Attachement1_Rare_Survey_Protocol_06192012.pdf

SURVEY PROTOCOL for SENSITIVE and RARE PLANTS on the Tongass National Forest

June 19, 2012

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to provide survey protocols for botanists conducting sensitive and rare plant surveys on the Tongass National Forest (NF). These survey protocols are intended to help improve the quality and consistency of these surveys across the Forest.

Four final products are required for rare plant surveys: 1) a botanical report which discloses survey locations, survey methods (inlcuding pre-field review documentation), results and conclusions of the surveys conducted; 2) electronic files of survey and EO data in a format compatible with import into the Forest Service Natural Resource Information System (NRIS) database; 3) two GIS feature layers created to spatially document the rare plant survey (polygons) and element occurrences (polygons; and 4) rare plant specimens/vouchers collected for verifying species identifications and for overall survey documentation.

2.0 FOREST PLAN DIRECTION RELATED TO BOTANICAL RESOURCES

The Forest Plan Amendment Biodiversity and Plants Goals and Objectives Statements (page 2-4 and 2-

5) (USDA 2008) outlines the rationale for botanical surveys:

Biodiversity:

Goal: Maintain ecosystems capable of supporting the full range of native and desired non-native species and ecological process. Maintain a mix of representative habitats at different spatial and temporal scales.

Objective A: Ensure that the reserve system meets the minium size, spacing, and composition criteria described in Appendix [of the Forest Plan Amendment].

Objective B: Provide sufficient habitat to preclude the need for listing species under the Endangered Species Act, or from becoming listed as Sensitive due to National Forest habitat changes.

Objective C: Manage the Forest in order to reduce, minimize, or eliminate the potential for introduction, establishment, spread and impacts of invasive species.

Objective D: Develop a baseline estimate of current habitat types, patterns and structural components on the Tongass National Forest.

Plants:

Goal: Maintain viable plant communities and populations. Maintain a mixture of habitats that are capable of supporting the full range of naturally occurring flora, including a variety of vegetation types, botanical life forms, patterns, structural components, and the consideration of rare species.

Objective: Prevent species from becoming listed as threatened, endangered or sensitive.

Currently, the Tongass N.F. has a substantial gap in our understanding of the Forest’s rare flora. In depth surveys have been conducted within management areas associated with timber sale, recreation, minerals, hydroelectric and other projects, however these surveys represent only a fraction of the landscape as well as a skewed sample of rare plant habitats overall.

Additional rare plant surveys will aid in promoting coastal ecosystem conservation through building on previous plant inventories of the Tongass N.F. In addition to gathering distribution and population-level data on species of conservation concern (sensitive and rare plants), a survey of the Forest would aid our understanding of overall floristic patterns and can be used to aid wildlife, vegetation mapping and conservation projects, including the Forest Conservation Strategy. In particular, this project will facilitate our ability to answer the Forest Plan Monitoring question for Ecosystem Biodiversity: “What are the cumulative effects of changes to habitats that sustain rare plants?”

This information is essential for the development of rare plant habitat probability maps which will help focus sensitive and rare plant surveys for project level NEPA documentation, as well as be linked to conversation assessments and strategies of the Forest’s listed sensitive plants. Finally, a better understanding of habitat conditions of rare plants is needed for overall NEPA analysis of direct, indirect and cumulative effects.

3.0 SURVEY OBJECTIVES

The objective of the Tongass N.F. sensitive and rare plant surveys is to locate and document sensitive and rare plant taxa, their abundance and distributions, within pre-determined landscapes on the Tongass N.F.

4.0 SURVEY PROTOCOLS

4.1 Prefield Review

A prefield review is the end product of a thorough analysis of the project area in relation to the plant species of interest. The prefield review will identify the target species, identify areas with potential habitat to support those species, and rank the survey areas by priority within the project area.

4.1.1 Target Species List

A target species is defined as a plant species that is either listed as sensitive or rare or is a species of interest, and has the potential to occur within the designated project area. A list of target species and their associated habitats is required to determine if surveys are warranted in a project area, and to develop a field survey plan. The target species list will be used as a basis for selecting habitats and specific areas in which to conduct surveys. If available, a comprehensive list of sensitive and rare plant species known or suspected to occur in the ranger district within which the survey area is located may serve as the basis for developing a target species list. If a district list is not available, then a target list must be developed by identifying the following species:

1. All plant or lichen species on the 2009 Alaska Regional Foresters Sensitive Species List known or suspected to occur on the ranger district in which the project area is located (Appendix A and C).

2. All S1, S2 and S3 species on the Alaska Natural Heritage Program (ANHP) Rare Vascular Plant Tracking List that are known or suspected to occur in the vicinity of the project area.

3. Other species of conservation interest to the Forest Service (e.g., species with population viability concerns on the Tongass, species with populations that are disjunct or at the edge of the species’ known range, or species that have been identified as vulnerable through the project NEPA process).

The target species list may be further refined based on evaluation of the habitats that occur in the project area. Note that some species that are listed as rare statewide by ANHP (e.g. western red cedar) are not considered rare on the Tongass due to their local abundance. All target lists should be developed in consultation with a Forest Service botanist and must be reviewed and approved by the Forest Service botanist prior to use in survey planning.

4.1.2 Survey Area Selection

To select areas for survey within a project area, an extensive review of rare plant occurrence records, herbarium specimens, species habitat suitability models, and other botanical and ecological information is conducted to determine areas that contain habitats associated with occurrence of the target species.

Within a project area, one or more survey areas may be identified. For smaller projects, the project area and survey area may be synonymous. Identification of specific habitats for focused surveys within survey areas is typicially accomplished in several stages, with each subsequent stage looking at information on a more detailed scale than the previous stage. Target species are grouped by major habitats and, for specialist species, by the microhabitats in which they are expected to occur.

An important component of survey planning is consultation with local experts: local botanists, ecologists, geologists, and others who are familiar with the area in terms of potential suitable habitat, known unique qualities of certain locations, and overall logistics for accessing the area. It is expected that an appropriate allocation of time, commensurate with the project size, would be devoted to this consultation process (preferably in person where the team reviews maps and all relevant data).

For some projects, survey areas must be prioritized to ensure that limited survey time is used efficiently to examine the areas with the highest potential to support the species of greatest conservation concern.

Examples of high-priority survey areas may include habitats that are vulnerable to direct disturbance from project activities, areas with a high concentration of habitat for several target species, areas likely to support species with a designated conservation status (e.g. Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive), or uncommon microhabitats of specialist species. Examples of lower-priority areas may include habitats in protected areas that are not vulnerable to disturbance, areas with low-quality habitat for a target species, and habitats in areas with difficult or unsafe access.

Once the areas to be surveyed have been identified within a project area, the botanist will develop a survey plan, which includes:

1) A list of the target plant species and their associated habitats known or suspected to occur in or near the project area.

2) A list and map of known target species occurrences in the project area. Reference the following sources:

• USFS Natural Resource Information System Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive Plant database (NRIS TESP)

• Alaska Natural Heritage Program (ANHP) rare plant data, if available

• ARCTOS database (University of Alaska, Fairbanks)

• USFS Region 10 sensitive species report which provides occurrence information for several of the species of interest (Appendix F)

3) Maps and/or aerial photographs which show existing roads, harvest units, conservation areas

(e.g. old-growth reserves, beach fringe, etc.) and Land Use Designations (LUDs).

4) Maps and/or aerial photographs which show designated survey areas within the project area.

5) If applicable, a prioritized list of survey areas, including a list of the habitats and target species to be focused on in each survey area.

4.2 Survey Methods

4.2.1 Survey Timing

Conduct surveys during the flowering season for all target species. In general, the flowering season for most rare plants on the Tongass NF begins in early to mid-June and ends in early to mid-August depending on seasonal variations.

4.2.2 Survey Type

The focused, or intuitive controlled, survey (see Appendix J) is the most commonly used and most efficient method of surveying for sensitive and rare plants and is required for all plant surveys on the Tongass. If less intensive survey methods are employed, justification must be provided in the survey plan. During survey planning, potential suitable habitat is identified for each species of interest and the survey effort is focused in those areas. Adequate knowledge of each target species’ habitat requirements is required in order to identify the specific habitats within a survey area where efforts will be focused.

To conduct a focused survey, the surveyor traverses through the survey area enough to visit all representative vegetation types and topographic features, and a thorough visual examination of all habitats with high likelihood of finding target species is performed. When conducting focused surveys, an area somewhat larger than the identified suitable habitat should be searched to verify the boundary of the suitable habitat. All plant species are recorded when they are first encountered during the survey.

When a target species population is encountered, an element occurrence (EO) is recorded. Requirements for field forms can be found in Section 4.2.4.

4.2.3 Survey Effort

Depending upon the habitat to be surveyed and the target species, the survey effort may be weighted more toward covering larger areas, or towards more detailed observations within a small area. For example, when searching for a target species that occurs in relatively common plant communities (such as Platanthera orbiculata in mature coniferous forest), the surveyor may spend the majority of the day traversing at a moderate pace through the entire survey area. When searching for cryptic species that occur in specialized habitats (such as Asplenium trichomanes on carbonate rock), the surveyor may move very quickly through the survey area in search of microhabitats (rock outcrops) which will be examined in detail. Factors to consider for determining how to proportion time in a survey area include:

• Target species status (e.g., sensitive species versus species of local interest).

• Number, proportion, and distribution of plant community types and microhabitats throughout the survey area.

• Time spent documenting EOs, and area remaining to be surveyed, and time available for completion.

4.2.4 Survey Field Forms

A Forest Service Plant Survey Field Form (Appendix D) must be completed for each survey area. If a separate species checklist is used, it must also be attached to the survey form. For large survey areas requiring multiple days to complete, a separate form must be completed for each day of survey.

A separate Forest Service TES Plant Element Occurrence Form (Appendix E) must be completed for each target species population encountered. Instructions and data field attributes for completing the survey and EO forms is provided in Appendix J and K, respectively. At a minimum, all required fields (as identified with ®) in Appendix D and E must be completed.

4.2.5 Geographic Data

Required geographic data to be recorded include GPS tracks of all survey routes from start to finish, with waypoints recorded at a minimum rate of one per minute. For target species EOs, record a GPS track following the approximate boundary of the population. For very small populations or single plants, record a GPS point position using point averaging, with a minimum of 60 points. In cases of equipment failure or loss of GPS signal, mark the survey route and EO boundaries/points on a map and/or aerial photograph, frequently updating the route and EOs on the map as the survey is conducted. All GPS survey tracks and EO tracks/points must be labeled according to their Survey and Site ID number, respectively.

4.2.3 Species Identification

All species encountered during surveys must be positively identified at least to the species taxonomic level. Target species that include an intraspecific name (e.g. subspecies, variety) must be identified to that taxonomic level. Plants that cannot be positively identified in the field at these minimum levels are considered unidentified plants and must be collected for positive identification, using the collection guidelines in Section 4.2.3. The Flora of North America shall be used as the authority for determining the correct taxonomic nomenclature for identification.

4.2.4 Specimen Collection

Collect specimens for each target species EO, range extensions of common species, and all unidentified plants, using the following guidelines:

1) Collect a specimen or portion of a specimen only if there are at least five individual ramets (i.e.

stems, clumps, or mats) within eyesight. For occurrences with less than five individuals, take photographs only, as described below.

2) Collect the minimum portion of the plant necessary for identification. For example, species in the genus Botrychium can be safely collected by removing only the vegetative portion and leaving the roots intact.

3) Press and thoroughly dry the specimen as soon as possible, and store un-mounted in folded newsprint, one species per folded sheet, along with a completed, un-mounted herbarium label. If the specimen is a lichen or bryophyte, dry and store the un-pressed specimen in a folded paper envelope or a paper bag.

4) A typed herbarium label (see Appendix G) must be completed for each specimen and must include the full taxonomic name with author(s), brief location, description, geographic coordinates decimal degrees, brief description of habitat, brief list of associated species, collection date, and collector’s name and collection number.

5) Take high-resolution (10 megapixel or higher) digital photographs (at least one each) of 1) the whole plant in situ before collection and 2) close-ups of important identifiable characteristics, and 3) a photograph of the nearby habitat.

4.3 Data Management

All tabular data from completed survey and EO forms must be either directly entered into the Forest Service NRIS database, or entered into a format that is compatible with import into NRIS (Appendix L and M). Alternative database entry formats, such as custom forms for Portable Digital Recorders (PDRs), must be approved by the Forest Service prior to use. Data entry should be accomplished in a timely manner, and quality control must be practiced to minimize data errors.

All survey route and plant EO boundary geographic data must be imported into an ArcGIS geodatabase.

Two feature layers must be created for the survey routes: 1) a line feature of the survey route, and 2) a polygon feature created by buffering the line feature by a distance of 10 meters on each side. A closed polygon must be created for each EO boundary track. For EOs recorded as points, create a circular polygon by buffering the point by a distance of 10 meters. The attribute table for the survey features must include the survey ID number and the date. The attribute table for the EO features must include the EO ID number, the date, and the NRCS plant code for the target species.

5.0 PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE REQUIRED

Experience in and knowledge of plant taxonomy is essential to positive field identification of sensitive and rare plants. Familiarity with the regional flora is also very useful. In light of this correlation between experience and success in plant surveys, it is necessary to invest in botanists who have the ability to identify plants in the coastal Pacific Northwest region. Experience working anywhere in the region that spans from coastal northern California to South-Central Alaska is recommended.

This survey protocol requires a professional-level botanist with expertise in 1) rare plant identification;

2) USFS survey protocols; 3) summary of survey results; 4) data entry / data management; and 5) processing of plant specimens. The following qualifications are required to meet minimum professional standards:

1. 12 semester hours in botany from an accredited University.

2. Of the 12 semester hours in botany, 4 credits in Plant Taxonomy, at a minimum, is required.

3. A minimum of three years of actual training and experience in conducting rare plant surveys.

Surveyors must be able to:

1. Positively identify plants using a dichotomous key.

2. Recognize sensitive plants, other rare plants and non-native plants.

3. Recognize "look-a-likes".

4. Navigate in remote location using aerial photographs, compass and GPS.

5. Write summary reports and use standard computer software for research and data entry.

6.0 INFORMATION TO REPORT

1. Field Forms:

a. Surveys: Each survey requires completion of a R10 TESP (Sensitive/Rare Plant) Survey Form (Appendix D). Survey routes will be migrated and/or digitized into a GIS feature layer (lines/arcs).

b. Rare Plant Occurrences: All target species of sensitive, rare and range extension plants that are found require completion of a R10 TESP (Sensitive/Rare Plant) Element Occurrence Form (Appendix E). All surveys and element occurrences will be documented in three separate GIS feature layer (2 polygons and one line feature) for spatial accuracy.

c. Location of sensitive and rare plants will be documented on field forms using decimal degrees with a preferred accuracy of no less than 100 meters (better accuracy is desired) derived from recreational grade GPS receiver.

2. Aerial Photographs: All survey routes will be delineated on aerial photographs. Color copies of aerial photographs will contain survey routes and points locating EOs along with SITEID (from field form).

3. Plant species list: A Survey Plant List will be developed during each daily survey. One summary list of all species for entire project area will be submitted with the final reports. Contractors my request local species lists or create their own. These lists are important tools for documenting plant ranges and their status. The SurveyID, date, and location must be clearly and accurately written on the list which is attached to the survey form and route map.

4. Electronic tabular data of all the required data elements contained within the TESP Survey and EO forms (see Appendix I, J and K for definition of data fields) in a format compatible with import into the Forest Service NRIS database (Appendix L amd M).

5. Original hard copy field forms and electronic files (pdf format) of all field documentation.

6. A botanical report of the surveys conducted. The report will follow standard scientific report style as shown in any biological science journal or publication (Introduciton, Description of Project Area, Survey Methods, Results, Conclusion, Literatutre cited). See Statement of Objectives document for the contract for more specifics on the number and types of reports requried. These may inlcude Biiological Evaluations and/or Botany Resource Reports, in addition or in lieu of a summary botanical survey report.