Suitable marbled murrelet habitat definition

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat means a contiguous forested area containing trees capable of providing nesting opportunities:

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat means a contig- uous forested area containing trees capable of providing nest- ing opportunities:

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat means for the purpose of con- ducting a protocol survey, a contiguous forested area containing trees capable of providing nesting opportunities((:)) with all of the fol- lowing indicators unless the department, in consultation with the de- partment of fish and wildlife, has determined that the habitat is not likely to be occupied by marbled murrelets:

Examples of Suitable marbled murrelet habitat in a sentence

• Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 30%, but less than 50% probability of occupancy has a sufficiently high likelihood of marbled murrelet occupancy to warrant a survey.

• Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 50% probability of occupancy is assumed to have a high likelihood of marbled murrelet occupancy.

• Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 50% proba- bility of occupancy is assumed to have a high likelihood of marbled murrelet occupancy.

• If the department of fish and wildlife cannot conduct marbled murrelet surveys the responsibility for surveys remains with the landowner.(3) Outside a marbled murrelet detection area:(a) Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 60% probability of occupancy is assumed to have a high likelihood of marbled murrelet occupancy.

• Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 30%, but less than 50% probability of occupancy has a sufficiently high likeli- hood of marbled murrelet occupancy to warrant a survey.

• Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 50% probability of occupancy is assumed to have a high likeli- hood of marbled murrelet occupancy.

• Suitable marbled murrelet habitat, in Late-Successional Reserves (LSRs) in National Forests in Oregon and Washington and in areas covered by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Western Oregon Land Use Plans, is managed by the Forest Service and the BLM as occupied and therefore we have included the LSRs as occupied habitat.

• If the department of fish and wild- life cannot conduct marbled murrelet surveys the responsibil- ity for surveys remains with the landowner.(3) Outside a marbled murrelet detection area:(a) Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 60% probability of occupancy is assumed to have a high likeli- hood of marbled murrelet occupancy.

• If the department of fish and wildlife cannot conduct marbled murrelet surveys the responsibility for surveys remains with the landowner.(3) Outside a marbled murrelet detection area:(a) Suitable marbled murrelet habitat with at least a 60% proba- bility of occupancy is assumed to have a high likelihood of marbled murrelet occupancy.

• The area of this polygon is used to calculate platforms per acre.Figure 15.2. Determining the outer perimeter of Suitable marbled murrelet habitat.

More Definitions of Suitable marbled murrelet habitat

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat refers to the regulatory definition under the Washington Forest Practices Rules as defined in WAC 000-00-000. Table 3-8. Summary of Potential Nesting Habitat categories used in this assessment. Potential Marbled Murrelet Nesting Habitat Categories Dominant trees species and stand age (years) Notes WH, SS, WRC DF Presumed Habitat 210 + 250 + Old-growth forest stands that are presumed to contain at least 95 percent "Suitable Marbled Murrelet Habitat”. More-Likely-Than-Not Habitat 130 - 209 220 - 249 Stands in this age class are considered to be at least 50 percent likely to contain “Suitable Marbled Murrelet Habitat”. Marginal Nesting Habitat 94 - 129 184 - 219 Stands in this age class are considered to be at least 25 percent likely to contain “Suitable Marbled Murrelet Habitat” now, and have the potential to transition into "More-Likely-Than-Not" Habitat over the term of the SHA. WH = western hemlock, SS = Sitka spruce, WRC = western redcedar, DF = Xxxxxxx-fir The Potential Nesting Habitat categories used in this EA represent a spectrum of habitat conditions on the Enrolled Lands, from Marginal Nesting Habitat that is likely to have few trees with nesting platforms, and a low probability of murrelet occupancy relative to mature forest stands identified as “More-Likely-Than-Not Habitat”, or old-forest stands in the “Presumed Habitat” category. The Potential Nesting Habitat categories used in the SHA do not correlate to different marbled murrelet nesting platform densities described in the Washington Forest Practice rules (e.g., 2 nesting platforms per acre, etc.), or to an estimated probability of marbled murrelet occupancy based on marbled murrelet nesting platform density as defined in WAC 000-00-000. Occupied Marbled Murrelet Sites There are 44 Occupied Sites on the Enrolled Lands comprising 2,068 acres. For the purposes of this EA, Occupied Sites are a best-available delineation based on available information. The actual perimeter of an Occupied Site is defined in WAC 000-00-000 (4 and 5) and requires observation of on-site vegetative characteristics and review and concurrence by WDNR in consultation with WDFW. Agencies typically review such delineation at the time of project review. These Occupied Sites are part of the baseline condition to which, after the term of the proposed SHA, Applicant is allowed to return.

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat is defined in the Washington Forest Practice Rules general definitions (WAC 222-16-010), means a contiguous forested area containing trees capable of providing nesting opportunities: (a) within 50 miles of marine waters; (b) at least forty percent of the dominant and codominant trees are Xxxxxxx-fir, western hemlock, western red cedar or Sitka spruce; (c) two or more nesting platforms per acre; (d) at least 7 acres in size, including the contiguous forested area within 300 feet of nesting platforms, with similar forest stand characteristics (age, species composition, forest structure) to the forested area in which the nesting platforms occur.

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat means for the purpose of conducting a protocol survey, a

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat as defined in the Washington Forest Practice Rules general definitions (WAC 222-16-010), means a contiguous forested area containing trees capable of providing nesting opportunities: (a) within 50 miles of marine waters; (b) at least forty percent of the dominant and codominant trees are Xxxxxxx Fir, Western Hemlock, Western Red Cedar or Sitka Spruce; (c) two or more nesting platforms per acre; (d) at least 7 acres in size, including the contiguous forested area within 300 feet of nesting platforms, with similar forest stand characteristics (age, species composition, forest structure) as the forested area in which the nesting platforms occur. The USFWS agrees that forest stands that meet the above definition are suitable habitat, and for the purposes of this SHA, the above definition is relevant because this is the definition that currently applies to the Applicant’s Forest Practices on the Enrolled Lands. The USFWS also acknowledges that marbled murrelets and/or marbled murrelet nests have (1) been detected further inland than 50 miles from marine waters in Washington, (2), been documented using nesting platforms that are less than 7 inches in diameter and less than 50 ft above ground level, (3), been documented in trees less than 32 inches dbh, and (4), been documented in stands less than 7 acres in size. We note these exceptions to the definition presented above but have previously determined that the exclusion of these broader conditions from the regulatory definition of Suitable Marbled Murrelet Habitat in the Washington Forest Practices Rules represents a relatively low risk for this species (USFWS 2006).

Suitable marbled murrelet habitat is defined in the Washington Forest Practice Rules general definitions (WAC 222-16-010), means a contiguous forested area containing trees capable of providing nesting opportunities: (a) within 50 miles of marine waters; (b) at least forty percent of the dominant and codominant trees are Xxxxxxx-fir, western hemlock, western red cedar or Sitka spruce; (c) two or more nesting platforms per acre; (d) at least 7 acres in size, including the contiguous forested area within 300 feet of nesting platforms, with similar forest stand characteristics (age, species composition, forest structure) to the forested area in which the nesting platforms occur. The study area of this EA includes all the Applicant lands within 50 miles of marine waters, including those that qualify as Conservation Lands, Occupied Sites, Presumed Habitat, and Adjacent Forests for which the Applicant is seeking take coverage under the proposed SHA (i.e., Enrolled Lands) and any lands within the Applicant’s ownership that otherwise fall outside of the Enrolled Lands. Therefore, the study area is all the Applicant owned lands, including the Enrolled Lands (i.e., those lands which will receive take coverage), which vary by alternative (see Section 2.0).