FERC Project No. 2079 - PCWA Middle Fork American River Project ...

Application for New License Middle Fork American River Project (FERC Project No. 2079)
Great gray owls are not known to breed in the vicinity of study area boundaries, though
they are potential migrants to areas with appropriate habitat. Breeding populations in
California are concentrated in Del Norte, Humboldt, Siskiyou, and Modoc counties, with
smaller, isolated breeding populations also occurring in the central Sierra Nevada. The
nearest CNDDB record is 30 miles south near Leoni Meadows in the (CNDDB 2007).
CALIFORNIA SPOTTED OWL (STRIX OCCIDENTALIS OCCIDENTALIS; FSS, MIS, BCC)
The California spotted owl occurs in dense, old growth, multi-layered mixed conifer,
redwood, Douglas fir, and oak woodland habitats, from sea level up to approximately
7,600 feet. In the Sierra National Forest, this species uses foothill riparian/hardwood,
ponderosa pine/hardwood, mixed-conifer forest, red fir forest, and east side pine forest
(USFS 2001). It prefers large trees and high canopy cover for nesting and foraging
areas. Foraging is most common in intermediate to late successional forests with
greater than 40 percent canopy cover and a mixture of tree sizes, some larger than 24
inches in dbh (USFS 2001). Nesting habitat contains a dense canopy cover (>70%)
with medium to large trees and a multi-storied structure. This species prefers stands
with significantly greater canopy cover, total live tree basal (base) area, basal area of
hardwoods and conifers, and snag basal area for nesting and roosting (USFS 2001).
Nests are located in cavities or broken treetops. Nesting season occurs from February
to September.
California spotted owls are known to occur in the MFP. One California spotted owl nest
occurs within 500 feet of a Project road, the Middle Fork Interbay Dam Road.
WILLOW FLYCATCHER (EMPIDONAX TRAILLII [BREWSTERI]; FSS, BCC)
The willow flycatcher is a rare to locally uncommon summer resident in wet meadow
and foothill and montane riparian habitats from 2,000 to 8,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada
and Cascade Range. This species is most abundant in broad, open river valleys or
large mountain meadows with extensive thickets of low, dense willows, which are
required for nesting and roosting. It may still nest elsewhere in lowland California, as in
San Diego County. It is a common spring (mid-May to early June) and fall (mid-August
to early September) migrant at lower elevations, primarily in riparian habitats throughout
the state exclusive of the North Coast. An open cup nest is placed in an upright fork of
a willow or other shrub, or occasionally on a horizontal limb, at a height of 1.5 to 10 feet.
The species is monogamous. Peak egg laying occurs in June, incubation lasts 12 to
13 days, and clutch size averages 3 to 4 eggs. It is probably single-brooded. Both
sexes care for articial young. Fledging age is 13 to 14 days.
Willow flycatchers are a potential summer (breeding) resident in appropriate habitat
within the MFP. USDA-FS specifically defines willow flycatcher habitat (i.e., willow
flycatcher planning areas) as wet or moist meadows supporting woody vegetation,
particularly willows (USDA-FS 2004), with meadows 15 acres in size or greater given
management emphasis. One area of habitat meeting this definition has been identified,
just outside the vicinity of the MFP, located approximately 3.5 miles to northeast of Hell
Hole Reservoir.
February 2011 B-17