**NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE**

**Idaho**

**CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS**

**FOR**

**RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OF DECLINING HABITATS**

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(Owner/Operator)

**[GENERAL]{.underline}**

Installation shall be in accordance with an approved design and plan
(ID-CPA-25, Seeding/Planting Plan Specification). The minimum size of
the restored area shall be 10 acres or all of the identified ecological
site if less than 10 acres.

The U.S. Department of Interior -- National Biological Service has
identified the following habitats as rare and declining in Idaho:

Palouse prairie throughout its range in Idaho

Sagebrush grass steppe in the western Snake River Plains

Basin big sagebrush in the Snake River Plain of Idaho

Old-growth ponderosa pine forest in the northern Rocky Mountains and
Intermountain West

Riverine cottonwood forest on big rivers of southern Idaho

Low-elevation wetlands

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(Project Title)

### **HABITAT DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION IN IDAHO**

The following is a brief description of each habitat and where it
applies in Idaho. Refer to the Idaho Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) map
in the Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG), Section I Maps, Management
Reference Maps.

**Palouse prairie throughout its range in Idaho:**

The potential natural communities are dominated by Idaho fescue,
bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, arrowleaf balsamroot, and
yarrow. Snowberry, rose, ninebark, and black hawthorn become prominent
on north slopes and moist sites. These plant communities are located in
MLRA 9 (Palouse and Nez Perce Prairies) and are described in the
ecological site descriptions, Section II, FOTG, for MLRA 9. Additional
information is available in the technical bulletin, \"Steppe Vegetation
of Washington\".

**Sagebrush grass steppe in the western Snake River Plains:**

The potential natural communities are dominated by Wyoming big
sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Thurber\'s
needlegrass, Indian ricegrass, and needle-and-thread. Common forbs are
phlox, biscuitroot, and annuals. Winterfat, and shadescale dominated
plant communities are interspersed throughout. Basin big sagebrush
communities with basin wildrye and bluebunch wheatgrass are found on
low-lying deeper soils. They are located in the western portion of MLRA
11 (Snake River Plains) and are described in the ecological site
descriptions in Section II, FOTG for MLRA 11.

**Basin big sagebrush in the Snake River Plain of Idaho:**

The potential natural communities are dominated by basin big sagebrush,
bluebunch wheatgrass, basin wildrye, Indian ricegrass,
needle-and-thread, and Sandberg bluegrass. Arrowleaf balsamroot,
tapertip hawksbeard, phlox, biscuitroot, yarrow, and penstemon are
important forbs in the Basin big sagebrush plant communities along the
Snake River Plain. They are located in MLRA 11 (Snake River Plains) and
are described in the ecological site descriptions in Section II, FOTG
for MLRA 11.

Old-growth ponderosa pine forest in the northern Rocky Mountains and
Intermountain West:

Ponderosa pine as climax plant communities occur on mountains and along
broad valleys throughout central and northern Idaho. Associated plant
species include bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, elk sedge, Oregon
grape, common snowberry, and ninebark. These ponderosa pine climax
communities are found in MLRA 43A, 43B, and 44 (Northern Rocky Mountains
and Northern Rocky Mountain Valleys). Detailed information can be found
in the ecological site descriptions in Section II, FOTG for MLRA\'s 43A,
43B and 44 and in \"Forest Habitat Types of Northern Idaho: A Second
Approximation\", and \"Forest Habitat Types of Central Idaho\".

# Riverine cottonwood forest on big rivers of southern Idaho:

These plant communities are located in floodplains along major river
systems in the Snake River Plains. Black or narrowleaf cottonwood and
willow species dominate these plant communities. Associated plant
communities include redosier dogwood, yarrow, western wheatgrass, and
basin wildrye. These riverine forests are located in MLRA 11 and 10.

# Low-elevation wetlands

These plant communities are associated with floodplain wetlands along
the major stream and river systems across Idaho. They do not include
headwater streams and wetlands in mountainous and alpine regions of the
state. Tufted hairgrass, sedges (Carex spp.), rushes (Juncus spp.),
spikerushes (Eleocharis spp.), cattail, and bulrush (Scirpus spp.)
dominate these plant communities. These wetlands are found in MLRA 9,
10, 11, 12, 13, 43A and 43B.

## SITE PREPARATION, SEED AND SEEDING

Palouse prairie, sagebrush grass steppe, basin big sagebrush - refer to
the FOTG, Section IV, Standard 550 Range Planting for site preparation
techniques and seeding rates for herbaceous and shrub seedings.

Old-growth ponderosa pine forests - refer to the FOTG, Section IV
Standard 612 Tree/Shrub Establishment.

Riverine cottonwood forest -- refer to the FOTG, Section IV Standard 390
Riparian Forest Buffer and Plant Materials Technical Notes TN 23, \"How
to Plant Willows and Cottonwoods for Riparian Rehabilitation,\" TN
32,\"User\'s Guide to Description, Propagation, and Establishment of
Native Shrubs and Trees for Riparian Areas in the Intermountain West\",
and \"The Practical Streambank Bioengineering Guide,\" for site
preparation, planting techniques, and spacing for planting seedlings or
cuttings.

Low-elevation wetlands - refer to the FOTG, Section IV Standard 657
Wetland Restoration and Plant Materials Technical Notes TN 23, 32 and
38, \"User\'s Guide to Description, Propagation and Establishment of
Wetland Plant Species and Grasses for Riparian Areas in the
Intermountain West\", for vegetative establishment techniques and
spacing for wetland restoration projects.

## SPECIES

Species suited for the site will be based on ecological site
descriptions in the FOTG, Section II-E Rangeland, Grazed Forestland and
Native Pastureland Interpretations, habitat types, or best available
research.

Select proven cultivars and alternative releases when available and
endemic species adapted to the soils, mean annual rainfall, and native
to the geographic area. Refer to Plant materials Technical Notes TN 5
\"Improved Conservation Plant Materials Released by NRCS and
Cooperators\", and TN 24 \"Improved Grass, Forb, Legume, and Woody
Species for the Intermountain West\" and listed species for the habitat
type (see referenced Habitat Type publications).

## SPECIES SELECTION

Native species, which represent the plant community to be restored, will
be seeded in diverse mixtures. No introduced species will be seeded.
Planted species will include at least 5 of the dominant species in the
ecological site description that in aggregate compose at least 80
percent of the species composition by weight in the site description and
includes at least one species in each life form (grass, forb, shrub,
tree) described in the site description.

For the following vegetative habitats:

-   Palouse prairie

-   sagebrush grass steppe

-   basin big sagebrush

Refer to the FOTG, Section IV, Standard 550 Range Planting for
management guidance. Refer to the FOTG, Section II-E to find the
appropriate range ecological site description for specifics on plant
composition (% grass, % forbs, % shrubs) and the species selection for
the restored climax community.

-   Old-growth ponderosa pine forest

Refer to the FOTG, Section IV, Standard 612 Tree/Shrub Establishment for
guidance on spacing distances and Standard 550 Range Planting for
management guidance. Refer to the FOTG, Section II-E to find appropriate
range ecological site description for specifics on plant composition (%
grass, % forbs, % shrubs) and the species selection for the restored
climax community. Additional information can be found in \"Forest
Habitat Types of Northern Idaho: A Second Approximation\", and \"Forest
Habitat Types of Central Idaho\".

-   Riverine cottonwood forest

Refer to the FOTG, Section IV Standard 390 Riparian Forest Buffer and
Plant Materials TN 23 and 32 for site preparation, planting techniques,
and spacing for planting seedlings or cuttings. Refer to the FOTG,
Section II-E to find appropriate range ecological site description for
specifics on plant composition (% grass, % forbs, % shrubs) and the
species selection for the restored climax community. Additional
information can be found in \"Riparian and Wetland Plant Associations of
Southwestern Idaho\".

-   Low-elevation wetlands

Restoration of low-elevation wetlands requires reestablishment of the
original hydrology. Wetland plant communities generally establish from
natural sources once hydrology has been restored. No plantings/and or
seeding of herbaceous vegetation is recommended unless determined by an
on-site evaluation. The restored climax plant community will be
dominated by native species listed in the "Habitat Description and
Location in Idaho" section of this specification and Riparian and
Wetland Plant Associations of Southwestern Idaho.

**REFERENCES**

Bentrup, G. and J.C. Hoag, 1998, The Practical Streambank Bioengineering
Guide, USDA-NRCS, Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID.

Cooper, S.V., K.E. Neiman, and D.W. Roberts, 1991, Forest Habitat Types
of Northern Idaho: A Second Approximation, USDA-FS, Intermountain
Research Station, General Technical Report INT-236.

Daubenmire, R., 1970, Steppe Vegetation of Washington, Washington
Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin 62, 1970.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Bureau of Land Management, 2001,
Riparian and Wetland Plant Associations of Southwestern Idaho.

Steele, R., R.D. Pfister, R.A. Ryker, and J.A. Kittams, 1981, Forest
Habitat Types of Central Idaho, USDA-FS, Intermountain Forest and Range
Experiment Station, General Technical Report INT-114.

USDA-- NRCS, Idaho, Field Office Technical Guide (FOTG).

USDA-SCS, 1986, Potential Natural Vegetation Map Idaho.

USDI-- National Biological Service, Endangered Ecosystems of the United
States: A preliminary Assessment of Loss and Degradation, 1995,
Biological Report 28.