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

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These effects would be limited to areas adjacent to roadsides, so if goshawks could be disturbed if they were nesting in close vicinity to the roadside. Habitat impacts to goshawks are not expected to be significant. No known non-federal timber harvest is proposed at this time. Past timber harvest on adjacent private lands has resulted in a reduction in the amount of suitable goshawk habitat within the analysis area, either from clear cut harvests, intensive selection harvest or salvage. Effects of private land timber harvest have been accounted for in the baseline amount of habitat as discussed above. There are private residences and ranches in the analysis area that include private access roads and grazing. Activities in and around these properties have negligible effects or no effect to goshawk habitat. Determination Due to the factors described above, the Johnny O’Neil project may affect individuals but is not expected to result in a trend toward federal listing or loss of viability. Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) Great Gray Owls are typically associated with old growth red fir, mixed conifer, or lodgepole pine for nesting, and with the presence of wet montane meadows for foraging (CDFG 1990). The great gray owl is considered sensitive because of its limited distribution in California. Loss of mature forest habitat for nesting and the degradation of montane meadows remain the major sources of concern. Intermittent surveys for great gray owls have been completed on the KNFF, but no there have been no observations of pairs or individuals. Single incidental detections of great gray owls have been recorded on the Salmon River, Scott River, and Goosenest Ranger Districts, and an incidental sighting in the vicinity of the Siskiyou Crest near Mt. Ashland in 2005 (C. Oakley, pers. comm. 2005, cited in USDA 2008). Known pairs have been recorded in atypical habitat on the Rogue River National Forest to the north of the KNF. The nearest location to the project area is an incidental location about six miles north of the Siskiyou Crest (more than 6 miles from the project area) (D. Clayton, personal communication). There are some small high elevation meadows within the Horse Creek 6 th field watershed, about two miles from the project area. Suitable habitat for this owl does not occur within or adjacent to the project area. Surveys will not be conducted for this species. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1-No Action The nearest incidental location to the project area is more than six miles away and suitable habitat for this owl does not occur within or adjacent to the project area. Therefore, there will be no effect to great gray owls. Action Alternatives 8
Since the nearest incidental location to the project area is more than six miles away, suitable habitat for this owl does not occur within or adjacent to the project area. Therefore, there will be no effect to great gray owls. Cumulative Effects Since there are no direct or indirect effects, there are no cumulative effects. Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) The willow flycatcher is a “rare to locally uncommon” summer resident in wet meadow and montane riparian habitats at 2000–8000’ in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range. In California, this species most often occurs in broad, open river valleys or large mountain meadows with lush, high foliage-volume willows (Harris et al. 1987; CDFG 2005). Across its range, willow flycatchers typically select willows for nesting but may use other species of shrubs, typically low growing shrubs and bushes near water (as reviewed in Sedgwick 2000). Habitat for willow flycatchers in or near the Horse Creek 6 th field watershed is primarily located along the Klamath River and the larger adjacent streams, Seiad Creek, Grider Creek and Thompson Creek. For the past 13 years, willow flycatchers have been captured at the Constant Effort Mist Netting Station in willow habitat along the Klamath River near Seiad Valley. This mist-netting station is about five miles from the project area. Breeding adults have been captured in the spring, and young of the year have been captured in the fall, indicating that the species likely breeds in the upper basin of the Klamath River and in areas of the Marble Mountains and Siskiyou Crest; recent surveys at the mouth of Horse Creek have detected willow flycatchers in willow thickets at the mouth of Horse Creek on the Klamath River (S. Cuenca, personal communication 2011). Small patches of low quality habitat (primarily alders and small clusters of willow) occur on non-federal ownership along the lower reaches of Horse Creek in limited areas along Road 46N50, more than 2 miles from the project area. Surveys have not been conducted for willow flycatchers specifically for the Johnny O’Neil project. Surveys will not be conducted for this species as the project does not occur within or adjacent to suitable habitat. Direct and Indirect Effects Alternative 1-No Action Under Alternative 1 none of the proposed activities would be implemented; therefore, there would be no direct effects to willow flycatcher. In the absence of large-scale natural disturbance it is unlikely that the amount of willow flycatcher habitat in the Horse Creek 6 th field watershed will significantly change in the near future. However, in the event of a wildfire, fire could burn through riparian areas in the lower reaches of Horse Creek outside the project area, potentially removing riparian shrub habitat. 9
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: Roads and landings- Construction of
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 and 22: Cumulative Effects Reasonable fores
Page 23 and 24: Creek. This potential habitat will
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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