up to 24, however an increase in VSS5 22% and VSS6 10% is likely to occur 5-10 years post treatment. Due to the retaining of trees greater than 24, canopy cover would be reduced from the current conditions of 54%, but the primary constituent element would be retained at 40%. Large snags and down woody debris would be maintained and with the treatment of fire could increase; however, as mentioned above, these elements would be removed immediately adjacent to the facility in the treatment polygon. Plant cover is a dynamic process and is likely to be reduced in the short term during implementation; however, recovery and increased vigor is likely to occur in the long term in response to implementation actions. As with snags and down woody debris, less plant cover will be adjacent to facilities, but maintained in the overall treatment boundaries (Appendix A). Effects to California Condors Condors could be flushed from foraging during project activities or could be attracted to the project areas during implementation. California Condor mitigation measures (Appendix C) will be followed to avoid negative impacts to California Condors. 6.0 CONCLUSIONS In summary, the sites will be treated to reduce overall basal area to 90 sq. feet/acre by thinning trees up to 18. Stands do not meet habitat component needs for nesting. To meet the Recovery plan, the NKRD has identified 25% (228 acres) that can be managed to meet Target/Threshold conditions in Lookout Canyon. Primary constituent elements are reduced immediately adjacent to facilities but are maintained overall within the project area. The proposed action is not likely to adversely affect individual spotted owls because survey results indicate that spotted owls do not occupy habitat within the PFFP project area and are especially not likely to be in areas adjacent to facilities. The

11 Proposed Action may affect, but not likely adversely affect, Mexican spotted owl habitat and designated critical habitat. The Project will not jeopardize the continued existence of the California condor. 7.0 LITERATURE CITED Kaibab Kaibab National Forest TEP& S List. White paper. January 15, 2010 SWCA Environmental Consultants North Kaibab Ranger District Spotted Owl Surveys. SWCA Project Number 15907, September USFWS Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery plan for the Mexican spotted owl: Vol. I. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 172pp. Vankat, J.L Post-1935 changes in forest vegetation of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA: part 2 mixed conifer, spruce-fir, and quaking aspen forests. Forest Ecology and Management 261: Prepared By: /s/ Angela Gatto Date: May 1, 2012 District Wildlife Biologist Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District