2015 MSGP Biological Opinion F

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## Appendix F : C onservation R ecommendations for P acific Island Species2015 MSGP Biological Opinion F

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Additional Avoidance and Minimization Measures for use in the Pacific Islands and Territories

. I. All Pacific Islands:

Invasive species minimization measures (applies to Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and CNMI):

U.S. Executive Order 13112 (February 3, 1999) defines an “invasive species” as an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human

health. It further states the following: “Each federal agency whose actions may affect the status of invasive species shall, to the extent practicable and permitted by law”....”not authorize, fund, or carry out actions that it believes are likely to cause or promote the introduction or spread of invasive species in the United States or elsewhere unless, pursuant to guidelines that it has prescribed, the agency has determined and made public its determination that the benefits of such actions clearly outweigh the potential harm caused by the invasive species; and that all feasible and prudent measures to minimize the risk of harm will be taken in conjunction with the

actions.”

The proposed actions, if not properly mitigated, may pose an increased risk for the introduction and establishment of invasive species into geographical areas that could negatively impact federally listed species and other trust resources. This broad dire ctive has implications for non

Federal agencies as well, in particular to those working in partnership with Federal agencies. Therefore, the Service suggests that the project assess biosecurity risks associated with the movement of equipment and construct ion materials originating from outside a particular geographical area that would be used throughout the project. Any materials moving from Guam to any other island should be thoroughly assessed to ensure the brown treesnake is not transported in the mater ial. As a means to implement feasible and prudent measures to minimize risk of harm, the application of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control planning is recommended to manage the risk of moving non

- targets including invasive species.

Non

- native mammals have the potential to adversely affect listed plants and animals. To avoid attracting non

- native mammals to work sites, all workers should ensure their food scraps, paper wrappers, food containers, cans, bottles, and other trash from the project area are deposited in

covered or closed trash containers. The trash containers shall be removed from the project

area and disposed of off

- site at an approved landsite at the end of each working day to prevent

the attraction of non

- native pests (i.e., rats). All t ools, gear, and construction scrap will be removed upon completion of work in order to prevent the attraction of non

- native pests (i.e., rats). No contamination (trash or debris disposal, non

- native species introductions, attraction of

non

- native pests, e tc.) of adjacent habitats will result from project

- related activities.

Sea Turtles The proposed project is within the vicinity of nesting habitat for the endangered hawksbill turtle and threatened green turtle, collectively referred to as sea turtles. Sea turtles come ashore to nest on beaches from May through September, peaking in June and July. Optimal nesting habitat is a

dark beach free of barriers that restrict movement. Nesting turtles may be deterred from approaching or laying successful nests on lighted or disturbed beaches. If they do come ashore, they may become disoriented by artificial lighting, leading to exhaustion and placement of a nest2015 MSGP Biological Opinion F

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in an inappropriate location (such as at or below the high tide line where nests are unlikely to be successful). Hatchlings that emerge from unprotected nests may be disoriented by artificial lighting, move inland instead of toward the ocean, and not make it successfully to the ocean.

To minimize potential impacts to sea turtles that may utilize beac hes in the project vicinity, no light from the proposed project should be visible from the beach. We recommend installation of shielded lighting at construction sites near beaches and around shoreline developments. Shielded lights reduce the direct and a mbient lighting of beach habitats within and adjacent to the project

site. Effective light shields should be completely opaque, sufficiently large, and positioned so that light from the shielded source does not reach the beach.

Habitat Occupied by Liste d Plants A qualified botanist should conduct botanical surveys prior to project implementation to document any listed plant species in the proposed disturbance area. Botanical surveys should be conducted during the wettest part of the year when target spe cies may be more prevalent. Projects should be situated to minimize disturbance to listed plants and habitat suitable for listed plants. Unavoidable permanent impacts to plant habitat should be offset by restoring and conserving, in perpetuity, habitat t o improve the recovery potential for the species impacted by the proposed project. Unavoidable impacts to listed plants can be offset by propagating the listed plants and common native plants and outplanting them to areas that are protected from ungulate browsing, wildfire, competition from invasive species, and other

disturbances.

Critical Habitat The Service recommends adverse permanent impacts to critical habitat be

avoided. Where critical habitat is temporarily impacted, measures to restore and con serve temporarily disturbed areas should be incorporated into project plans.

II. Guam and CNMI :

Mariana Crow (Rota only): Any clearing of vegetation should occur outside of the Mariana crow peak breeding and nesting season (August through February). No limestone forest should be removed to implement any of the proposed actions. Staff from the Service

and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Fish and Wildlife (CNMI DFW) should be invited to inspect the property during vegetation removal to ensure no unanticipated habitat is removed.

Mariana Fruit Bat (Guam and CNMI): Because fruit bats are shot and killed by poachers, limit exposing bat locations to the public and to contractors. If a Mariana fruit bat is present

within 492 ft (150 m) of the project site, the work must be postponed until the bat has left the

area. Trees, which may serve as roost sites, should not be removed unless Guam or CNMI Department of Fish and Wildlife or Service biologists confirm the tree is not used a s a bat roost.

Micronesian Megapode (CNMI), and Bridled White

- eye (Guam) : If a Micronesian megapode or bridled white

- eye is present within 492 ft (150 m) of the project site, the work must be postponed until the megapode has left the area. If a megapod e or bridled white

- eye is nesting within 984 ft (300 m) of the project site, the work must be postponed and the Service contacted immediately as no nesting is known to occur there.2015 MSGP Biological Opinion F

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Guam Rail (Rota and Guam) and Guam Micronesian kingfisher (Guam): To avo id adverse impacts to these species due to habitat loss to this species, do not clear vegetation on Guam beyond a 33

- foot (ten

- meter) wide swath. Clear no more than five acres of vegetation on each

island.

Mariana common moorhen (Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Rota): Where work will occur near fresh water bodies, implement the following measures to avoid potential adverse impacts to the

Mariana common moorhen: Pre

- construction surveys should be completed one week prior to the onset of work by a biologist exper ienced in the identification of the waterbirds by sight and vocalizations and experienced with implementation of the Service protocol survey methodology to ensure no nesting moorhens are present. If nesting moorhens are present within 300 meters (m) (984 feet [ft]), clearing and construction should be postponed until chicks have fledged and the moorhen has left voluntarily. If work stops for more than one week, pre

- construction surveys will be repeated to ensure that no moorhens have initiated nesting. O n Guam, the Guam Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources (DAWR) personnel should be contacted at (671)

735

- 3955 if a listed waterbird is detected at any time prior to or during the proposed action.

Nightingale reed

- warbler (Saipan): Where noise great er than 60 dB or vegetation clearing is proposed, survey the project area for nightingale reed

- warbler territories. If a territory is within 328 feet (100 meters) of the project site, implement the following avoidance measures: Limit noise and vegetation clearing to months when breeding is less likely to occur (April through June and October through December) to avoid potential adverse impacts to breeding birds. To avoid impacts due to habitat loss to this species, do not clear vegetation beyond a 33

- foo t (ten

- meter)

wide area.

III. Hawaii:

Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus),Endangered The endangered Hawaiian hoary bat may be present within the proposed project area. The Hawaiian hoary bat roosts in both exotic and native woody vegetation and will leave young unattended in "nursery" trees and shrubs when they forage. If trees or shrubs suitable for bat roosting are cleared during the breeding season, there is a risk that young bats could inadvertently be harmed or killed. To minimize impacts to the endangered Hawaiian hoary bat, woody plants greater than 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall should not be disturbed, removed, or trimmed during the bat birthing and pup rearing season (June 1 through September 15). Additionally, Hawaiian hoary bats forage f or insects from as low as three feet to higher than 500 feet above the ground. When barbed wire is used in fencing, Hawaiian hoary bats can become entangled. The Service, therefore, recommends that barbed wire not be used for fencing or only within 2 inc hes of the ground surface as part of this propose action.

Hawaiian Waterbirds. Endangered Hawaiian stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus knudseni ), Hawaiian gallinule ( Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis ), Hawaiian coot ( Fulica alai ), Hawaiian duck ( Anas wyvilliana ) (collectively referred to as Hawaiian waterbirds). May occur in fresh and brackish water including streams, rivers, marshes, ponds, reservoirs, fish ponds, taro loi, impoundments, or other water sources. We recommend you incorporate the following measu res into your project description to avoid and minimize impacts to listed Hawaiian waterbirds:2015 MSGP Biological Opinion F

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A biological monitor should conduct Hawaiian waterbird and nest surveys at the proposed project site prior to project initiation (please see the Service’s reco mmended Hawaiian Waterbird Survey Protocols, attached).

A 100

- foot buffer should be established and maintained around all active nests and broods until the chicks/ducklings have fledged. No potentially disruptive activities or habitat alteration

should occur within this buffer. A biological monitor should be present on the project site during all construction or earth moving activities to ensure that Hawaiian waterbirds and nests are not adversely impacted.

If a listed Hawaiian waterbird is observed w ithin the project site, or flies into the site while activities are occurring (within 100 feet), all potentially disruptive activities (including human activity, mechanical or construction disturbance) will be stopped until the animal(s) voluntarily

leave the area.

Because the proposed activities may impact water resources that provide habitat for listed Hawaiian waterbirds, we are attaching the Service’s recommended Best Management Practices regarding sedimentation and erosion in aquatic environments. W e encourage you to incorporate the relevant practices into your project design.

Hawaiian seabirds (Pterodroma sandwichensis), Endangered and Newell's

shearwater (Puffinus newelli), Threatened Hawaiian petrels and Newell’s shearwaters (collectively known as seabirds) may traverse the project area at night during the breeding season. Outdoor lighting at this project site could result in seabird disorientation, fallout, and injury or mortality. Seabirds are attracted to lights and after circling the lights they may collide with nearby wires, buildings, or other structures or they may land on the ground due to exhaustion. Downed seabirds are subject to increased mortality due to collision with automobiles, starvation, and predation by dogs, cats, and other predators. Young birds (fledglings) traversing the project area between September 15 and December 15, in their first flights from their mountain nests to the sea, are particularly vulnerable.

To minimize potential project impacts to seabirds during thei r breeding season, all outdoor lights should be fully shielded so the bulb can only be seen from below bulb height and only used when

necessary. Automatic motion sensor switches and controls should be installed on all outdoor lights or lights should be tu rned off when human activity is not occurring in the lighted

area. Any increase in night

- time lighting, particularly during each year’s peak fallout period (September 15 through December 15), could result in seabird injury or mortality. Nighttime

constru ction should be avoided during the seabird fledging period, September 15 through

December 15. If nighttime construction occurs during other times of year, all lighting should be shielded and directed toward the ground to avoid attracting adult seabirds as they travel from the ocean to their breeding areas.

Blackburn’s sphinx moth ( Manduca blackburni) , Endangered The adult moth feeds on nectar from native plants including beach morning glory ( Ipomoea

pescaprae ), iliee ( Plumbago zeylanica ), maiapilo ( Capparis sandwichiana ). Blackburn’s sphinx moth larvae feed upon non

- native tree tobacco ( Nicotiana glauca ), which occupies disturbed2015 MSGP Biological Opinion F

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areas such as open fields and roadway margins, and the native aiea ( Nothocestrum sp. ). We recommend that a qualified bio logist survey the project area for the presence of larval host plants. To pupate, Blackburn's sphinx moth larvae burrow into the soil near host plants and can remain in a state of torpor for up to a year (or more) before emerging from the soil. In order to assess a project’s level of impact to this listed species, we recommend the area be surveyed for the presence of adult and larval host plants by a qualified biologist. To minimize the potential for the project to adversely impact the Blackburn’s sphinx moth, we recommend the host plants not be cut or removed and the soil within 10 meters (33 feet) of the host plants not be disturbed.