Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
Table 3-44 Current Habitat Conditions at the Pine Mountain Goshawk Site
Nest Site ID PA
G
NGH Site#
(undesignated)
PPD
100
%
Nest Core Habitat (30 ac.) Post-Fledgling Area Habitat (400 ac.)
Structure
(ac.)
SS4 / 10;
SS6 / 20
Density 57
(ac.)
H = 30 ac.
3-133
PAG Structure (ac.) Density (ac.)
PPD
100%
SS2 / 3; SS3 /
45; SS4 / 44; SS5
/ 33; SS6 / 254;
SS7 / 21.
L = 81; M =
82; H = 240
Treatments would reduce the risk of existing and potential habitat being lost to insect epidemic and/or
wildfire events. Habitat quality would be expected to improve due to increased diameter growth resulting
from reduced stand stocking levels. The objective of developing more LOS habitat also often results in
the best potential nesting habitat. The combination of reduced risk of loss or damage, increased diameter
growth, and increased development of LOS habitat would assist in creating greater quantities of more
stable habitat in the future. This would result in more stable populations of this species and a lowered
risk of displacement in the event of habitat loss from insect epidemic and/or wildfire events.
Alternative 1 would have no short-term effect on either the habitat or population of this species. No
treatments would be implemented within the 30 acre nest stand nor the 400 acre post fledgling area.
Suitable habitat would be maintained. Assuming no disturbance by wildfire and/or insects, the essential
habitat components (nesting and foraging) for the goshawk site would be maintained because canopy
cover levels would not change over the short-term (10-15 years). However, over the long-term (10 to 15
years and longer), the risk of wildfire and/or bark beetle attack would continue to increase thereby placing
this habitat at risk of partial or complete loss. This would reduce or eliminate the habitat of bird species
that are potential prey for the goshawk.
Stands within these areas currently rated at high risk to bark beetle attack or wildfire would remain at high
risk. Long-term, the risk of loss of existing habitat to either bark beetle attack and/or wildfire would
remain. Loss of nesting habitat could displace this species from the area. In the event of a catastrophic
wildfire, it would take decades for nesting habitat to return.
Maintaining existing and potential habitat with high tree density increases the risk of losing that habitat.
Potential nesting habitat is limited in the planning area (comparing acres of potential habitat to total acres)
and is likely limited on the landscape. The effect of losing existing and potential habitat in the planning
area would be a reduction in population of this species over the affected landscape. It is likely that
potential habitats in the adjacent planning areas are already part of an occupied territory; any displaced
birds would have to travel long distances to establish new territories.
Populations would remain stable only in the absence of natural disturbances such as beetle outbreak and
wildfire. It is more likely that there would be a declining trend in populations as a result of habitat loss
due to natural disturbances.
Table 3-45 summarizes the proposed treatments and their expected effects for both action alternatives.
Due to overlapping vegetation and fuel reduction treatments, treated acres will not equal gross acres.
57
Density = canopy cover. L = canopy cover of less than 25 percent; M = canopy cover of 25-34 percent; and H = canopy cover of
35 percent or greater.