Attachment_D__MNFBotanySurveyProtocol.docx

ATTACHMENT D

MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST BOTANY SURVEY PROTOCOLS

Office and field botany surveys will need to be conducted to locate and document occurrences of any of these species, as well as sensitive habitats likely to host TES species such as seeps, cliffs and rock outcroppings, shale barrens, etc. These surveys must be done by a competent botanist who demonstrates a high level of skill in identifying all plants that are likely to be encountered in West Virginia mountain forests. The Forest Service can assist in evaluating the qualifications of prospective botanists.

The survey should be conducted according to the specifications below. The survey should cover all areas on National Forest land where disturbance of the ground or vegetation would occur.

The Forest Service may accompany botanists into the field from time to time and will review the survey results upon completion.

Survey methodology

It is recommended that survey coverage be distributed throughout the entire project area in survey segments up to but no longer than one mile each. For the purposes of species list documentation and survey data forms, each contiguous major forest community patch should be considered a survey unit. Major forest communities on the MNF include mixed mesophytic/cove hardwoods, oak, northern hardwoods, oak-pine, hemlock, spruce, and riparian. They are described in Chapter 3 of the Forest Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and are approximately delineated in a GIS layer which will be provided to botanists conducting the survey. In cases where isolated parcels of National Forest land less than one mile long will be impacted, each isolated parcel, or the forest community patches therein, will be considered a survey unit.

All identified survey units should be thoroughly surveyed on foot by the meander method. Survey routes should cross drainages and side ridges to provide good coverage of all of the different habitats present in each survey unit. Survey coverage as depicted by the GPS route documentation should average at least 100 linear feet per acre for each unit surveyed and should be distributed across the unit.

Efforts should be focused on those habitats that, in the judgment of the botanist, are most likely to harbor TES plants listed in Attachment A. However, all habitats should be traversed and described, and it is highly recommended that the botanists compile a list of all herbaceous, vine, tree, and shrub species found in each survey unit.

While conducting the survey, the botanist should also report conditions found within each survey unit, regardless of the presence or absence of TES and NNIS plant species. Remarks of this type should include: general ecological characterization of the site, notation of erosional features, evidence of herbivory, rock outcrops and ledges, large areas of blowdown, seeps, wetlands, and other sensitive and rare habitats, and presence of old roads within the survey unit. The botanist should also report incidental encounters of TES plants or high priority NNIS while traveling between survey units within the project boundary.

The FS can provide a Likelihood of Occurrence table to help the botanist focus survey efforts toward likely habitats for TES plant species. The botanist should supplement this table with personal knowledge of habitat requirements and an evaluation of soil type, land type association, aspect, slope, etc. The botanist may suggest changes to the Likelihood of Occurrence table, but is not required to provide additional information for the table. A determination of “not likely to occur” should not be construed as a guarantee that a species will not occur in one of the survey units.

Field surveys in high probability habitat for running buffalo clover should take place between June 1 and August 15, inclusive. Field surveys outside high priority habitat for running buffalo clover should take place between June 1 and September 30, inclusive. (USDA, 2006). Survey units should be visited at least once during this time, but may be visited more than once. If high potential habitat for a particular TES plant species is present, a re-check may be needed during the time best suited for identification. The FS can provide maps that depict approximate locations of high probability habitat for running buffalo clover.

For all surveys, the botanist should use a mapping grade global positioning system (GPS) unit with computer downloading capabilities to:

· Document survey routes through each area that is surveyed. Minor gaps in route documentation due to inadequate satellite coverage or unfavorable Dilution of Precision are expected; however, GPS route documentation should be thorough enough to demonstrate good coverage of each unit. Route documentation should have a horizontal accuracy of 10 meters or less.

· Record site locations for each population of TES plants found. All GPS locations should have a horizontal accuracy of 5 meters or less, and documentation of accuracy, such as that typically contained in differentially corrected GPS data files, should be provided. Recreational grade GPS units generally are not capable of this level of accuracy.

For each survey unit, the botanist should:

· Report all herbaceous, shrub, tree, and vine species encountered on a separate electronic species list data form for that survey unit.

· Provide GPS documentation of the survey route walked according to the specifications listed above. A single line feature should represent the path of travel in each survey unit, unless multiple visits are made to a unit, in which case the route file may contain a separate line feature for each visit. Route files should be “cleaned” to remove any errant outlier vertices that obviously do not lie on the actual path of travel, as well as spurious lines connecting distant points that do not represent a path actually walked on the ground.

For all TES plant sites found in the survey units, the botanist should:

· Provide GPS location data with a horizontal accuracy of 5 meters or less. For populations that are less than 50 feet long in their longest dimension, a single GPS point near the approximate center of the population will suffice. For populations that are greater than 50 feet long in their longest dimension, GPS points that form a rough polygon around the population should be collected. Precise delineation of convoluted population boundaries is not required.

· Multiple small patches of the same species within a contiguous habitat patch (e.g., a TES species scattered across a talus slope) may be treated as one population and depicted by a polygon surrounding the multiple locations. Alternatively, each of the multiple patches may be represented by an individual GPS point if this results in less effort for the botanist.

For all high priority NNIS plant sites found in the survey units, the botanist should:

· Provide GPS location data using the same standards outlined above for delineating TES plant populations. However, multiple locations along a road, trail, etc. that do not extend into the adjacent off-road habitat may be depicted by a line, accompanied by a description of the density and distribution along that line.

For all low priority NNIS plants found in the survey units:

· All low priority NNIS found should be included in the overall species list for that survey unit. GPS locations are not necessary for low priority NNIS, unless, in the judgment of the botanist, these species appear to threaten the ecological integrity of the survey unit or adjacent habitats. The nature and extent of the threat should be explained in the final report.

For any incidental observations of TES and high priority NNIS plants while traveling between survey units within the project boundary, the botanist should:

· Provide a single GPS point located at the center of populations that are less than 50 feet long in the longest dimension.

· Provide a sketch or GIS feature (line or polygon) depicting the approximate extent of any population greater than 50 feet in length in the longest dimension. The sketch or GIS feature does not have to be based on GPS data.

· Multiple small patches of the same species within a contiguous habitat patch (e.g., a TES species scattered across a talus slope or a NNIS scattered along a roadside) may be treated as one population and depicted by a sketch or GIS feature of the approximate extent. The sketch or GIS feature does not have to be based on GPS data.

· Low priority NNIS observed while traveling between survey units need not be reported unless they appear to threaten the integrity of the ecosystem in which they occur.

THREATENED, ENDANGERED, SENSITIVE, AND NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES

Threatened and Endangered Plant Species These plants have been found on the Monongahela and are federally listed as either Threatened (T) or Endangered (E).

Regional Forester's Sensitive Plant Species

These plants have been identified by the Regional Forester as species for which population viability is a concern, as evidenced by significant current or predicted downward trend in numbers and density, or by habitat capability or trend that would reduce the species’ existing distribution. RFSS include, but are not limited to, USFWS candidate species, species de-listed by the USFWS in the last five years, and species with NatureServe Global, Trinomial or National Ranks of G1-G3, T1-T3 or N1-N3. Certain species with a state rank of S1 or S2 may also be included.

High Priority non-native invasive plant species These species have the capability to invade forested ecosystems or other high quality habitats in the project area, or they may interfere with tree regeneration. These species should be GPS-located wherever they occur.

Non-native invasive plant species that may be considered problematic in certain special habitats (e.g., wetlands, glades, barrens, wildlife openings, range allotments, etc.).

These species should be GPS-located if they occur in a habitat where they can cause resource damage.

Literature Cited

Strausbaugh, P. D. and E. L. Core. 1978. Second edition. Seneca Books, Inc., Morgantown, WV.

USDA Forest Service. 2006a. Monongahela National Forest Final Environmental Impact Statement for Forest Plan Revision. USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, Milwaukee, WI.

USDA Forest Service. 2006b. Monongahela National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. USDA Forest Service, Eastern Region, Milwaukee, WI.