![](media/image2.wmf)

ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING FORM

**Project Name:** [\_ \_Manage Common Ravens to Protect Desert
Tortoise\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

**Location** \_\_[California Desert Conservation Area]{.underline}
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**Lead Agency:** [Fish and Wildlife Service
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}Date[\_\_21 April
2005\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ***PROJECT DESCRIPTION***                                             |
|                                                                       |
| Project Background:                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| Desert tortoise populations have declined over most of their range in |
| California, with some populations showing precipitous drops (Berry    |
| 1990, Fish and Wildlife Service 1994, Corn 1994). Conflicting human   |
| activities have been reduced in many areas to enhance habitat quality |
| and reduce mortality in order to first stabilize and secondly         |
| increase tortoise populations. Despite these efforts, populations     |
| cannot stabilize or increase unless there is a steady stream of young |
| tortoises recruited into the breeding population at levels sufficient |
| to replace or surpass the natural mortality of adults (Fish and       |
| Wildlife 1994, Congdon *et al*. 1993). Populations of common raven    |
| are elevated many-fold above historic levels due in large part to     |
| human subsides of food, water, and nesting sites (Knight *et al*.     |
| 1993, Boarman and Berry 1995). At these elevated population levels,   |
| raven predation on desert tortoise hatchlings and juveniles can take  |
| a substantial proportion of the young in some areas and adversely     |
| impact recruitment. Thus, there is a need to reduce raven predation   |
| on hatchling and juvenile tortoises so that survivorship is           |
| sufficient to replenish natural and human induced losses of adults.   |
|                                                                       |
| Purpose and need:                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| The purpose of the proposed raven management actions is **to reduce   |
| raven predation on hatchling and juvenile desert tortoise.** It is    |
| believed that by reducing raven predation on hatchling and juvenile   |
| tortoises their survivorship will increase. This increased juvenile   |
| survivorship will lead to increased recruitment of tortoises into the |
| reproductive population and ultimately promote population             |
| stabilization and recovery.                                           |
|                                                                       |
| Proposed Action:                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| The proposed actions will continue on-going efforts to reduce raven   |
| subsidization of food and water, reduce the occurrence of human       |
| provided nesting opportunities, and directly remove **only those      |
| ravens that are known to prey on tortoises**. Research and monitoring |
| will provide information necessary to modify and adapt the actions to |
| meet changing conditions and increase effectiveness.                  |
|                                                                       |
| Non-lethal tools reduce human factors that have contributed to raven  |
| populations increasing to abnormally high levels. Methods used could  |
| include any or all of the following depending upon the circumstances: |
| reduce or eliminate human food subsidies, reduce the availability of  |
| carcasses of road-killed animals along highways in tortoise habitat,  |
| reduce available water removing raven nests outside the nesting       |
| season in and within 2 miles of tortoise management areas, and reduce |
| nesting substrate in tortoise habitat.                                |
|                                                                       |
| Methods used remove ravens known to predate on tortoise could include |
| any or all of the following depending upon field circumstances:       |
| shooting, live capture and euthanasia, and use of toxicants. Young    |
| ravens and eggs found in nests of removed adults would be euthanized  |
| humanely if they can be captured safely.                              |
|                                                                       |
| Alternative Actions:                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **[No Action]{.underline}**. This alternative would maintain the      |
| status quo, and not involve additional action. This can be thought of |
| as the current "program" alternative. It consists entirely of efforts |
| that are being made now: reducing trash availability at landfills and |
| illegal dumps, limited fencing along highways to reduce road-kills,   |
| limited educational outreach to local desert communities.             |
|                                                                       |
| **[Non-lethal Methods only]{.underline}**. This alternative would     |
| allow for implementation of only non-lethal methods to prevent or     |
| deter ravens from tortoise management areas. Any or all of the        |
| non-lethal efforts listed under the proposed action could be used.    |
|                                                                       |
| **[Remove Additional Ravens.]{.underline}** This alternative would    |
| implement the proposed action and would include the removal of **any  |
| ravens found within a tortoise management area** whether or not it    |
| they are known to have preyed upon tortoise. Any or all of the lethal |
| efforts listed under the proposed action could be used.               |
|                                                                       |
| [**Target Raven Concentrations**.]{.underline} This alternative would |
| implement the proposed action with the addition of targeting **ravens |
| at known concentration centers** (e.g. landfills) whether these       |
| concentration points are in tortoise management areas or not and      |
| without knowing if the specific ravens had preyed upon tortoise.      |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| #  If the p                                         | * | * | **Data |
| roposed alternative were implemented, would it .... | * | * | Needed |
|                                                     | Y | N | to     |
|                                                     | e | o | Deter  |
|                                                     | s | * | mine** |
|                                                     | * | * |        |
|                                                     | * |   |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| A. Have material adverse effects on public health   |   | * |        |
| or safety?                                          |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| B. Have **adverse effects** on such unique          |   | * |        |
| characteristics as historic or cultural resources;  |   | * |        |
| park, recreation, or refuge lands,; wilderness      |   | X |        |
| areas; wild or scenic rivers; national natural      |   | * |        |
| landmarks; sole or principal drinking water         |   | * |        |
| aquifers; prime farmlands; wetlands; floodplains;   |   |   |        |
| or ecologically significant or critical areas,      |   |   |        |
| including those listed on the National Register of  |   |   |        |
| Natural Landmarks?                                  |   |   |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| C. Have highly controversial environmental effects? |   |   | **x**  |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| D. Have highly uncertain and potentially            |   | * |        |
| significant environmental effects or involve unique |   | * |        |
| or unknown environmental risks?                     |   | x |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| E. Establish a precedent for future action or       |   |   | **X**  |
| represent a decision in principle about future      |   |   |        |
| actions with potentially significant environmental  |   |   |        |
| effects?                                            |   |   |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| F. Be directly related to other actions with        |   | * |        |
| individually insignificant, but cumulatively        |   | * |        |
| significant, environmental effects?                 |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| G. Have adverse effects on properties listed or     |   | * |        |
| eligible for listing on the National Register of    |   | * |        |
| Historic Places?                                    |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| H. Have adverse effects on species listed or        |   | * |        |
| proposed to be listed on the List of Endangered or  |   | * |        |
| threatened Species, or have adverse effects on      |   | X |        |
| designated Critical Habitat for these species?      |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| I. Require compliance with Executive Order 11988    |   | * |        |
| (Floodplain Management), Executive Order 11990      |   | * |        |
| (Protection of Wetlands), or the Fish and Wildlife  |   | X |        |
| Coordination Act?                                   |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| J. Threaten to violate a federal, state, local or   | P |   |        |
| tribal law or requirement imposed for the           | r |   |        |
| protection of the environment.                      | o |   |        |
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+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| K. Involve unresolved conflicts concerning          |   | * |        |
| alternative uses of available resources (NEPA sec.  |   | * |        |
| 102(2)(E)?                                          |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| L. Have a disproportionate, significant adverse     |   | * |        |
| effect on low-income or minority populations (EO    |   | * |        |
| 12898)?                                             |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| M. Restrict access to and ceremonial use of Indian  |   | * |        |
| sacred sites by Indian religious practitioners or   |   | * |        |
| adversely affect the physical integrity of such     |   | X |        |
| sacred sites (EO130007)?                            |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| N. Contribute to the introduction, continued        |   | * |        |
| existence, or spread of Federally listed noxious    |   | * |        |
| weeds (Federal Noxious Weed Control Act)?           |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| O. Contribute to the introduction, continued        |   | * |        |
| existed, or spread of non-native invasive species   |   | * |        |
| or actions that may promote the introduction,       |   | X |        |
| growth or expansion of the range of non-native      |   | * |        |
| invasive species (EO 13112)?                        |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| P. Require a permit from a federal, state, or local | P |   |        |
| agency to proceed, unless the agency from which the | r |   |        |
| permit is required agrees that a CE is appropriate? | o |   |        |
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+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| Q. Have the potential for significant impact as     |   | * |        |
| indicated by a federal, state, or local agency or   |   | * |        |
| Indian tribe?                                       |   | X |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
|                                                     |   | * |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+
| R. Have the potential to be controversial because   | * |   |        |
| of disagreement over possible environmental         | * |   |        |
| effects?                                            | X |   |        |
|                                                     | * |   |        |
|                                                     | * |   |        |
+-----------------------------------------------------+---+---+--------+

  ----------------------------------------------------- ------- ------- -----------
  **If the proposed alternative were implemented, would Yes     No      Data Needed
  it have measurable impacts on the following                           to
  categories?**                                                         Determine

  A. Geological resources -- soils, bedrock,                    **X**   
  streambeds, etc.                                                      

  B. Air quality, traffic, nuisance dust, or from noise         **X**   

  C. Water source, water quality or quantity                    **X**   

  D. Wash, drainage, wetlands, or aquifer                       **X**   

  E. Land use, including occupancy, income, values,             **X**   
  ownership, type of use, adjacent property owners                      
  (either public or private)                                            

  F. Rare or unusual vegetation, i.e., Joshua trees,            **X**   
  fan palms, cacti                                                      

  G. Species of special concern (plant or animal; state **X**           
  or federal listed or proposed for listing), i.e.,                     
  desert tortoise, foxtail cactus, rock pennyroyal,                     
  speckled rattlesnake, etc.                                            

  H. Biosphere reserves, World Heritage sites                   **X**   

  I. Unique or important wildlife or wildlife habitat           **X**   

  J. Recreation resources, including supply, demand,            **X**   
  visitation, activities, etc.                                          

  K. Visitor services                                           **X**   

  L. Alter parking or traffic flows, either temporarily         **X**   
  or permanently                                                        

  M. Visitor experience, aesthetic resources, such as           **X**   
  visual, smell, sound                                                  

  N. Socio-economics, including employment, occupation,         **X**   
  income changes, tax base, infrastructure, etc.                        

  O. Facility maintenance requirements                          **X**   

  P. Energy resources, utility costs                            **X**   

  Q. Other important environmental resources                    **X**   

  R. Wilderness                                                 **X**   

  S. Specifically for BLM managed lands, impact or take **X**           
  place in ACECs                                                        

  T. Specifically for the NPS, have the potential to            **X**   
  violate the NPS Organic Act by impairing park                         
  resources or values                                                   

                                                                        
  ----------------------------------------------------- ------- ------- -----------

# Concurrance: In signing below, you concur that the information and analysis above is complete and accurate and shall be used as the basis for preparation of the Raven Management Environmental Assessment. 

  ----------------- --------------------- ----------------- ---------------------
  Agency            Representative/Date   Agency            Representative/Date

  NPS-Joshua Tree                         NPS-Mojave NP     
  NP                                                        

  USFWS                                   DOA-Wildlife      
                                          Services          

  BLM- California                         California        
  Desert District                         Department of     
                                          Fish and Game     

  DOD-MAGTFTC                             DOD, MCLB Barstow 

  DOD- NTC, Ft.                           DOD-Edwards AFB   
  Irwin                                                     

  DOD, NAWS, China                                          
  Lake                                                      
  ----------------- --------------------- ----------------- ---------------------