Johnny O'Neil Late Successional Reserve Habitat Restoration and ...

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Direct and Indirect Effects Effects to these bats are similar to those for Pallid bats. Roost sites could be disturbed in the short term by project activities within or adjacent to suitable habitat, but loss of habitat features are not expected except in the event individual trees >20” DBH are removed as deemed necessary for operational safety. Cumulative Effects Proposed activities in the reasonably foreseeable future that might affect suitable habitat include the Checkerboard Hazard project, which proposes to remove snags, dying trees, or small trees limiting drivers’ visibility along the road system in a very small portion of the project area containing potentially suitable habitat. This may affect individual habitat elements or may result in disturbance to individuals but these would occur within reach of the road so would be limited given the scope of this analysis and the availability of habitat occurring in this landscape. Overall, cumulative effects from the Checkerboard or other actions are not expected to be measurable given the scope of habitat available to the Townsend’s big eared bat. These effects would be limited to areas adjacent to roadsides. There are no other known ongoing or proposed non-federal actions that would combine with the action alternatives to cause cumulative effects to Townsend’s big-eared bats or their habitat, beyond the project’s direct and indirect effects. Determination - Due to these factors, the Johnny O’Neil Project may affect individual Townsend’s big eared bat but is not expected to result in a trend toward federal listing or loss of viability. Northwestern Pond Turtle (Clemmys marmorata marmorata) Environmental Baseline The northwestern pond turtle is recognized as a subspecies of the western pond turtle (Stebbins 2003), and is found throughout California excepting desert regions (Morey 2000). Western pond turtles are a highly aquatic species that can be found in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, marshes, and irrigation ditches that have a muddy or rocky bottom and abundant vegetation (Stebbins 2003). They feed on aquatic plants, insects, worms, fish, and carrion (ibid). Western pond turtles use terrestrial habitat for nesting and sometimes for overwintering. Females lay their eggs in soil and have been recorded nesting up to 300’ from water (Holland 1991). Reese and Welsh (1998) reported that individuals moved an average of 600’ from water to their overwintering sites. Surveys for pond turtles have not been conducted for the Johnny O’Neil Project. Potential low quality habitat for northwestern pond turtles is present in the lower reaches of Horse Creek, in addition to the Klamath River and the Klamath’s larger tributaries such as Seiad Creek, Grider 22
Creek. This potential habitat will not be affected by the Johnny O’Neil project; surveys will not be conducted for this species. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1 – No Action There are no direct or indirect effects expected on the western pond turtle or its habitat from taking no action. The increased likelihood of wildfire predicted with taking no action is not likely to directly affect individual pond turtles because they are rarely found away from aquatic habitat during the fire season but it can affect microsite conditions at overwintering or nesting habitat. The indirect effects of fire would vary with fire intensity. Indirect effects could also occur from increases in sedimentation from high intensity fires. Negative consequences to aquatic habitats from that type of disturbance could affect short and long-term water quality and aquatic vegetation could affect pond turtles and their habitat. Action Alternatives Habitat for western pond turtles does not occur within the project area, so there would be no direct effects to turtles or their habitat. The temporary increased vehicle traffic during project implementation could result in the disturbance of or direct impacts to individual western pond turtles that may be transitioning from aquatic to overwintering habitat along the lower portion of Horse Creek on Road 46N50. Therefore, effects would be limited in time and space. Cumulative Effects Adding the effects of these alternatives to the effects of reasonable foreseeable future actions will not result in cumulatively significant effects. The Horse Creek Road Rehabilitation project is projected to reduce the potential for landslide-related sediment within the in the Lower Horse Creek 7th field watershed (Final Geology Specialist Report, Project File). This leads to indirect beneficial effects to downstream aquatic habitats including the western pond turtle. The Horse Creek Grazing Allotment currently permits 85 cow calf units to free range, but only the lower reaches of Horse Creek contain potentially suitable habitat for the Western pond turtle. Impacts to water quality or direct impacts from grazing activities could occur but when combined with low likelihood of impacts from the action, it is unlikely that significant cumulative effects on the Western pond turtle, or its habitat, will result. Determination – With the factors described above, the Johnny O’Neil project may affect individual Northwestern Pond Turtle but is not expected to result in a trend toward federal listing or loss of viability. 23
Page 1 and 2: Johnny O’Neil Late Successional R
Page 3 and 4: Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentili
Page 5 and 6: Direct and Indirect Effects Alterna
Page 7 and 8: Roads and landings- Construction of
Page 9 and 10: Since the nearest incidental locati
Page 11 and 12: (Zeiner et al. 1990). For the purpo
Page 13 and 14: Fisher (Martes pennanti) (also a Ca
Page 15 and 16: or retention of large tree/denning/
Page 17 and 18: Determination - Due to the factors
Page 19 and 20: existing roadsides do not provide h
Page 21: Cumulative Effects Reasonable fores
Page 25 and 26: In 2005, genetic studies revealed t
Page 27 and 28: adjacent to the Klamath River below
Page 29 and 30: Direct and Indirect Effects Alterna
Page 31 and 32: lue-gray tail dropper on the KNF is
Page 33 and 34: that could occur in the Horse Creek
Page 35 and 36: Corkran, C. and C. Thoms. 1996. Amp
Page 37: Strickland, M.A., and C. W. Douglas

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