Wildlife Specialist report

montane vole analysis area; and 97 miles of motorized routes in the white-nosed coati,
western red bat, and Arizona gray squirrel analysis area. These routes continue to cause
habitat loss and the potential for direct effects like vehicle collision, poaching, and
trapping to these species. The potential disturbance zone for hooded skunks and Botta’s
pocket gopher is 311,967 acres, and 86,542 acres for Gunnison’s prairie dog and White
Mountain ground squirrel. The potential disturbance zone for beaver is 6,748 acres,
2,256 acres for long-tailed and Arizona montane voles, and 4,713 acres for white-nosed
coati, western red bat and Arizona gray squirrel. Within these potential disturbance
zones motorized routes continue to cause the potential for indirect effects like
disturbance, displacement, avoidance and harassment.
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 effects to upland, riparian, and wetland species of
small mammals. 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 hooded skunk
and Botta’s pocket gopher analysis area motorized dispersed camping is reduced by 96 to
100% under all action alternatives; Gunnison’s prairie dog and White Mountain ground
squirrel analysis area 93 to 100%; beaver analysis area 92 to 100%; long-tailed and
Arizona montane voles analysis area 89 to 100%; and 93 to 100% in the white-nosed
coati, western red bat and Arizona gray squirrel analysis area. For all small mammals the
area of potentially affected habitat for motorized big game retrieval is reduced by 100%
under Alternative E, 94 to 97% under Alternative D, 92 to 97% under Alternative G, 19
to 50% under Alternative F, and 5 to 25% under Alternative C.
Motorized areas are locations where we have had traditional uses like motorized camping
and OHV use. Under all action alternatives in the beaver, vole, and coati/bat/gray
squirrel analysis areas no areas currently exist and no areas have been designated. Under
Alternatives D and E in the hooded skunk and pocket gopher analysis areas there is a
reduction of 17 acres of potentially affected habitat, and under the remaining action
alternative there is no change from the existing condition. In the prairie dog and ground
squirrel analysis area under Alternatives D and E there is a reduction of 3 acres of
potentially affected habitat, and under the remaining action alternative there is no change
from the existing condition.
Miles of motorized routes and trails and acres of potentially affected habitat within the
analysis area for small mammals that occur in upland habitats are reduced by 25 to 36%
under Alternative E; 17 to 22% under Alternative D; 13 to 16% under Alternative F, and
14 to 16% under Alternative G. Under Alternative C motorized routes are increased by
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