The goals of this grant are to: (1) complete a strategic planning process to determine the scope and framework of the humboldt redwood company (HRC) habitat conservation plan (HCP) amendment, and to…

This federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service, under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.615) program, provides $619,388 to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to support the development of a draft amendment to the Humboldt Redwood Company (HRC) Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).

The key objectives of this grant are to: (1) complete a strategic planning process to determine the scope and framework of the HCP amendment, and (2) prepare a public draft HCP amendment along with a supplemental National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental assessment. The grant funding will cover administration, stakeholder meetings, updates and revisions to HCP chapters, production of administrative and public draft documents, and coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to amend the existing HCP and associated permits. This effort aims to modernize the 1999 HCP, address the impacts of the invasive barred owl on the northern spotted owl, and potentially expand coverage to additional at-risk species.

The goals of this grant are to: (1) complete a strategic planning process to determine the scope and framework of the humboldt redwood company (HRC) habitat conservation plan (HCP) amendment, and to (2) prepare a public draft HCP amendment along with a supplemental national environmental policy act (NEPA) environmental assessment. In total, the grant will cover administration, HCP team and agency meetings, HCP chapter updates and revisions, the production of an administrative and public draft HCP amendment, and a draft NEPA environmental document . The current HCP includes three permits, one each with the US fish and wildlife service (USFWS), national marine fisheries service, and california department of fish and wildlife (CDFW) . The grant activities will include extensive coordination with these three agencies to amend the HCP and their respective permits. Grant funds will also allow CDFW to administer the grant on behalf of HRC. Humboldt redwood company, LLC (HRC) is located in the coastal coniferous forest of humboldt county, california where managed timberlands, rural housing, public lands, and several small cities and towns meet. This part of the california coast range supports unique habitats for several listed and at-risk plant and wildlife species. To support the continued stewardship of HRC timberlands, this grant will support the development of a draft amendment to HRC S HCP. Once completed, the amendment will establish a more efficient and effective approach to implementing the HCP S comprehensive conservation approach covering 17 species and continuing to manage for timber production. As described below, the HCP was finalized in 1999, before many of the innovations of current hcps were in place. The 1999 HCP was prepared for the pacific lumber company (PALCO), which no longer owns and manages the covered lands. An amended HCP will modernize the plan, increasing conservation effectiveness for northern spotted OWL through a new barred OWL removal conservation measure, extending coverage to additional atrisk species, and potentially streamlining the compliance monitoring program. Over the last 23 years of monitoring the northern spotted OWL, HRC has detected increasing numbers of the invasive barred OWL in the HCP plan area. HRC and USFWS believe that the barred OWL invasion, unforeseen in the original HCP, has the potential to substantially reduce or eliminate northern spotted owls from the HCP plan area. An amendment to the northern spotted OWL conservation plan is needed to address barred OWL management, and HRC is committed to the implementation of a removal program. The HCP amendment process will also consider adding covered species that have become listed or are candidates for listing under the federal endangered species act (ESA) or california ESA since the original HCP was written and improve upon the current approach to effectiveness or performance-based monitoring.