CRANE MILLSand the

Northern Spotted Owl

Population Trends 1989 through 2013

Crane Mills Ownership• Total ownership of 92,000 acres• Third generation family owned company• Ownership located in Tehama (68,100 ac), Shasta

(16,100 ac), Trinity (6400 ac), Siskiyou (1000 ac), Butte (300 ac), and Plumas (100 ac)

• 99% of the ownership is in the range of the Northern Spotted Owl

• Company began in 1931 in Bly, Oregon and moved to Tehama County in 1945 with the purchase of the 36,000 acre Perrin Tract

• Most recent large acquisition (20,000 acres) was the purchase of the North and Middle Commander Tracts in 2001 from Pioneer Resources (old LP land)

North Block

Main Block

Crane Mills-physical context

• Klamath Mixed Conifer Forest• Mixed conifer forest with standard 5 species (PP, SP,

DF, WF, and IC)—WHR habitats KMC and MHC. Some red fir above 6000 feet

• Hardwood species are black oak, live oak, big-leaf maple, and white alder. The latter two are primarily in riparian areas

• Interior Coast Range Mountains draining into the Sacramento River basin

• Species composition is strongly driven by aspect—S aspects have more pine, N aspects have more Douglas-fir

• Western Tehama and Shasta Counties• Sheetiron Soil Series (shallow, schist parent material)• Average annual precipitation = 50”

Silviculture• Historically we have had an uneven-aged management objective• First 30 years or so we practiced high-risk sanitation salvage style

of harvest (single-tree selection)• First efforts in artificial regeneration began in 1979 after the

Skinner Mill Fire of 1976 in western Tehama County• In the early 1980’s we utilized the Selection method in most of our

Timber Harvest Plans• By the mid 1980s and early 1990’swe were moving towards

Modified Selection/Alternative Prescriptions in recognition of the need to open up canopy to encourage survival and growth of our future stands

• After 1994, we have used Alternative Prescriptions which are a mix of partial overstory removal and “thinning” of the understory with residual basal areas under the Selection standards (75 sq. ft.)

• In the future, we will probably move toward a hybrid between even-aged and uneven-aged silviculture

Crane Mills Main Block

Upper Thomes Creek watershed with South Yolla Bolly Mountain (8092’) in the background

AltRx—Modified Sani-Salv and Shelterwood

Removal

Logged in 2006 @5100’, SE aspect

2013/14 – Main Block:• 91 Call Points• 4 active THPs• 1 THP pending approval• 1 THP in development• 2-6 years of surveying

Main Block Survey History

• Surveyed since 1989o 1989 - early 1990’s: Surveyed by Crane Mills Foresterso 1990’s: Surveyed by Crane Mills Foresters & Louisiana Pacific/Pioneer

biologists. Reports prepared by PCBso 2000’s – Present: Surveyed by Crane Mills Foresters &/or contract

survey crews for Crane Mills. Used 939.9(g) and (e) to obtain Technical Assistance (TA) letters from USFWS

o Approximately 5 occupied activity centers were added to our total when we acquired 20,000 acres from Pioneer Resources in 2001

• Currento Survey coordination with USFS where feasible o Update habitat typing as needed to comply with current habitat

definitions & USFWS TAo Annual TAs from USFWS utilizing 939.9(e)

2013 & 2014 – North Block• 19 Call Points• 1 active THP• 3 years of partial

survey• 4 years of complete

survey• 2013: Bye on

survey, year 5 of 2011 protocol

North Block Survey History

• Surveyed since early 1990’s (Shasta County)o Where applicable, surveys coordinated with SPIo Surveyed by Crane Mills Foresters and PCB (Peter Lewendal)o Single activity center (in Shasta Co.) associated with a THP, AC was

burned out in the 2008 Moon Complex Fireo No-Take Determinations, TADs, & TAs from DFG/USFWS

• Current (Panther Rock THP)o No activity centers; single Barred owl response (2009), apparent

transiento Only 1.3 mile buffer around unlogged portions surveyedo 2013: Bye on surveys as per discussions with USFWS, based on 2011

protocol:• “If spot checks have been completed in years 3 & 4, technical assistance with

appropriate regulatory agency will be required to evaluate scope of remaining harvest & appropriate survey needs in year 5 for remaining harvest.”

o 2014: Regular survey protocol

• 1990’s: 30-35 occupied ACs

• Current: • 82 ACs in GIS

• Including CM & DFG records

• 37 occupied ACs• 41% public

land• 27% CM• 32% combo

• 1 barred owl• Past 5 years, same

location

• 1 AC – Shasta Co (CM & DFG)

• 16 AC – Trinity Co (DFG)• 1 barred owl – Shasta Co.

(2009)

Summary of NSO Population

Trends• Anecdotal evidence from 25 years of surveys• 20-25 year cutting cycle

o 10-20 year gaps in between detections/status determinations

• Population remaining stable/slight increase• Every major drainage and/or tributary has an occupied

AC• Reproductive activity typically encountered annually

somewhere on the ownership• Habitat on ownership at/near full utilization• Large amounts of USFS unsurveyed due to lack of

management (their surveys are project-driven)• Due to high number of unoccupied ACs (i.e. night

detections from initial surveys treated as ACs), state database unreliable population metric

Summary of NSO Population Trends

• Shasta County North Block: Low utilizationo Poor habitat (lower elevation, warmer temperatures, dense tanoak in

understory, ownership is on forested fringe of NSO range where it transitions into foothill woodland and chaparral vegetation types)

o 2008 Moon fire

• Trinity County North Block: Higher utilizationo No survey or population information because we have not harvested in

that area except for sanitation/salvage in response to high-wind or fire events

o Extensively surveyed by SPI

PERSONNEL• Crane Mills foresters involved since 1989—Roy

Henson (RPF #969), Frank Barron (RPF #2007), Mark Pritchard (RPF #2564), Jeff Caster (RPF #2658), David Haas (RPF #2950), Julian Howell, Kevin Berry

• Private Consulting Biologist utilized in the 1990s—Peter Lewendal (Shasta Land Management)

• DFG Biologists involved in the early 1990s—Tom Stone, John Hummel

• USFWS biologists involved since 2000—Jan Johnson, Jennifer Jones, Tim Burnett

• USFS biologists—Linda Angerer, Cherie Keckler• Louisiana Pacific/Pioneer Resources—Ben Rowe, +?