[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71148-71150]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-34093]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of a Habitat Conservation Plan and Receipt of an 
Application for an Incidental Take Permit for Boise Cascade Timber 
Company, Clatsop County, Oregon

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of application.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Boise Cascade 
Corporation (applicant) has applied to the Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service) for an incidental take permit pursuant to section 10(a)(1)(B) 
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The 
application has been assigned permit number TE005227-0. The proposed 
permit would authorize the incidental take, resulting from habitat 
modification, of the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), 
federally listed as threatened. The permit would be in effect for one 
year and would cover 65 acres.
    The Service announces the receipt of the applicant's incidental 
take permit application and the availability of the proposed Boise 
Cascade Walker Creek Unit Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) and draft 
Implementation Agreement, which accompany the incidental take permit 
application, for public comment. The Plan describes the proposed 
project and the measures the applicant is willing to undertake to 
mitigate for project impacts to the owl. These measures and associated 
impacts are also described in the background and summary information 
that follow. An environmental assessment on the permit application will 
be prepared and will be made available for public review.

DATES: Written comments on the permit application, Plan, and 
Implementation Agreement should be received on or before January 22, 
1999.

ADDRESSES: Individuals wishing copies of the permit application or 
copies of the full text of the Plan should immediately contact the 
office and personnel listed below. Documents also will be available for 
public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
address below. Comments regarding the permit application, Draft 
Implementation Agreement or the Plan should be addressed to State 
Supervisor, Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon State Office, 2600 S.E. 
98th Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97266. Please refer to permit 
number TE005227-0 when submitting comments.


[[Page 71149]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Rich Szlemp, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Oregon State Office, telephone (503) 231-6179.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under Section 9 of the Act and applicable 
federal regulations, the ``taking'' of a species listed as endangered 
or threatened is generally prohibited. However, the Service, under 
limited circumstances, may issue permits to ``incidentally take'' 
listed species, which is take that is incidental to, and not the 
purpose of, otherwise lawful activities. Regulations governing permits 
for threatened species are promulgated in 50 CFR 17.32. Regulations 
governing permits for endangered species are promulgated in 50 CFR 
17.22.

Summary of the Plan

    Boise Cascade is proposing to harvest approximately 50 acres of 
mature and old growth forest from a 65-acre parcel of land. The 
surrounding ownership consists of Oregon Department of Forestry land 
and lands owned by the Agency Creek Management Company. The Boise 
Cascade property contains two nest trees that were occupied by a pair 
of northern spotted owls between 1990 and 1996. Other listed species 
may also be affected by the proposed Plan. Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus 
kisutch) are found in Walker Creek in the Plan area. No surveys have 
been conducted for marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) or bald 
eagles (Haliaeeus leucocephalus), but the Plan area does contain 
potential suitable nesting platforms for marbled murrelets and contains 
suitable bald eagle habitat.
    The Boise Cascade Plan area contains the best northern spotted owl 
nesting habitat in the northern portion of the Oregon Coast Range. Most 
of the surrounding land has been logged or contains younger stands of 
timber that do not provide as high quality of nesting habitat as the 
Boise Cascade Plan area. Boise Cascade is proposing to have all harvest 
completed by March 1, 1999.
    The Boise Cascade Plan contains two alternatives: a preferred 
alternative and no action. Under their preferred alternative, Boise 
Cascade would harvest 50 acres of mature and old growth timber in the 
Plan area to the extent allowed by the Oregon Forest Practices Act 
Rules. Under the no action alternative, the subject timber would be 
left standing to provide northern spotted owl habitat. Boise Cascade 
rejected the no action alternative because it believes it would deny 
the company all economically productive use of the subject timber.
    The Boise Cascade Plan proposes the following minimization and 
mitigation measures:
    a. Conduct harvest activities outside of the nesting season for the 
spotted owl and the marbled murrelet (March 1--September 15), except 
for road building.
    b. Douglas-fir, Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and/or western 
hemlock would be replanted over the harvest units. In accordance with 
Oregon Forest Practices Act Rules, this planting would take place 
within 12 months after completion of harvest.
    c. Meet current Oregon Forest Practices Act Rules with regard to 
management of riparian areas.
    d. Meet the current Oregon Forest Practices Act Rules to leave 
trees standing and unharvested until they have fallen to the ground and 
rotted away, all snags and standing dead trees except when they pose a 
safety hazard for the logging operation.

Summary of Service's Concerns and Recommendations

    The Service received the Plan and application on November 12, 1998. 
On November 20, 1998, the Service advised Boise Cascade of procedural 
requirements for processing an incidental take permit application and 
informed the company that the Plan raised issues regarding whether the 
proposed minimization and mitigation measures were adequate to meet the 
statutory issuance criteria. Service employees visited the Plan area on 
December 2, 1998, to assess existing habitat conditions and to evaluate 
additional options to minimize and mitigate impacts to spotted owls. On 
December 9, the Service suggested other options that may be practicable 
for Boise Cascade to implement. On December 10, Boise Cascade informed 
the Service that it is not interested in any alternative minimization 
or mitigation measures.
    The Service continues to have concerns whether the proposed 
minimization and mitigation measures would meet the statutory 
requirement that a permittee minimize and mitigate the impacts of the 
taking to the maximum extent practicable. The public may wish to 
provide comments on the mitigation measures proposed by Boise Cascade 
as well as other alternative mitigation options which may be 
practicable.
    As stated in the Plan, impacts from the proposed logging would 
likely make it impossible for a pair of northern spotted owls to nest 
on the subject property. The Boise Cascade Plan would leave a 100-foot 
riparian buffer along Walker Creek and an unknown distribution of 
approximately 100 trees at least 11-inches in diameter within the unit. 
The Service does not know whether any potentially suitable spotted owl 
nest trees would remain, including the two known nest trees. Based upon 
this information, the value of the site to provide habitat for owls 
post-harvest is difficult to accurately assess since the distribution 
and size classes of live and dead trees that will remain standing is 
not clear. However, the Service believes that the proposed harvest 
would diminish or eliminate the value of the site to spotted owls for 
foraging and roosting, especially in the short term. Except for some 
potential clumping of trees, and the riparian buffer areas, the 
remaining landscape would consist of a very open canopy that would not 
be conducive to owl nesting, roosting, or foraging. The proposed leave 
trees, especially if they are widely scattered, would provide limited 
habitat value to red-backed voles, red tree voles, and flying 
squirrels, which are important spotted owl prey items. Any use of the 
Walker Creek unit post-harvest by spotted owls would potentially make 
them more vulnerable to predation by barred owls and great-horned owls, 
which are more aggressive and generally more adaptable to a variety of 
habitat conditions and prey items.
    The Service's site visit and review of available data indicate that 
other practicable minimization and mitigation measures may exist. While 
alternative plans based on these measures would not maintain current 
suitable spotted owl nesting habitat, they would provide the basis for 
reducing the net long-term adverse effects to owls by allowing for the 
regeneration of suitable nesting habitat conditions within a shorter 
time period than would result from the proposed harvest. These 
alternatives would also provide increased opportunities for owl 
foraging and roosting immediately after the timber harvest, which would 
minimize and mitigate the incidental take of owls. For example, 
retaining clumps of larger trees is more likely to provide potential 
roost sites, habitat for spotted owl prey items, and protective cover 
from spotted owl predators.
    While the proposed harvest unit is relatively small, it does 
contain many old growth trees and large snags that generally serve as 
part of the foundation for suitable, productive spotted owl habitat. 
The 65-acre Boise Cascade ownership borders the Clatsop State Forest. 
The Tillamook State Forest is also nearby. The relatively few spotted 
owl nest sites or activity centers within the North Coast region of 
Oregon are concentrated on State Forest lands

[[Page 71150]]

within a 10-15 mile radius of the Walker Creek unit. This somewhat 
isolated cluster of spotted owl sites is reflective of the lack of 
suitable nesting habitat available in the region. The suitable spotted 
owl nesting habitat in the Walker Creek unit serves to support this 
cluster of owl sites. Additional erosion of suitable habitat, 
especially nesting quality habitat, would weaken the ability of this 
area to retain a population of reproducing spotted owls, and weaken the 
ability of spotted owls in this cluster to produce offspring that may 
be able to disperse to any available habitat in or outside the area. 
Alternative plans the Service suggested, would minimize and mitigate 
owl take at the Walker Creek site by maintaining older forest 
structural features that could contribute to maintenance of spotted 
owls in the area, particularly in the long term. Alternative mitigation 
options suggested by the Service, which Boise Cascade has stated that 
it is not interested in pursuing at this time, include:
    1. Restricting harvest-related activities, including road building, 
to times outside of the spotted owl's breeding season (March 1-
September 15).
    2. Retaining old growth and mature trees to meet the Oregon Forest 
Practices Act requirements in a scattered distribution with allowances 
for blow-down and, retaining the standing dead and down timber that 
could be safely retained.
    3. Retaining a mixture of only old growth and mature trees to meet 
the Oregon Forest Practices Act Rules leave tree requirement in clumped 
distributions.
    4. Retaining eight green trees per acre greater than 20 inches dbh, 
including three trees greater than 32 inches dbh per acre. 
Additionally, retaining three snags per acre of the largest size class 
available. Where snags are not available, green trees of the largest 
size class available would be substituted on a 2:1 basis. Seventy 
percent of the retained trees should be in clumps of at least 0.5 acres 
in size. The remainder would be dispersed or in clumps smaller than 0.5 
acres. A minimum of 15 percent of the harvest unit area (7.5 acres) 
would be retained. Trees in riparian management areas would not be 
counted towards meeting the above retention objectives.
    5. Retaining clumps of trees of a few acres in which no harvest 
would occur that include multiple old-growth trees that would serve as 
the foundation for future suitable spotted owl nesting habitat. This 
would include retaining the two old growth trees that contained 
previous spotted owl nests.
    6. Retaining old growth and mature trees in a clump around the 
known spotted owl nest trees, and scattering the remaining old growth 
and mature leave trees to meet Oregon Forest Practices Act Rules with 
allowances for blow-down.
    The Service also has identified issues regarding some of the 
language in the proposed Implementation Agreement. These issues 
include, but are not limited to, the following. First, it is unclear 
why the company proposes to have the National Marine Fisheries Service 
as a signatory when it has not applied for a permit for coho. Second, 
paragraph 1.1 does not fully represent the court's reasoning in issuing 
the injunction enjoining the company from logging this unit. Third, 
paragraph 1.7 characterizes the requested permit as covering owls that 
``formerly nested on the Walker Creek Unit and those that might reside 
there in the future'' although the requested duration of the permit is 
for only one year. Fourth, paragraph 1.9 states that the purpose of the 
Implementation Agreement is to ``obtain approval'' of the Plan and 
permit; however, the principal purpose of an Implementation Agreement 
is to provide adequate assurances that a Plan and permit would be 
implemented. Fifth, neither the Plan nor the Implementation Agreement 
address whether the mitigation would be completed within the one-year 
requested permit length, or discuss changed circumstances that may 
affect the mitigation and that can reasonably be anticipated by plan 
developers. See 50 CFR Secs. 17.3 and 17.22. The public may wish to 
comment on these or other issues related to the Implementation 
Agreement.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the Act. The 
Service will evaluate the permit application, Plan, Implementation 
Agreement, and comments submitted thereon to determine whether the 
application meets the requirements of section 10(a) of the Act. If it 
is determined that the requirements are met, a permit will be issued 
for the incidental take of the northern spotted owl. The final permit 
decision will be made no sooner than 30 days from the date of this 
notice.

    Dated: December 17, 1998.
Anne Badgley,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 98-34093 Filed 12-22-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P