1998 Explanatory Notes

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USDA Forest Service

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• Objectives

The threatened, endangered and sensitive species habitat management program has 5 objectives:

1. To protect and improve habitats to achieve recovery goals for threatened and endangered animals and plants in coordination with other management goals and activities;

2. To protect and sustain viable populations of sensitive animals and plants;

3. To use integrated resource management to conserve fish and wildlife habitats and plant populations in order to prevent the need for listing of a species as threatened and endangered;

4. To assure that Forest Service actions do not harm federally listed species or their critical habitats;

5. To promote activities for enhancement and restoration of wildlife, fish, and rare plant habitat and provide opportunities for viewing where appropriate.

• Program Description Program Overview

Implementation of threatened, endangered and sensitive species (TES) habitat enhancement, restoration, and protection continues to be one of the most important issues affecting the Agency. The Forest Service leads the Nation in planning and habitat management for endangered and threatened species. Protecting and restoring large networks of habitats for wide-ranging species such as the northern and Mexican spotted owls, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the grizzly bear, and the Snake River salmon is essential. Many other localized plants and animals have no other protected

The Forest Service manages habitat for over 280 threatened and endangered species as well as over 2,500 species identified as sensitive by regional foresters on NFS lands or potentially impacted by Forest Service activities. This includes 33 percent of federally listed, threatened and endangered species, 50 percent of the Nation's plant diversity, and 73 percent of the Nation's remaining old growth forests. National forests and grasslands provide the most substantial remaining blocks of high quality, unfragmented natural habitats in the country, and offer great opportunities for restoring degraded ecosystems. Funding over the last 3 years has allowed implementation of about 27% of TES program opportunities identified by the National Forests and Grasslands.

Emphasis is placed on the conservation and recovery of habitats for listed species through implementation of forest plan standards and guidelines, and coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, other Federal agencies, our partners, and interested members of the public.

Program Benefits

Conservation of threatened and endangered species is not just a legal mandate, it is a biological imperative. Species at risk usually are indicative of ecosystems at risk, and species with viable populations usually indicate healthy ecosystems. Many fish and other aquatic species serve as an "early warning system" for water quality problems. Management actions to protect, maintain, or restore these species also have benefits for water quality. Protection of threatened, endangered, and sensitive species, and the ecosystems on which they depend, is crucial to maintaining biological diversity, and providing opportunities for aesthetic and recreational enjoyment.

1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA, Forest Service

Major Program Components

The program focuses on eight program priority

areas:

1. Plan, develop, implement, and monitor habitat improvements that will contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and the conservation of sensitive species. Coordinate these activities with inter-agency partnership programs.

2. Give special attention to inventory, management and monitoring of sensitive species. The Forest Service sensitive species program provides early identification and protection for habitats needed to maintain viable populations of plants and animals on the national forests and grasslands. This program provides an interagency mechanism to prevent the need for listing thousands of species that occupy special and unique habitats.

7. Enhance awareness of "Every Species Counts" by expanding viewing site interpretive programs to explain the benefits of protecting our natural heritage and the role of Federal lands in conserving the Nation's flora and fauna.

8. Monitor and report the results of program efforts to improve long-term cost efficiency and effectiveness.

Partnerships

Ecosystem restoration, viewing site interpretation, and other projects that support TES conservation are largely dependent on cost-share partnership programs. In FY 1996, partnership and Forest Service contributions for TES related projects were $5.6 million and $4.1 million respectively.

Program Challenges and Priorities

In the last decade, management on National Forest lands has become contentious and controversial in some situations. This requires an increased effort to cope with complex situations involving TES habitat. Accomplishing recovery tasks and placing emphasis on pro-active conservation of proposed, candidate and sensitive species will place the Agency on course to fulfill the multiple use mission.

Highest program priorities will respond to the conservation needs of listed species and work toward the avoidance of listing additional species. This will be accomplished by focusing on two high priority areas: 1) Species recovery and conservation of candidate and sensitive species, and 2) enhanced user opportunities. These program priorities will move the Agency forward in meeting needs of endangered and threatened species, but will not address the full backlog of program needs.

1. Species Recovery and Conservation of Candidate and Sensitive Species. Priority items include:

· Assist the States, USFWS, NPS, BLM, and other cooperators in reintroducing or augmenting threatened, endangered, and

1998 Explanatory Notes

USDA, Forest Service

interpretive program aimed at heightening awareness, use, and appreciation of native plants. Continue implementation of the Bring Back the Natives fish restoration program. Develop and implement ethical wildlife viewing protocols for TES species and habitats.

• Program in FY 1998

Threatened, endangered, and sensitive species habitat improvement, restoration, and protection continues to be a key issue for the Agency. Funding at this level will allow implementation of about 1/4 of the identified opportunities for sensitive species found on our National Forests and Grasslands, including limited support for recovery of wide-ranging species such as the grizzly bear, red-cockaded woodpecker, gray wolf, and bull trout. This modest increase will help fill some critical funding gaps in the program.

Continued efforts to streamline the Endangered Species Act consultation process will allow some additional focus on conservation and recovery The measures. habitat highest priority enhancement and ecosystem restoration activities would be accomplished.

Selected activities to prevent the need for listing, as described in the multi-agency Imperiled Memorandum of Species Understanding, and other pro-active program elements such as conservation strategies and agreements, will be accomplished.