Wildlife Specialist report

Since effects at a larger scale like the 5 th code level can sometime hide localized
cumulative effects, a 6 th code level in areas with potential concern were also looked at.
Within the Corduroy 5 th code no 6 th code watersheds have a road density > 2 mi/m², three
6 th codes have a road density of between 1.1 to 1.8 mi/mi², and four 6 th codes have a road
density of < 1mi/mi². Of the three 6 th codes between 1.1 to 1.8 mi/mi² all action
alternatives reduce road densities or maintain them at the lower end of this scale. One of
the 6 th codes is even reduced to a density below 1.0 mi/m², except under Alternative C.
Of the four 6 th codes that have density of < 1mi/mi² all action alternatives reduce the road
densities, except in one under Alternative C which maintains a density of 1.0 mi/mi² (see
Table 110).
Within the Negrito 5 th code three 6 th codes have a road density of < 1mi/mi², four have
road densities between 1.2 to 1.7 mi’mi², and one > 2 mi/mi². In the one 6 th code that
has a road density of >2mi/mi² Alternative E reduces it to below 1 mi/m²; Alternative D
reduce it to 1.8 mi/mi²; and under the remaining action alternatives (C, F, and G) it
remains above two. In the four 6 th codes that are between 1.2 to 1.7 mi/mi² all action
alternative except C reduce road densities; most below 1.5 mi/mi² except in Alternative G
in one 6 th code (see Table 110).
Within the Upper San Franciso River 5 th code one 6 th codes has a road density of <
1mi/mi², eight are between 1.1 to 2.0 mi/mi², and one is > 2 mi/mi². In the one 6 th code
that has a road density of >2mi/mi² Alternative E reduces it to below 2 mi/m²; under
Alternative D it is reduced to 1.9 mi/mi²; and it remains above two under the other action
alternatives. Of the eight 6 th codes that are in the 1.1 to 1.9 mi/mi² range three of these
are in the upper end of this range and remain so (1.5 to 1.9) for most alternatives except
under Alternatives E for two of the 6 th codes; and the remaining five are reduced to the
lower end of this range under all action alternatives (C, D, E, F, and G) (see Table 110).
In addition to the two 5 th codes listed above eight other 5 th codes have 6 th code
watersheds with road densities that are >1.9 mi/mi² under existing conditions (Silver City
four 6 th codes; Ft. Bayard one 6 th code, Mangas Valley one 6 th code; Tularosa River four
6 th codes; Middle Fork of the Gila River three 6 th codes; Alamocito three 6 th codes;
Mangas Creek one 6 th code; and Coyote Creek one 6 th code). Two of the 6 th codes in the
Silver City 5 th code and the one Fort Bayard 6 th code remain above this level under all
action alternatives. One 6 th code in Mangas Valley and Tularosa River remain above this
level in all action alternatives except Alternative E. In one of the Alamocito 6 th code
watersheds road densities remain between 1.9 to 2.2 in Alternatives C, F, and G, and drop
to between 1.2 and 1.5 for Alternatives E and D. In the second Alamocito 6 th code road
densities remain between 1.6 to 2.1 under all alternatives. In both Middle Fork of the
Gila 6 th codes road densities range from 1.6 to over 1.9 mi/mi² in Alternatives, C F, and
G, and drop below 1.4 mi/mi² under Alternatives D and E. The one Coyote Creek 6 th
code stays above 1.9 mi/mi² under all action alternatives. In the three Tularosa 6 th codes
that are above 1.9 mi/mi² one remains above 2.0 mi/mi², one remains above 1.6 mi/mi²,
and the third remains above 1.5 mi/mi² under all action alternatives. The Mangas Creek
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