Humboldt Redwood Company Northern Spotted Owl

Habitat Conservation Plan

Sal ChinniciForest Science Manager

Office:707-764-4299Email: schinnici@hrcllc.com

Presentation Overview

• Background on Humboldt Redwood Co.• History and Current Status of Northern

Spotted Owl (NSO) Management• Habitat Conservation Plan• Survey Protocol and Effort• Monitoring Results: Population Data• Unregulated Threats to NSO Population• Summary

• Approximately 210,000 acres of coastal redwood and Douglas-fir forests

• Old growth reserves and HCVF (FSC)

• Over 1,000 Class I and II stream miles

• Primarily even-age management over last 20 plus years

• Uneven-age management since 2008

Humboldt Redwood Company

HRC: Significant Changes in Management

• Pacific Lumber– Harvest goal ~175

mmbf annually– Primary technique

even-age (clear cut)

– Harvest old growth where available

• Humboldt Redwood– Harvest goal ~55

mmbf annually– Primary technique

uneven-age (selection and group selection)

– Retain all old growth trees

History and Current Status of Northern Spotted Owl Management

• 1990-1992: THP-specific surveys and consultations with CDFG

• 1992-1996: Spotted Owl Management Plan (USFWS)

• 1997-1998: Spotted Owl Resource Plan (CDFG and CDF)

• 1999-Present: 50-year multi-species HCP (Federal and State Agencies), THPs under FPR 919.9 (d)

HCP Conservation Strategy is a Habitat-Based Approach

NSO Core Areas, RMZs, MWACs, MMCAs, and 10% LSH per WAA to provide suitable habitat over time

Projected net increase of habitat under original management, but now have significant management changes

Habitat Structural Component strategy provides important stand elements now and into future rotations – property-wide

Currently approximately 28,000 acres of no-harvest (~ 13% of land base)

Also currently about 21,000 acres of limited harvest with high canopy retention (~ 10% of land base)

HCP Conservation Measures• NSO activity sites are categorized according to HCP, with

focus on most productive sites:– Level One: at least 80 occupied sites, protection similar to take

avoidance standards– Level Two: at least 28 occupied sites, 18 acre core nesting

habitat– Level Three: balance of activity sites, harvest ok outside season

• All activity sites have 1,000’ radius seasonal disturbance buffers March 1 to August 31, unless non-nesting, nest failed, or until fledged

• All known nest trees retained• Annual reports and activity site information distributed to

USFWS and CDFW each year

Northern Spotted Owl Surveys

• Over 20 years of survey history, 1991 – 2013• HCP monitoring: night and day surveys

– Annual property-wide night surveys– Sampling strategy for night surveys approved in 2003

• Survey ~ 20% of property annually using “quadrat” approach• Entire property surveyed on five-year rotation

– Daytime visits to ALL activity sites used for HCP management objectives

• THP surveys– Continuous operations surveys, or– 3-survey protocol prior to operations, PLUS– Daytime surveys of known and new activity sites

Survey Protocol and Staff Experience

• Survey protocol: use USFWS protocol methods• Night surveys: “swing shift” does site visits and

night surveys (average 5 biologists and techs)• Follow-up surveys to night contacts, and

additional site visits done by “day shift” (average 4 biologists)

• Staff Experience– Staff involved has from one year (field techs) to over

20 years experience (project leads)

2013 Monitoring Survey Effort

The Elk River, South Van Duzen, West Shively, and Upper Eel sampling units (quadrats) were surveyed

808 calling stations were used to conduct 2,524 night surveys of the quadrats, Timber Harvesting Plans, and activity sites

A total of 912 daytime status and follow up visits were conducted (average 4.2/site)

All activity sites visited to determine HCP objectives for occupancy, reproductive status, and reproductive success

Survey Effort by Year 2003 - 2013

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20130

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

42164340

3223

2823

21652077

1682

2405

26462507 2524

849 805 825701

614 584491

760 825 818912

night surveys daytime visits

Owl Population Data

• Banding/Modeling• HCP Monitoring:

– Occupied activity sites

– Pair occupancy– Reproductive rate

Since 1991 have captured and banded 747 spotted owls.In 2006 modeled adult survival: high, stable, and comparable to other study areas in region.

0.60

0.65

0.70

0.75

0.80

0.85

0.90

0.95

1.00

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Mo

del

avera

ged

ap

pare

nt

su

rviv

al

(1S

E)

Male

Female

Monitoring Results 2003 – 2013Density Appears Stable

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20130.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

0.53

0.640.68

0.760.72

0.99 1.01

0.86

0.790.75

0.86

0.36 0.36 0.370.41 0.43 0.44

0.50 0.49 0.50 0.500.47

Total Owls/Sq Mi Surveyed Total Occupied AC/Sq Mi Surveyed

Monitoring Results 2003-2013, cont.Total Pairs and Pair Occupancy Rate Appears

Stable

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20130

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

0.80

0.90

1.00

Total Pairs Pair Occ Rate

Monitoring Results 2003-2013, cont.Nesting/Reproduction: Annual Variability

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20130

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Total Nesting Pairs Juveniles Reproductive Rate

Tota

l Pai

rs a

nd Ju

veni

les

Repr

oduc

tive

Rate

Comparison of Regional Reproductive Rates 2000-2012

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

HRC Quad HRC Core Willow (WCSA) GDRCo MRC Campbell Hoopa

Year

Yo

un

g/P

air

Unregulated Threats to NSO Populations

• Barred Owl Invasion– Detections have increased over

time– Increased presence can affect

NSO occupancy, reproduction, survival

• Illegal/legal marijuana gardens are common on adjacent lands– Will we see evidence of

rodenticide poisoning passed on through consumption of woodrats?

Barred Owl DistributionHave been recording barred owl detections since 1991-1992

Detections are from spotted owl night and day surveys, and all other biological survey activities

Areas of greatest activity near low elevation riparian and old growth reserves

Barred Owl Detections Within 0.5-Mile of NSO Activity Sites

20032004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

2013

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Year

Det

ecti

on

s

Summary Points• HRC lands have over 20 years of surveys and

monitoring of the NSO population• Population monitoring results indicate a dynamic yet

stable NSO population• HRC HCP provides long-term conservation benefits for

NSO• NSO habitat undergoes harvest and growth. We hope

to improve owl habitat over time through uneven-age management and structural component retention

• Barred owl invasion and rodenticides currently represent the most significant, unregulated threats to the Northern Spotted Owl