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

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.
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