Wildlife Specialist report

area. These routes continue to cause habitat loss and the potential for direct effects like
collision, and collection. The potential disturbance zone for A May Fly is 2,173acres,
2,150 acres in Nitocris Fritillary area, 6,626 acres for Dashed Ringtail area, and 562,942
acres for the A Notodontide Moth 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 insects. 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 A May Fly
analysis area motorized dispersed camping is reduced by 90 to 100% under all action
alternatives; Nitocris Fritillary analysis area 89 to 100%; Dashed Ringtail analysis area
92 to 100%; and 96 to 100% in the A Notodontide Moth 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, 26 to 48% under
Alternative F, 92 to 96% under Alternative G, and 12 to 22% under Alternative C.
Motorized areas are locations where we have had traditional uses like motorized camping
and OHV use. In the A May Fly, Nitocris Fritillary, and Dashed Ringtail analysis areas
there are 0 acres of habitat being affect by a motorized area under all alternatives. In the
A Notodontide Moth analysis area there are 25 acres of habitat being affected by
motorized areas under alternatives B, C, F and G. Alternative E and D eliminate these
acres of affected habitat for A Notodontide Moth.
Under Alternative D, E, F, and G miles of motorized routes and trails and acres of
potentially affected habitat are reduced, respectively by 34, 43, 9, and 20% in the A May
Fly analysis area; 31, 56, 17, and 17% in Nitocris Fritillary area; 37, 51, 21 and 24% in
the Dashed Ringtail analysis area; and 26, 42, 18, and 18% in the A Notodontide Moth
analysis area. Alternative C adds 1 mile of unauthorized routes in the A May Fly
analysis area, eliminates 2 miles in the Nitocris Fritillary analysis area, eliminates 2 miles
in the Dashed Ringtail, and adds 33 miles in the A Notodontide Moth analysis area.
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.
For the different focal species Alternative E adds 0 miles of unauthorized routes in the A
May Fly, Nitocris Frtillary, and Dashed Ringtail analysis areas, and 6 miles of
unauthorized routes in the A Notodontide Moth analysis area. Alternatives D adds 1 mile
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