Wildlife Specialist report

outes in the White-eared hummingbird analysis area, and 1,642 miles of motorized
routes in the plains titmouse/Gray vireo analysis area. These routes continue to cause
habitat loss and the potential for direct effects like collision, poaching, and collection.
The potential disturbance zone for burrowing owls is 32,935 acres, 1,758 acres in Costa’s
hummingbird area, 150,242 acres for White-eared hummingbird area, and 127,957 acres
for the plains titmouse/gray vireo analysis area. Within these potential disturbance zones
motorized routes continue to cause the potential for disturbance, displacement, avoidance
and harassment. Increase in the level of use on these routes through time would increase
the potential for indirect effects.
Under this alternative you continue to have motorized cross country travel, dispersed
camping, and big game retrieval allowed across the Gila National Forest. These three
types of uses continue to have potential effect non-game upland birds. Additionally,
these three types of uses perpetuate the development of additional roads and motorized
trails; potentially allowing for the development of higher road densities. Under the no
action alternative through time the potential for the direct loss of individuals and habitat
would increase, as would the potential for disturbance affects to these species.
Action Alternatives (C, D, E, F, and G): Under all action alternatives motorized cross
country travel (see assumption) is no longer allowed. The change from the existing
condition is a 100% reduction in motorized cross country travel. In the burrowing owl
analysis area motorized dispersed camping is reduced by 93 to 100% under all action
alternatives; Costa’s hummingbird analysis area 94 to 100%; white-eared hummingbird
analysis area 95 to 100%; and 96 to 100% in the plains titmouse/gray vireo analysis area.
For these focal species the area of potentially affected habitat for motorized big game
retrieval is reduced by 100% under Alternative E, 94 to 97% under Alternative D, 20 to
47% under Alternative F, 93 to 97% under Alternative G, and 5 to 19% under Alternative
C.
Motorized areas are locations where we have had traditional uses like motorized camping
and OHV use. In the burrowing owl analysis area currently there are 3 acres of habitat
being affect by a motorized area; 9 acres of habitat in the white-eared humming bird area;
and 17 acres of habitat in the plains titmouse/gray vireo analysis area. Alternative E and
D eliminate these acres of affected habitat, and the remaining action alternatives propose
no change from the existing condition.
Under Alternative D, E, F, and G miles of motorized routes and trails and acres of
potentially affected habitat are reduced, respectively by 17, 25, 13, and 14% in the
burrowing owl analysis area; 21, 34, 19, and 19% in Costa’s analysis area; 30, 48, 20 and
21% in the white-eared analysis area; and 22, 36, 15, and 16% in the plains titmouse/gray
vireo analysis area. Alternative C adds 1 mile of unauthorized routes in the Costa’s
analysis area, 14 miles in the white-eared analysis area, and 30 miles in the plains
titmouse/gray vireo analysis area. In the burrowing owl analysis area the Alternative C
reduces the mile of motorized routes by 7 miles. Alternative C is the only alternative that
allows for an actual increase in miles of routes through the associated analysis areas.
Because the Gila currently allows cross country travel most proposed routes even though
unauthorized are currently being used.
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