Environmental Assessment

AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES CHAPTER 3
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.
Neither Alternative 2 nor 3 would have any direct or indirect effect on this species. There is no nesting or
foraging habitat located in the planning area.
With the exception of vegetation and fuel reduction treatments proposed or implemented in adjacent
planning areas, none of the current, on-going, or reasonable and foreseeable actions would have any
cumulative or cumulatively significant effects on this species or its habitat. None of these actions would
damage or remove habitat.
The cumulative effects vegetation and fuel reduction treatments on this species and its habitat are the
same as described for the northern goshawk.
No cumulatively significant effects have been identified for this species or its habitat under any of the
three alternatives.
There is a relatively low probability that great gray owls inhabit the Opine project area or those adjacent
areas. This is due to the lack of high quality foraging habitats, e.g. natural meadows. These owls may
utilize created openings (e.g. clear cuts) that have high gopher populations, however there are very few of
these areas within the area. Older lodgepole pine habitat types with large broken topped snags for
potential nest sites are also lacking within the project area and adjacent lands.
For the great gray owl, the cumulative effect of the proposed treatments, past treatments, and foreseeable
treatments within and adjacent to the planning area, is a short-term, downward trend in the overall amount
of dense high risk stands potentially used for nesting, but an upward trend in the amount of open stand
conditions more suitable as foraging habitat. Any known nest sites within the planning area of each of
these raptor species are protected from disturbance (see PDCs) with nest core areas designated and
deferred from treatment; this would also be the case in the adjacent planning areas.
Through time, additional nesting habitat will develop and be of higher quality because of increased
diameter growth of trees due to thinning. In particular, the recruitment of large diameter, broken topped
snags would enhance potential nesting. The result should be a more stable population of this species
throughout the landscape, and a lowered risk of displacement by catastrophic wildfire or epidemic
insect/disease mortality of trees. Cumulatively, the action alternative effects on nesting and foraging
habitats will not lead to a trend toward Federal listing for the great gray owl.
Red-tailed Hawk – This species is a generalist with a wide tolerance for habitat variation. It generally
prefers open woodland areas with forest edges and large trees for nesting. The planning area does provide
habitat, especially near the forested fringe or forested edges.
The LRMP lists no habitat or population requirements for this species.
No direct or indirect effects were identified under Alternative 1 for this species. Due the generalist nature
of this species, habitat and populations are expected to remain stable in both the short and long-term.
Neither action alternative would have any direct or indirect effects on nesting habitat for this species. No
trees 21 inches dbh or greater would be removed which would retain nesting habitat. Should an active
3-143