Wildlife Specialist report

trails and acres of potentially affected habitat increase by 3% to 10% in all analysis area
under Alternative C. Since these are new miles and acres of disturbance there is a greater
potential to cause direct and indirect to this species and it habitat under Alternative C.
Alternative E and D add 0 miles of currently closed or unauthorized routes in the PAC
analysis area. Alternative F and G add 2 miles of currently closed motorized trails and 2
miles of currently unauthorized routes to the PAC analysis area. Alternative C adds 2
miles of currently closed motorized trail and 7 miles of unauthorized routes to the PAC
analysis area. In restricted habitat alternative C is the only action alternative that adds
any currently closed or unauthorized routes, 11 miles to this analysis area. In critical
habitat all action alternatives at a minimum reopen 1 mile road. The reopening of this 1
mile should not affect the primary constituent elements of critical habitat. Alternative F
and G reopen an additional 7 miles of closed road to OHVs and 4 miles of unauthorized
trail. These two alternatives have a greater potential to affect the primary constituent
elements of critical habitat. Alternative C reopens an additional 7 miles of closed road to
OHVs and 43 miles of unauthorized trail. This alternative has the greatest potential to
affect the primary constituent elements of critical habitat. Alternative C is the only
alternative that allows for an actual increase in miles of routes through the associated
analysis areas. New routes have the potential to cause new disturbance.
In these analysis areas the area of potentially affected habitat for motorized big game
retrieval is reduced by 100% under Alternative E, 97 to 99% under Alternative D, 37 to
41% under Alternative F, 96 to 98% under Alternative G, and 12 to 16% under
Alternative C.
Findings:
Table 51: Mexican spotted owl federally listed species and critical habitat
determinations by alternative
Federally
Listed Species
Mexican spotted
owl
Mexican spotted
owl critical
habitat
Rationale for
species
determination
Alt. B
Existing
Condition
Determination by Alternative
Alt. C Alt. D Alt. E Alt. F Alt. G
*MALAA **MANLAA MANLAA MALAA MALAA
MALAA MANLAA MANLAA MALAA MALAA
Under alternatives E and D, longer term beneficial effects to the
species and its habitat are greater than the other action alternatives,
respectively. Under alternatives F and G, long-term beneficial effects
are less, but both still benefit the species and its habitat above the
existing condition. These four alternatives do change the use within
portions of each of the analysis areas; proposing administrative use.
This change in use causes less effects than roads and trails open to all
of the public. Alternatives E and D don’t add any closed roads in
protected activity centers and do not change the primary constituent
elements of designated critical habitat, don’t affect mixed conifer
80