Opinion ID: 4541138
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Wildlife

Text: Finally, Wild Watershed argues that the projects run afoul of HFRA and the Forest Plan for failing to adequately consider the projects’ potential adverse impact on the northern goshawk and Abert’s squirrel. Under HFRA, the Forest Service must consider “the best available scientific information to maintain or restore the ecological integrity, including maintaining or restoring structure, function, composition, and connectivity” of habitats. 16 U.S.C. § 6591b(b)(1). With respect to the northern goshawk, Wild Watershed argues the Forest Service failed to consider that the northern goshawk requires minimum canopy coverage of 40 percent. In certain places, the projects will thin the canopy coverage down to as low as 35 percent. According to Wild Watershed, this renders the Forest Service’s conduct arbitrary and capricious. We disagree. Despite the fact that “[i]t is unlikely that goshawks occur in the project area,” the Forest Service engaged in extensive review of the projects’ potential effects on the areas’ suitability as habitat for the species. This included -31- discussion of the effect of reducing, in the short term, the canopy coverage. The Forest Service concedes that high canopy coverage is, indeed, better for goshawk nesting. But it states that the projects will “maintain at least 40% canopy cover where it exists pre-project in suitable goshawk habitat.” App. at 149. The thinning will also allow medium size trees to “become more healthy and thus increase their crown size,” resulting in increased canopy coverage and an improved habitat in the long term. Id. Further, canopy coverage is not the only important aspect to consider, as the thinning will “benefit prey species” of the goshawks, whose habitats “are declining in the area largely due to fire suppression.” Id. Overall, the Forest Service notes that in the short term there will be “negative impact[s]” on the suitability of the area for goshawk habitats. Id. at 151. But over the long term, the decrease of the “young, overstocked and dense stands of suppressed trees” will create habitat improvements for goshawks and their prey. Id. at 103, 151. Given this detailed analysis, we can hardly call the Forest Service’s trade-off of some negative short-term consequences for long-term benefits arbitrary or capricious. Instead, such reasoning appears thoughtful and well justified, especially where, as here, it is unlikely any goshawks are currently nesting in the project areas. -32- Wild Watershed also takes issue with the Forest Service’s lack of consideration of the Abert’s squirrel, but its argument is no stronger here. To the extent Wild Watershed is concerned about the decrease in canopy coverage’s effect on the Abert’s squirrel, this was adequately considered and addressed by the Forest Service, as discussed above. To the extent Wild Watershed is instead concerned about a lack of consideration of the squirrel itself, the Forest Service considered the projects’ effects on “small mammals” and many management indicator species whose habitat needs allow them to serve as surrogates for the Abert’s squirrel. See App. at 100, 105–10, 153–58. Accordingly, the Forest Service did not act arbitrarily or capriciously in approving the projects due to insufficient consideration of any squirrels.