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Threatened, Endangered, and Other Sensitive Species

Threatened, Endangered, and Other Sensitive Species. Identification, Biology, and EMS Protection Guidance. Western Timberlands Weyerhaeuser Company 4 March 2003. What to Do. Contact Weyerhaeuser Representative Do Not Move or Disturb Species of Interest: Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle

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Threatened, Endangered, and Other Sensitive Species

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  1. Threatened, Endangered, and Other Sensitive Species Identification, Biology, and EMS Protection Guidance Western Timberlands Weyerhaeuser Company 4 March 2003

  2. What to Do • Contact Weyerhaeuser Representative • Do Not Move or Disturb • Species of Interest: • Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle • Northern Spotted Owl • Marbled Murrelet • Pergrine Falcon • Western Pond Turtle • Goshawks • Osprey • Heron Rookery • Other Hawks and Owls during nest occupancy

  3. What to Do • Contact Weyerhaeuser Representative • Do Not Move or Disturb • Species of Interest: • Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle • Northern Spotted Owl • Marbled Murrelet • Pergrine Falcon • Western Pond Turtle • Goshawks • Osprey • Heron Rockery • Other Hawks and Owls during nest occupancy

  4. Your Responsibility: • Familiarity with threatened, endangered, and other sensitive species that are protected either by state/federal law, Weyerhaeuser’s EMS, or both, and may occur on Weyerhaeuser’s lands. • Knowledge of reporting procedures for observations or encounters with protected species: • Promptly report sightings to immediate supervisor or other designated rep. • STOP activity immediately if sighting is within an active unit, until determination is made of when/how to proceed. • Take all necessary steps to avoid killing or injuring a protected species. • Promptly report any dead or injured protected species on or near Weyerhaeuser lands or operations: do NOT handle or disturb dead or injured protected species.

  5. Threatened, Endangered, and Other Sensitive Species Identification, Biology, and EMS Protection Guidance Western Timberlands Weyerhaeuser Company 4 March 2003

  6. Your Responsibility: • Familiarity with threatened, endangered, and other sensitive species that are protected either by state/federal law, Weyerhaeuser’s EMS, or both, and may occur on Weyerhaeuser’s lands. • Knowledge of reporting procedures for observations or encounters with protected species: • Promptly report sightings to immediate supervisor or other designated rep. • STOP activity immediately if sighting is within an active unit, until determination is made of when/how to proceed. • Take all necessary steps to avoid killing or injuring a protected species. • Promptly report any dead or injured protected species on or near Weyerhaeuser lands or operations: do NOT handle or disturb dead or injured protected species.

  7. What to Do • Contact Weyerhaeuser Representative • Do Not Move or Disturb • Species of Interest: • Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle • Northern Spotted Owl • Marbled Murrelet • Pergrine Falcon • Western Pond Turtle • Goshawks • Osprey • Heron Rockery • Other Hawks and Owls during nest occupancy

  8. Western Pond Turtle • Clemmysmarmorata • Associated with quiet water in small lakes, marshes, & sluggish streams/rivers • Require basking sites such as logs, rocks, mudbanks • Nests are terrestrial; eggs are laid in May to August, with hatchlings overwintering underground & emerging in spring • Shell length: 4.5”- 8.5” • Feed on insects, frogs, fish, • tadpoles, earthworms, & plants

  9. Western Pond Turtle • Current status: endangered (WA) critical (OR), Federal species of concern (OR & WA populations est. to be 96-98% reduced since 1900) • WA-FPA: restrictions on road building, site prep., harvesting, and pesticide application w/in 0.25 mi. of all known individual occurrences • OR-FPA: no restrictions

  10. Western Pond Turtle • EMS Guidelines: • Timing restrictions from 20 April - 20 August • Within 0.25 miles of water bodies with known occurrences • Restrict activities that potentially disturb breeding such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, and helicopter operations • May require site specific management plan

  11. Bald Eagle • Haliaeetus leucocephalus • Associated with: coasts, rivers, lakes, marshes • Require tall trees/cliffs for nesting + adjacent roost, perch/stage trees • Nests are large platform nests, constructed of sticks; usually w/in 0.5 miles of water, near the top of the nest tree • Height: 30”- 40” wingspan: 72”- 90” • Breeding season begins early, • usually January or February • Young fledge and are flying • within ~ 3 months • Feed on fish, carrion, water • birds, small mammals

  12. Bald Eagle • Current status: Threatened in OR, WA, & federally • WA-FPA: Restrictions on disruptive activities (harvesting, road building, etc.) within 0.25 mile of nest stand or roosting/staging stands • OR-FPA: restricted activities within 300’ of nest tree; 0.25 mile disturbance restriction required 1 Jan.-31 Aug. (0.5 miles if line of site); also requires protection of perch trees during critical period. 0.25 mile (0.5 mile, line of sight) disturbance restriction on roost stands from 15 November - 15 March

  13. Bald Eagle • EMS Guidelines: • Timing restrictions from 1 January - 31 August • Within 0.25 miles of nest stand or roost stand (WA & OR), except 0.5 miles if line of sight (OR) • Additional restrictions in OR from 15 Nov. - 15 March, within 0.25 miles of roost stand, except 0.5 mile if line of sight • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, and helicopter operations • May require site specific management plan

  14. Golden Eagle • Aquilachrysaetos • Associated with open country & open coniferous forests • Require cliffs for nesting, sometimes large trees • Large stick nests, lined with leaves, moss, fur • Nesting season begins in late March, young are independent after ~ 4 months • Height: 32”- 42” wingspan: 80”- 90” • Feed on rabbits, hares, other • mammals, birds, carrion

  15. Golden Eagle • Current status: candidate species in WA, no OR or federal designation • WA-FPA: no restrictions • OR-FPA: no restrictions

  16. Golden Eagle • EMS Guidelines: • Timing restrictions from 1 Jan. - 31 August • Within 0.25 miles of nest • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • May require site specific management plan

  17. Northern Spotted Owl • Strixoccidentalis • Occur in mixed conifer stands, usually with multiple layers and a closed canopy • Nests in snags/defective green trees, usually in a hollow, but may utilize platform nests • Nesting season begins in March; young fledge ~ 6 weeks after hatching • Height:16”- 19” wingspan: ~ 24” • Feed on N. flying squirrels, red • tree voles, woodrats • May be relatively unafraid of • humans; look for pellets

  18. Northern Spotted Owl • Current status: endangered in WA; OR & federally threatened • WA-FPA: • Maintenance of habitat in • vicinity of known sites, • disturbance avoidance from 1 • March - 31 August • OR-FPA: • maintenance of 70 ac. suitable • habitat core around site center; • disturbance avoidance from 1 • March - 30 September

  19. Northern Spotted Owl • EMS Guidelines • Timing restrictions from 1 March - 31 August (WA), 1 March - 30 September (OR) • Within 0.25 miles of nest • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • Requires development of a protection area core, as well as a site-specific operating plan, if w/in 0.7 miles of site center or within designated Owl Management Area • Survey of potential habitat prior to harvesting

  20. Marbled Murrelet • Brachyramphus marmoratus • Forages in marine environment, nests in inland forest stands, often colonial • Requires platform structures with moss for nesting; nests discovered as far as 64 miles inland • Fly at high speeds - 50+ mph • Height: ~ 9” wingspan: 10”- 12” • Breeding season begins in • April • Incubation for ~ 1 month, • young fledge 3-4 months later • Feed on small fish • Distinctive keer, keer call

  21. Marbled Murrelet • Current status: OR, WA, and Federally threatened • WA-FPA: Habitat protection requirements + 300’ buffer on occupied stands, timing restrictions during nesting season (1 April - 31 August) • OR-FPA: no restrictions

  22. Marbled Murrelet • EMS Guidelines • Timing restrictions from 1 April - 31 August • Within 0.25 miles of occupied stands, during daily peak activity periods (1 hour before to 2 hours after official sunrise; 1 hour before to 1 hour after official sunset) • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • Requires site-specific protection (WA rule requires 300’ buffer on occupied stands)

  23. Peregrine Falcon • Falcoperegrinus • Associated with cliffs, overlooking open areas • Nest on cliffs (or manmade structures in urban areas); usually near a marsh, lake, or river • Height: 16”- 20” wingspan: 36”- 44” • Breeding season begins in March • Incubation lasts ~ 5 wks., young fledge in 4-5 mos. • Feed on birds, taken on the • wing • Distinctive black crown and • wedge, forming “helmet”

  24. Peregrine Falcon • Current status: OR endangered, WA sensitive, Federal species of concern • WA-FPA: Class IV • special in vicinity of known nest • sites; disturbance avoidance w/in • 0.5 mi. of known nest from 1 • March - 30 July, w/in 0.25 mi. • From 1 August - 28 February. • OR-FPA: no restrictions

  25. Peregrine Falcon • EMS Guidelines • Timing restrictions: within 0.5 miles of nest from 1 March - 30 July (WA); within 0.25 miles of nest from 1 March - 1 August (OR) • Additional timing restrictions from 1 August - 28 February w/in 0.25 miles of nest (WA) • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • May require site-specific management plan

  26. Northern Goshawk • Accipitergentilis • Associated with conifer forests • Nest in stick nests, built in the fork of a limb, from 20’- 80’ up; usually in denser, closed-canopy forests (1-8 alternate nests) • Height: 21”- 26” wingspan: 40”- 46” • Breeding occurs in April/May • Young fledge w/in 3 months • Feed on birds (grouse, small hawks, ducks) & mammals (squirrels, rabbits) • Adult is grayish, with • distinct white “eyebrow” and • black crown • “Dive-bombing” behavior, • shrill scream

  27. Northern Goshawk • Current status: WA candidate species, OR critical species, Federal species of concern • WA-FPA: no restrictions • OR-FPA: no restrictions

  28. Northern Goshawk • EMS Guidelines • Timing restrictions: while nest is occupied • Within 0.25 miles of nest • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • May require site-specific management plan

  29. Osprey • Pandionhaliaetus • Associated with lakes, rivers • Requires large, dead trees for nesting • Nests are large stick nests, constructed in the open and within easy reach of water • Height: 22”- 25” wingspan: 4’- 6’ • Breeding begins in April • Young fledge in August • Feed on fish • Dark brown above, white below, with prominent eye stripe • “Bent” wings, with dark patches at the wrist

  30. Osprey • Current status: WA monitor species, no OR or Federal status • WA-FPA: no restrictions • OR-FPA: protect nest tree, plus perching, fledging, replacement trees. 600’ disturbance buffer in effect from 1 March - 15 September.

  31. Osprey • EMS Guidelines • Timing restrictions: 1 March - 15 September • Within: 0.25 miles of nest (WA); 600’ (OR) • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • May require site-specific management plan

  32. Great Blue Heron • Ardeaherodias • Habitat generalist, although does not use forest interiors • Nests are large stick nests, constructed in deciduous or coniferous trees, usually in colonies, or rookeries • Height: 42”- 46” wingspan: 5’- 6’ • Breeding begins in early spring • Young fledge by September • Consume primarily fish & crustaceans, but also herps., mammals, birds, some plants

  33. Great Blue Heron • Current status: WA monitor species, no OR or Federal status • WA-FPA: no restrictions • OR-FPA: protect nest • trees, perching/fledging trees; • maintain vegetative buffer; • disturbance avoidance from 15 • February - 31 July w/in 0.25 mi.

  34. Great Blue Heron • EMS Guidelines Heron Rookery = 3+ nests (WA); > 1 nest (OR) • Timing restrictions: 15 February - 31 July • Within 0.25 miles of rookery • Restrict nest-disrupting activities such as harvesting, road construction, site preparation, blasting, and helicopter operations • Requires 1 tree height buffer around rookery

  35. Other Owls Great Horned Owl: Bubovirginianus Spotted Owl: Strixoccidentalis Barred Owl: Strixvaria

  36. Great Horned Owl yellow eyes ear tufts Barred Owl breast more streaked, with both white and brown slightly larger Other Owls(vs. Spotted)

  37. Other Raptors Turkey vulture: Cathartesaura Red-tailed hawk: Buteojamaicensis

  38. Other Raptors Cooper’s Hawk: Accipitercooperi Northern Harrier: Circuscyaneus

  39. Other Raptors • All of these species have potential to occur within WY operating areas: • Potential confusion includes: Non-protectedspecies:Could be Confused With • Turkey vulture: golden eagle (size), osprey • Red-tail: golden eagle, goshawk • Cooper’s Hawk: peregrine, goshawk, • Northern Harrier: osprey, goshawk

  40. Other Owls/Raptors • None of these species are state or federally protected, and none have WA or OR FPA protection. • WY EMS does require protection of known & active nests of other owl/raptor species • Nest tree must be protected during occupancy • Timing restrictions, while site is active, should limit nest disturbing activities anywhere from 1 tree length up to 0.25 miles of the nest • A site-specific management plan may be required

  41. Summary • Some of these species are more readily identifiable than others • If one is encountered, and you are not sure of what it is, make every effort to note identifying features and behaviors which will aid in efforts to make a positive identification and thus manage accordingly, in compliance with the EMS • Observations of nests, even in the absence of birds, can be helpful in identifying resource sites for future planning and protection

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