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North Coast Forest Conservation Program

North Coast Forest Conservation Program. Northern Spotted Owl Status Overview. Madison Thomson mthomson@conservationfund.org (707)357-3919. Ownership Overview ~73,000 acres in Mendocino and Sonoma county Garcia River Forest: 23,780 ac (acquired 2004)

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North Coast Forest Conservation Program

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  1. North Coast Forest Conservation Program Northern Spotted Owl Status Overview Madison Thomson mthomson@conservationfund.org (707)357-3919

  2. Ownership Overview • ~73,000 acres in Mendocino and Sonoma county • Garcia River Forest: 23,780 ac (acquired 2004) • Big River and Salmon Creek Forests: 16,020 ac (acquired 2006) • Gualala River Forest: 13,542 ac (acquired 2011) • Buckeye Forest: 19,650 ac (acquired 2013)

  3. Forest Types • Mixed redwood/Douglas-fir • Big River/Salmon Creek generally higher site than Garcia/Gualala/Buckeye • Big River/Salmon Creek more redwood • Garcia/Gualala/Buckeye more Douglas-fir and mixed hardwood (tanoak) • Harvest History • Big River and Salmon Creek history of even-aged management • Current landscape is mosaic ranging from 10 year old plantations to 60+ year old second growth • Garcia/Gualala/Buckeye history of partial harvests (mainly overstory removal) beginning in 1950s-1960s • Current landscape is continuous closed canopy 45-60 year old conifer with substantial hardwood component

  4. TCF Forest Management Strategies • Utilize uneven-aged regeneration methods (single tree and group selection) • Maintain harvest levels well below growth for the next few decades • Retain high value wildlife elements (large hardwoods, snags, residual old growth conifers, trees with unique structural attributes) • Transition stands toward more historically appropriate species composition • Maintain FSC and SFI certification

  5. Historic (pre TCF) NSO surveys • Big River/Salmon Creek • Surveys since 1989 • Called on THP by THP basis with annual monitoring of known territories • Garcia/Gualala/Buckeye • Called on THP by THP basis with minimal monitoring of known territories • Large coverage gaps in time and space

  6. TCF NSO Survey Effort • Ownership wide “blanket” surveys since 2008 • Nighttime station calling that covers entire ownership in addition to monitoring of occupancy and reproductive status for all known NSO territories • Surveys done by consulting biologist, Mike Stephens • Big River/Salmon Creek surveys covered under SOMP (3 visits/year) • Garcia/Gualala surveyed consistent with most recent USFWS survey protocol (currently 6 visits/year) • Placement of survey stations, spacing of survey visits, daytime follow-up surveys, reproductive status determination are done consistent with USFWS protocol • TCF has not yet conducted surveys on Buckeye

  7. Survey Effort Trends Nighttime Survey Effort by Year Daytime Survey Effort by Year

  8. Banding • Done by Mike Stephens and MRC biologists • Currently over 75% of territories on ownership with at least one banded individual • Allows better tracking of daytime and nighttime locations

  9. Regulatory Compliance/Take Avoidance • THPs submitted under 919.9(e) • Big River and Salmon Creek covered under SOMP • Habitat retention: 100 acre core area; retain 500 acres of suitable habitat within 0.7 mi of activity center (200 should be nest/roost) • Operational restrictions: different restrictions depending type of operation and reproductive status; no timber ops permitted within 0.25 mi of nest site until after July 31 • Surveys: 3 visits/year ownership wide; monitor occupancy and reproductive status of known NSO territories • Timber ops may start any time after March 1, so long as all historic NSO territories within 0.7 mi of THP are verified occupied

  10. Regulatory Compliance/ Take Avoidance (cont.) • Non-Big River/Salmon Creek utilize “Attachment A” • Habitat retention requirements and operational restrictions generally parallel SOMP • Surveys conducted consistent with 2011 USFWS NSO survey protocol • TCF voluntarily conducting “blanket” calling consistent with 2011 USFWS NSO survey protocol (6 survey visits/year) • Essentially in year 3 of USFWS protocol sequence in perpetuity: timber ops may begin after 3 spot check visits

  11. Territory Occupancy and Density Trends Number of Occupied Territories Ownership Wide by Year NSO territories/square mile Ownership Wide by Year *note: this chart excludes Gualala River Forest

  12. Reproductive Trends Ownership Wide Nesting Attempts by Year Ownership Wide Young Fledged by Year

  13. Other Projects • NSO habitat mapping using LiDAR imagery • Trial mapping completed on Garcia, but we are still working to refine and verify the models

  14. Other Issues • Barred owls • 4 occupied barred owl sites across ownership • 2 associated NSO territories haven’t been detected since 2011 • 1 associated NSO territory is still detected, but detections are inconsistent • Marijuana gardens and associated chemicals • Traces of blood thinning rodenticide found in dead NSO on Salmon Creek in 2012

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