SBCT Final EIS - Govsupport.us

Chapter 3 ⎯ Affected Environmentchia (USFWS 2006a). The USFWS also listed one species as threatened, D. mulli (USFWS 2006a).In November 2007, the USFWS proposed 9,238 acres of critical habitat for the 12 listed species(USFWS 2007a). Two of the listed species, Drosophila aglaia and D. substenoptera are thought tooccur on 78 acres of the West Range of SBMR (USFWS 2007a). The Army has funded surveys to determinethe presence or absence of these species on Oahu installations. The 78 acres were exemptedfrom consideration as critical habitat because the area is covered by the U.S. Army Garrison HawaiiOahu Implementation Plan. The USFWS has determined that conservation efforts contained in thesemanagement plans will provide benefits to D. aglaia and D. substenoptera occurring in habitatswithin or adjacent to the West Range of SBMR. The other 10 species of picture-wing flies do not occuron Army land (USFWS 2007a).Biologically Significant Areas. SBMR contains large expanses of native-dominated plant communities.These areas are defined to prioritize areas for management based on their relative richness of rarenatural resources. The HINHP has defined three types of biologically significant areas for managingthe important natural communities. There are three noncontiguous areas in the Waianae area ofSBMR that are designated BSA 1, and all three areas are habitat for the endangered land snail Achatinellamustelina and several endangered plants. The southernmost BSA 1 is near Puu Hapapa and theHonouliuli Preserve. It is the habitat for more than 20 native and protected plant species in addition tothe endangered snail. This area is located near QTR 2 in the SRAA. The Koolau Mountain area ofSBMR has two areas defined as BSA 1. These areas are both in the eastern portion of the range, nearthe summit crest, and contain several species of endangered plants. BSA 2 contains all or some of thefollowing: lower densities of federally listed endangered or proposed endangered species; candidatespecies or other species of concern that are expected to be upgraded to federal protected status withinthe next few years; and areas judged likely to contain high densities of federally listed species, basedon habitat assessment, despite the lack of any record of such occurrence to date. SBMR has two noncontiguousareas and one somewhat isolated area of habitat classified as BSA 2. These regions containtypical vegetation for natural communities of moist ridges and cliffs and lowland forest zones.There is one BSA 2 in the Koolau region of SBMR at East Range. It covers most of the eastern end ofthe range and is primarily a lowland forest. Most of the rare plants found in the Koolau range surveyare in this area. There is one BSA 3 in the Waianae region of SBMR.There are no findings that support knowledge of natural communities in the area. Although there areno rare communities in the BSA 3 area, the forest supports six native endangered plant species haha(Cyanea grimseana), nanu (Gardenia mannii), kamakahala (Labordia cyrtandrae), wawaeiole (Huperzianutans), Pteris lydgatei (no common name), and oheohe (Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa). TheBSA 3 designated range in the East Range/Koolau region contains nanu and haha (Cyanea longiflora)but no rare natural communities. It is likely that, with further surveys of the areas, additional rareplant occurrences would be documented. Sensitive snail habitat is also found within the ROI. Althoughthis habitat has not been federally designated or proposed as critical habitat, it has been identifiedas containing the habitat requirements necessary for supporting the federally listed and snail speciesof concern on Oahu.3.1.9.2 Dillingham Military ReservationVegetation Community DescriptionsThe area surrounding DMR is sparsely populated, and neighboring land is owned either privately orby the State of Hawaii. Botanical surveys to identify rare plants, communities, and potential threats tothese resources have been conducted intermittently since 1977. HINHP surveyed the area in 1995, butthe visit was brief due to the small size and rugged terrain of the training area. During this site visit,HINHP staff documented the only known example in Hawaii of extremely dry closed-canopy forest.February 2008 3–65 2/25th SBCT Final EIS