Eagle Recovery Plan (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1986) and the Montana Bald Eagle 

 Management Plan (Montana Bald Eagle Working Group 1994). Management direction 

 involves identifying and protecting nesting, feeding, perching, roosting, and 

 wintering/migration areas (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1986, Montana Bald Eagle 

 Working Group 1994). No eagle nests or suitable nesting habitat are located in or near 

 the project area, nor are eagles expected to use the project area in the winter. Therefore, 

 this species will not be discussed further in this document. 



2. Canada Lynx 



Lynx are listed as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species List. Currently, no 

 recovery plan exists. Several reports have been written to summarize the research on 

 lynx and develop a conservation strategy (Ruediger et al. 2000, Ruggiero et al. 2000). 



Lynx are associated with subalpine fir forests generally between 4,000 to 7,000' in 

 elevation in western Montana (Ruediger et al. 2000). Lynx habitat in western mountains 

 consists primarily of coniferous forest with plentiful snowshoe hares, mature forest for 

 denning and cover for kittens, and densely forested cover for travel and security. 

 Additionally, the mature forests provide habitat for red squirrels, an alternative prey 

 source. 



To assess lynx habitat, DNRC SLI data were used to map habitat types used by lynx. 

 These areas were considered lynx habitat. Other parameters (stand age, canopy cover, 

 amount of coarse woody debris) were used in modeling the availability of specific lynx 

 habitat in the area (i.e. derming, forage, other, temporarily not available). Young forage 

 consisted of regenerating stands less than 39 years old in a well-stocked condition (more 

 than 1,500 trees per acre). Mature forage included all stands in lynx habitat greater than 

 40 years old with more than 40 percent canopy closure. Denning habitat consisted of 

 mature stands (older than 100 years) with more than 40 percent canopy closure and a 

 high abundance of coarse woody debris present. Temporary nonhabitat included all 

 stands with regeneration less than 1 5 years old, stands that received precommercial 

 thinning within 10 years, and stands with less than 40 percent canopy closure. Other 

 available habitat included any habitat of a suitable habitat type with more than 40 percent 

 cover that could be used by lynx for travel or any other purpose. 



Based on the above analysis, lynx habitat comprised approximately 720 acres (85%) of 

 habitat on State lands within the project area. Of these acres, 267 acres of mature forage, 

 101 acres temporary non-suitable, and 352 acres of other suitable habitat. The existing 

 temporary non-suitable is nearing young foraging habitat, however, western larch 

 dominates the regeneration, therefore winter cover for snowshoe hares would be limited 

 making it unlikely that this area provides young foraging habitat for lynx. 



Cumulative effects were analyzed for lands immediately adjacent to the 2 parcels in the 

 project area. This area is compromised of 1,237 acres of DNRC, 6,554 acres of Plum 

 Creek Timber Company, 640 acres of Thompson River Lumber Company, and 640 acres 

 of National Forest System lands. The lands surrounding the project area received 

 moderate to heavy management starting in the late 1980's and continuing to the present. 



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