Biological assessment for programmatic forest service and Bureau of Land Management activities in Northwestern Oregon

2008·1.4 MB·English

by  United States. Bureau of Land Management

Historic, archived document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

Biological Assessment for Programmatic
Forest Service and Bureau of Land
Management Activities in Northwestern
Oregon

Spawning bull trout. Photos by Ray Rivera, Willamette National Forest.

May 2, 2008
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Biological Assessment for Programmatic Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management Activities in
Northwestern Oregon

Prepared and Reviewed by:
Salem District Bureau of Land Management
Eugene District Bureau of Land Management
Mt. Hood National Forest
Willamette National Forest
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Siuslaw National Forest

Prepared for Consultation with:
National Marine Fisheries Service
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Table of Contents

Chapter I – Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter II - Description of the Proposed Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Implementation of the Programmatic Consultation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chapter III - Status of Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chapter IV – Action Area and Environmental Baseline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter V – Effects Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chapter VI – ESA Effect Determinations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Chapter VII –Cumulative Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Appendices
A. Essential Fish Habitat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
B. List of watershed analyses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
C. Annual reporting form for LAA activities (sample) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
D. Reported BLM/FS LAA programmatic activities,
Willamette Province, 2003-2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
E. Reported Forest Service LAA programmatic activities,
2003-2006, in watersheds with bull trout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
F. Reported BLM/FS LAA programmatic activities,
North Coast Province, 2003-2006. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
G. Projected BLM/FS LAA programmatic activities, Willamette Province . . . . . . .125
H. Projected BLM/FS LAA programmatic activities, North Coast Province. . . . . . 129
I. Projected BLM/FS LAA programmatic activities in watersheds
with bull trout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
J. Project Pre-Notification Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
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List of Figures and Tables

Figures

Figure 1. Geographic coverage of the Northwest Oregon Programmatic
Biological Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Tables

Table 1. Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) or Distinct Population
Segment (DPS), and Critical Habitat Addressed in this
Biological Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Table 2. Activity categories included in NW Oregon Programmatic BA. . . . . . . . . 6

Table 3. Activity categories included in NW Oregon Programmatic BA
and their potential effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Table 4. Number of Bull Trout Reintroduced to the Upper Middle Fork
Willamette River. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Table 5. Environmental baseline summary for Willamette Province
HUC5 watersheds in the action area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Table 6. Environmental baseline summary for Coastal HUC5 watersheds
in the action area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Table 7. Matrix indicators that can be affected positively or negatively
by activity category. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Table 8. Crosswalk between Critical Habitat PCEs and the Habitat Indicators
for Anadromous Salmonid Species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Table 9. Crosswalk between Critical Habitat PCEs and the Habitat Indicators
for Bull Trout. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

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Chapter I - Introduction

The NW Oregon Level 1 Fisheries Team, referred to as the Level 1 Team, has developed an
approach to describe and evaluate the effects of programmatic activity categories that occur
within the range of fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as
amended. This approach was first described in a Biological Assessment (BA) developed in 1997
by the Level 1 Team, then refined in an updated BA produced in 2002. The National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued Biological Opinions
in 2003 (NMFS 2002/01254 and 2002/01880 and USFWS Log no. 1-7-03-F-20), which expired
September 30, 2007. Most of the restoration activities within the 2002 BA are now covered in
the regional aquatic restoration activities biological opinions issued by NMFS (April 28, 2007;
P/NWR/2006/06530, P/NWR/2006/06532) and USFWS (June 14, 2007; 13420-2007-F-0055).
This document updates the 2002 programmatic by describing ongoing and routine land
management projects with a routine and predictable effect to ESA listed species.

This BA includes the monitoring and reporting of activity levels completed by the Action
Agencies over the past four years under their current programmatic, updates the environmental
baseline, and updates the Proposed Action to reflect current land management needs. Also
updated are status of species and critical habitat listed under the ESA. Information contained in
the 2002 BA that has remained static (i.e. references to geology, impacts to fish stocks at the turn
of the 20th century etc.) are incorporated by reference.

Table 1 displays species, Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) or Distinct Population Segment
(DPS) category, ESA status, date of listing, and Federal Register reference for species covered in
this document. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), as
amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-267), establishing Essential
Fish Habitat (EFH) across Northwest Oregon is included and evaluates effects to coho and
chinook EFH under MSA.

This Biological Assessment (BA) includes a number of individual actions which, when grouped
together, represent programs that may occur at many individual sites across the landscape, on a
routine basis or sporadically, and over multiple years (Table 2). This programmatic approach
provides each Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service (FS) administrative unit
with a consistent methodology and appropriate criteria for implementing, documenting,
evaluating and monitoring their land management activities. In addition, this approach facilitates
ESA Section 7 and MSA consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and provides information in sufficient detail and
quality to support the appropriate NMFS and USFWS analysis. Appendix A., Essential Fish
Habitat, contains an assessment of EFH effects.

This BA evaluates and describes potential effects on bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus); Lower
Columbia, Mid Columbia, and Upper Willamette steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss); Lower
Columbia and Oregon Coast coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch); Columbia River Chum
Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), and Upper Willamette and Lower Columbia River chinook salmon
(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).

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Table 1. Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) or Distinct Population Segment (DPS), and
Critical Habitat Addressed in this Biological Assessment

Federal Register
Species ESU or DPS ESA Status
Notice and Date

70 FR 37160
Chinook Upper Willamette River ESU* Threatened
6/28/05
Salmon
70 FR 37160
Lower Columbia River ESU * Threatened
6/28/05

Coho 70 FR 37160
Lower Columbia River ESU ** Threatened
Salmon 6/28/05

73 FR 7816
Oregon Coast ESU**** Threatened
2/11/2008
71 FR 834
Steelhead Lower Columbia River DPS* Threatened
1/5/06
71 FR 834
Middle Columbia River DPS* Threatened
1/5/06

71 FR 834
Upper Willamette River DPS* Threatened
1/5/06
Chum 70 FR 37160
Columbia River ESU* Threatened
Salmon 6/28/05
63 FR 31647
Bull Trout Columbia River DPS*** Threatened
6/10/1998
*Critical Habitat for these species was designated on September 2, 2005 (70 FR 52629)
**Critical Habitat for this ESU has not been designated
***Critical Habitat has been designated for Bull Trout. The designation does not include Northwest Forest Plan
lands
****Critical habitat was designed at listing on February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7816)

Table 2. Activity categories included in NW Oregon Programmatic BA.
Activities Page
Road Maintenance and Storm Proofing 12
Repair of Storm-Damaged Roads 15
Recreation Site, Trail, and Administrative Structure Maintenance
16
and Associated Public Use
Fisheries Program Surveys 18
Environmental Education Programs 19
Pump Chance/Helipond Maintenance and Use 19
Road Prism Salvage and Road-side Hazard Tree Removal 21
Miscellaneous Special Use Permits and Leases 22
Commercial Rafting Permits 22
Renewal of Existing Telephone Line and Power Line Special Use
23
Permits
Special Forest Products 24

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Compliance with other Management Plans

The assessment area of this BA includes those portions of the Eugene and Salem Districts of the
BLM; Willamette, Mt. Hood and Siuslaw National Forests, and the Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area of the FS, which are within ESU’s or DPS’ for the above-mentioned
species (Table 1). All proposed programmatic activity categories comply with the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement on Management of Habitat for Late-Successional
and Old-Growth Forest Related Species Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl (USDA
and USDI 1994a); the Record of Decision (ROD) and Standards and Guidelines for
Amendments to FS and BLM Planning Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted
Owl (USDA and USDI 1994b), and respective BLM Resource Management Plans and the
National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans.

This BA has been prepared in compliance with Section 7 of the ESA, as amended. Section 7 of
the ESA assures that through consultation (or conferencing for proposed species or critical
habitat) with the USFWS and NMFS, federal actions do not jeopardize the continued existence
of any threatened, endangered, or proposed species, or result in the destruction or adverse
modification of designated critical habitat.

Document Overview

This BA begins with a description of the proposed action in Chapter II. The proposed action was
updated by the Level 1 Team after review of current categories, activity reporting during 2003-
2006, and projected activities for the next five years. Project design criteria, guidelines for
project planning, and reporting requirements are also presented.

Levels of projected activities include projects that have federal funding and may occur on non-
federal lands. Currently, this includes two types of projects, those commonly called Wyden
Amendment projects (Forest Service Title III, Section 323, P.L. 105-277; Bureau of Land
Management Title I, Section 123, P.L. 105-277) and those commonly called Payments to
Counties projects (Secure Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (P.L. 106-393)).
Payments to Counties projects are included since BLM and FS line officers approve the funding,
authorization or implementation of projects on non-federal land. Project design criteria listed in
Chapter 2, appropriate for a Payments to Counties project, should be incorporated into the grant
agreement to the grant recipient.

Chapter III contains a description and status of affected species. There is a general discussion of
life histories and habitat preferences of coho salmon, chinook salmon, chum salmon, steelhead
and bull trout.

The action area and environmental baseline is described in Chapter IV. Environmental baseline
information listing size, ownership and road and trail information for each fifth-field watershed
is included. Watershed analysis reports were the basis for the environmental baseline. Each FS
and BLM unit reviewed land management activities and natural environmental events, and
updated their fifth-field baseline from the 2002 baseline as needed. A complete listing of
watershed analyses within the Action Area is listed in Appendix B.
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Figure 1. Geographic coverage of the Northwest Oregon Programmatic Biological Assessment

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