Record of decision : for amendments to the survey and manage, protection buffer, and other mitigation measures standards and guidelines

164 Pages·2001·8.8 MB·English

Historic, Archive Document
Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.
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2001
USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
333 SW 1st Avenue. P.O. Box 3623
Portland, OR 97208
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
1515 SW 5th Avenue, P.O. Box 2965
Portland, OR 97208 January 2001
Record of Decision
and
Standards and Guidelines
for
Amendments to the Survey and Manage,
Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation Measures
Standards and Guidelines
Forest Service Notional Forests in Regions 5 and 6 and the Bureau of Land Management
Districts in California, Oregon, and Washington Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Ow!
United States
Department of
Agriculture
Record of Decision
for Amendments to the Survey and Manage,
Protection Buffer, and other Mitigation Measures
Standards and Guidelines

RECORD OF DECISION
for
Amendments to the Survey and Manage, Protection Buffer,
and other Mitigation Measures Standards and Guidelines
in
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Planning
Documents Within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl
January 2001
I nal
( JUL 2 5 2051 ,
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Lead Agencies: Forest Service - U.S. Department of Agriculture
Bureau of Land Management - U.S. Department of the Interior
Cooperating Agency: Fish & Wildlife Service - U.S. Department of Interior

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.1
Summary.1
Background/Purpose and Need.1
Nature of this Action.3
Plans Amended.3
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.4
2. The Decision.5
Summary of the Decision .6
Key Elements of the Decision.7
Species Review Process .7
Additional NEPA Not Anticipated for Annual Changes to Species
Assignments .8
Strategic Surveys.9
Provision to Add Species . 10
Prophysaon coernleum (Blue-Grey Tail-Dropper).10
Non-late-Successional Forest Species Being Considered for Other
Programs.10
Relationship to the Need to Treat Hazardous Fuels .11
Timing of “Pre-disturbance” Surveys.12
Five and Ten Year Deadlines for the Completion of Strategic Surveys
for Category B.12
Additional Mitigation for 10 Mollusk Species.12
Management Recommendations for Certain Bat Roosts and Cavity Nesting Birds 12
Programmatic Decision Does Not Authorize Activities.13
Programmatic Decision Does Not Officially Change Probable Sale
Quantities for Administrative Units .13
Additional Mitigation Measures.13
Monitoring .16
Application to Contracts, Permits and Special Use Authorizations.17
Application of this Decision to Management Activities in the Planning Phase
or with Signed NEPA Decisions or Decision Documents as of the Effective
Date of this Decision.17
3. Public Involvement.19
Introduction.19
Scoping.19
Public Comments on the Draft SEIS.20
Public Comments on Final SEIS.22
Record of Decision i
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Survey and Manage and other Mitigation Measures
4. Other Alternatives Considered in Detail, and Reasons They Were Not Selected. 30
The No-Action Alternative . 30
Alternative 2 - Remove or Reassign Uncommon Species Within 5 Years . 32
Alternative 3 - Add Equivalent-Effort Survey and 250-Meter Rare Species
Site Buffers . 33
5. Reasons for the Decision. 36
Response to the Four Issues Identified in the Final SEIS . 36
Rationale for Managing Blue-gray Tail-dropper as One Species .41
6. Findings.44
Response to Court Decision and Settlement Agreement.44
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).45
National Forest Management Act (NFMA).48
Diversity and Viability Provision of Fish and Wildlife Resource Regulation .... 48
Regional Guide and Forest Plan Amendments . 52
Endangered Species Act (ESA). 53
Federal Land Policy and Management Act . 54
Oregon and California Lands Act (O&C Act). 55
Protection of Tribal Treaty Rights and Trust Resources . 56
Review by the Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC). 57
Valid Existing Rights. 57
7. Identification of the Environmentally Preferable Alternative . 57
8. Administrative Review or Appeal. 58
9. Authority to Amend or Modify this Decision . 58
10. Effective Date . 58
11. Contact Person. 59
12. Signatures and Dates . 59
Attachment 1: Standards and Guidelines
Record of Decision ii
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