Appendix W 

 Happy Valley Wildlife 



Issue: There is concern that timber harvesting could alter habitat or create disturbance that would be 

 detrimental to lynx. 



Existing Environment 



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

 western Montana (Ruediger et al. 2000). The proposed project area ranges from approximately 3,100 

 to 3,200 feet and is dominated by Douglas-fir and western larch, with some ponderosa pine Pimis 

 ponderosa). Typical lynx denning habitat consists of mature spruce-fir with abundant coarse woody 

 debris; typical lynx foraging habitat consists of younger coniferous forests with an abundance of 

 snowshoe hares. Such habitats are not present in the proposed project area. Since neither alternative 

 is expected to affect Canada lynx, this species will not be considered further in the analysis. 



2. Sensitive Species 



When conducting forest-management activities, DNRC gives special consideration to several sensitive 

 species. These species are sensitive to human activities, have special habitat requirements that might be 

 altered by timber management, or might become listed under the Federal Endangered Species Act if 

 management activities result in continued adverse impacts. Because sensitive species usually have 

 specific habitat requirements, consideration of their needs serves as a useful "fine filter" for ensuring that 

 the primary goal of maintaining healthy and diverse forests is met. 



A search of the Montana Natural Heritage Database documented no sensitive species occurrence records 

 in the proposed project area or within 1 mile. A DNRC Biologist conducted a field review of the project 

 and analysis areas. Each sensitive species was either included in the following analysis, or was removed 

 from further analysis due to habitat availability considerations (Table W-1). 



a. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopiis pileattis) 



Issue: There is concern that timber harvesting could alter habitat or create disturbance that would be 

 detrimental to the pileated woodpecker. 



Existing Environment 



Pileated woodpeckers excavate the largest cavities of any woodpecker. These cavities are frequently 

 used in subsequent years by many other species of birds and mammals. Preferred nest trees are 

 western larch, ponderosa pine, cottonwood, and aspen, usually 20 inches dbh and larger. Pileated 

 woodpeckers primarily eat insects, mainly carpenter ants, inhabiting large downed logs, stumps, and 

 snags. Nesting habitat for pileated woodpeckers consists of mature stands below 5,000 feet in 

 elevation with 100-125 ftVac basal area and a relatively closed canopy (Aney and McClelland 1985). 

 The feeding and nesting habitat requirements, including large snags or decayed trees for nesting and 

 large downed wood for feeding, closely tie these woodpeckers to mature forests. The density of 

 pileated woodpeckers is positively correlated with the amount of dead and/or dying wood in a 

 landscape (McClelland 1979). Modeling the above conditions using SLI data generated an estimate of 

 pileated woodpecker habitat. 



None of the proposed project area was identified as potential pileated woodpecker nesting habitat in 

 the habitat model due to stand ages. These stands are still too young to be considered preferred 

 pileated nesting habitat. However, younger-aged stands are frequently used for foraging and may 

 provide lower quality nesting habitat. During field visits very few snags (0-1 /acre) and feeding sites 

 were observed in the state parcel. 



Cumulative effects were analyzed on the surrounding 8 sections (Figure W-1) using a combination of 

 field evaluation and aerial photograph interpretation. Factors considered within the analysis area 

 included the degree of harvesting and the amount of continuous forest within the analysis area. 



W-7 



