North Coast Forest Conservation ProgramNorthern Spotted Owl Status Overview

Madison Thomsonmthomson@conservationfund.org

(707)357-3919

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)

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

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

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

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

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Survey Effort Trends

Nighttime Survey Effort by Year Daytime Survey Effort by Year

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

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

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

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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

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Reproductive Trends

Ownership Wide Nesting Attempts by Year Ownership Wide Young Fledged by Year

Other Projects

• NSO habitat mapping using LiDAR imagery

• Trial mapping completed on Garcia, but we are still working to refine and verify the models

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