Survey Protocols for Amphibians, Version 3.0

314 Pages·2000·17.78 MB·English

Survey Protocols for

A
M P H I B I A N S

Under the Survey & Manage Provision

of the Northwest Forest Plan

Version 3.0

October 1999
As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and
natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the
environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation.
The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interest of all our people.
The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under
U.S. administration.
BLM/OR/WA/PT-00/033+1792
United States Forest Bureau of Land United States
Department of Service Management Department of
Agriculture R-5/6 Interior
OR/WA/CA
Reply Refer To: 1920/2600 (FS)/ 1736-PFP(BLM) (931)P Date: October 18, 1999
EMS TRANSMISSION 10/19/99
FS-Memorandum BLM-Instruction Memorandum No. OR-2000-004
Expires: 09/30/2001
To: USDI Bureau of Land Management District Managers (Coos Bay, Eugene, Lakeview,
Medford, Roseburg, Salem) and Field Managers (Arcata, Klamath Falls, Redding, and
Ukiah) and USDA Forest Service Forest Supervisors Within the Area of the Northwest
Forest Plan
Subject: Survey and Manage Survey Protocols - Amphibians v. 3.0
The Standards and Guidelines for Management of Habitat for Late-Successional and Old-
Growth Forest Related Species within the Range of the Northern Spotted Owl include the
requirement to conduct surveys for particular amphibians prior to all ground-disturbing activities
that will be implemented in FY 1997 or later (page C-5, Component 2). Surveys are required
within the known or suspected range and within the habitat types or vegetative communities
associated with the amphibian species identified within Component 2.
Enclosed are the standard protocols (Version 3.0) for conducting surveys for amphibians. This
version and transmittal letter replace the March 12, 1996 draft protocol that was transmitted by a
cover letter dated March 18, 1996, memoranda dated October 2, 1997, June 29, 1998 (BLM
Information Bulletin No. OR-98-246), and June 29, 1998 (R-6, File Code 2670) concerning
amphibian survey protocol adjustments.
This memorandum transmits 5 amphibian protocols to field officials for immediate
implementation. Survey methods and survey conditions in the 1996 draft protocol are more
comprehensive than those in version 3.0. Therefore, surveys initiated following the draft
protocol meet the requirements of the present Version 3.0 protocol.
The protocols are designed so that there is a high probability of finding populations of these
species, if present. Please follow the standard protocols as closely as possible.
Although the protocols may be revised in the future, projects surveyed according to these
protocols will be considered as meeting the requirements of Component 2.
District Managers, Field Managers, Forest Supervisors, and District Rangers 2
Please address any questions to Cheryl McCaffrey (BLM), Sarah Madsen (FS R-6), or
Paula Crumpton (FS R-5). They can be reached at:
Cheryl - 503-952-6050; E-mail: [email protected]
Sarah - 503-808-2673; E-mail: smadsen/[email protected]
Paula - 530-242-2242; E-mail: pcrumpton/[email protected]
Signed By Signed By
Al Wright Bradley E. Powell
ALFRED W. WRIGHT BRADLEY E. POWELL
Acting State Director, CA Acting Regional Forester, Region 5
USDI Bureau of Land Management USDA Forest Service
Signed By Signed By
William L. Bradley (for) Robert J. Devlin (for)
ELAINE Y. ZIELINSKI NANCY GRAYBEAL
State Director, OR/WA Acting Regional Forester, Region 6
USDI Bureau of Land Management USDA Forest Service
Authenticated by
Mary O’Leary
Management Assistant
Enclosure (under separate cover)
Distribution:
BLM Forest Service
District Field Forest Supervisors Forest Supervisors
Managers Managers Region 6 Region 5
Oregon
Coos Bay Arcata Deschutes Klamath
Eugene Klamath Falls Gifford Pinchot Lassen
Lakeview Redding Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Mendocino
Medford Ukiah Mt. Hood Modoc
Roseburg Okanogan Shasta Trinity
Salem Olympic Six Rivers
Rogue River
BLM Distribution: Siskiyou FS Distribution:
WO-230 (Room 204LS)-1 Siuslaw R5:
CA-330 (P.Roush)-1 Umpqua Shasta Trinity, Paula Crumpton
CA-930-1 Wenatchee Orleans RD, John Larson
OR-912 (A.Agnew)-1 Willamette R6:
OR-931 (C.McCaffrey)-1 Winema NR, Sarah Madsen
OR-934 (P. Teensma) R6-SP - 1
REO Distribution: Research Units:
Belisle -1 PNW - 1
Mohoric -1 PSW - 1
Sims -1
Watson -1
SURVEY PROTOCOLS FOR AMPHIBIANS

UNDER THE SURVEY AND MANAGE PROVISION

OF THE NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN
Version 3.0

OCTOBER 1999
Deanna H. Olson, Editor and Subgroup Lead
Survey and Manage Amphibian Subgroup

Chapter Authors

David R. Clayton

Charles M. Crisafulli

Lawrence L.C. Jones

Peter C. Lewendal

Richard S. Nauman

Lisa M. Ollivier

Deanna H. Olson

Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr.

Additional Appendix Contributor

John S. Applegarth
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ABSTRACT

Survey protocols were developed for Component/Strategy 2 amphibian species under the Survey
and Manage provision of the federal Northwest Forest Plan. The goal of these protocols is to
screen proposed project areas on federal lands for the presence of five endemic plethodontid
salamander species: Shasta salamander (Hydromantes shastae), Siskiyou Mountains salamander
(Plethodon stormi), Del Norte salamander (P. elongatus), Larch Mountain salamander (P.
larselli), and Cascade Range populations of the Van Dyke's salamander (P. vandykei). This
document is written to provide guidance to federal field crews implementing federally mandated
surveys. Extensive reconnaissance level survey approaches that focus on species detection are
presented. These protocols have undergone more than two years of field testing, and several
rounds of peer, field-user, and manager reviews. Chapter I provides an overview of the species,
survey methods, and identifies key changes from the draft protocols released by the Regional
Ecosystem Office (Portland, OR) in 1996 (Olson et al. 1996). The similarities and differences in
survey approaches among species are explained, and common elements of protocols are
specified. Our recommended flexible and fixed survey elements are identified to aid subsequent
management decisions regarding protocol implementation and the maintenance of regional data
standards. Chapter II summarizes the procedures used to compile known site data, and provides
our current known site data summaries and dot-maps of known site distributions. Each
subsequent section (Chapters III-VII) focuses on the survey protocol for a single species, and
each is written such that it may be read separately; field biologists or resource managers may
need to apply only a single protocol. Hence, cross-referencing of information among protocols is
minimized and some information is repeated among chapters. A separate document addresses the
management requirements and recommendations for these species and provides a more thorough
review of the known elements of the species' biology relevant for effective management (Olson
1999).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I: Standardized Survey Protocols for Amphibians under the Survey and Manage

and Protection Buffer Provisions

by Deanna H. Olson ........................................................7

CHAPTER II: Survey and Manage Salamander Known Sites

by Richard S. Nauman and Deanna H. Olson ...................................43

CHAPTER III: Survey Protocol for the Shasta Salamander (Hydromantes shastae)

by Deanna H. Olson and Peter C. Lewendal ....................................79

CHAPTER IV: Survey Protocol for the Siskiyou Mountains Salamander (Plethodon stormi)

by David R. Clayton, Lisa M. Ollivier, and Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr. ..................125

CHAPTER V: Survey Protocol for the Del Norte Salamander (Plethodon elongatus)

by Lisa M. Ollivier and Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr. .................................163

CHAPTER VI: Survey Protocol for the Van Dyke’s Salamander (Plethodon vandykei)

by Lawrence L.C. Jones ...................................................201

CHAPTER VII: Survey Protocol for the Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon larselli)

by Charles M. Crisafulli ...................................................253

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