• CumulaHve E^ffects of .Action Mtemutive 

 a to Canada Ijynx 



The quality of Canada lynx 

 foraging habitat could 

 decrease, but the quantity of 

 lynx habitat would remain 

 constant. These changes would 

 be additive to other projects 

 in the South Fork Lost Soup 

 Subunit. The changes in this 

 and other projects alter Canada 

 lynx habitat in marginal 

 locations in the landscape; 

 therefore, the effects of this 

 alternative is highly unlikely 

 to result in changes to lynx 

 survival, reproduction, or use 

 of the analysis area. 



> Gray Wolf 



The gray wolf is listed as 

 "endangered" under the Endangered 

 Species Act . The Northern Rocky 

 Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan 

 defines 3 recovery zones {USFWS 

 1987} . The proposed project is 

 in the Northwest Montana Recovery 

 Zone. The 3 recovery zones met 

 the recovery standards for the 

 last 2 years and are expected to 

 meet the 10 packs per recovery 

 area this year, initiating the 

 delisting process. 



The gray wolf is a wide-ranging, 

 mobile species. Adequate habitat 

 for wolves consists of adequate 

 vulnerable prey and minimal human 

 disturbance, especially at den 

 and/or rendezvous sites. Primary 

 prey species in northwest Montana 

 are white-tailed deer, elk, 

 moose, and mule deer. The 

 distribution of wolves is 

 strongly associated with white- 

 tailed deer winter ranges. 

 Wolves in northwest Montana 

 typically den in late April. 

 Wolves choose elevated areas in 

 gentle terrain near a water 

 source (valley bottoms) , close to 

 /meadows or other openings, and 

 near big game wintering areas for 

 dens and rendezvous sites. 



The project area contains elk 

 winter ranges, which could 

 provide winter prey for wolves . 

 Within the project area, the 

 topography, access to water, and 

 proximity to the big game winter 

 range adhere to the description 

 of denning and/or rendezvous-site 

 habitats. However, because the 

 project is located on elk winter 

 range, instead of white-tailed 

 deer winter range, the potential 

 of wolf denning is reduced. 



Another important component of 

 wolf habitat is secure habitat 

 away from roads. Highway 83 and 

 the Soup Creek roads provide 

 access to the area. These roads 

 increase mortality risk due to 

 automobile collisions or illegal 

 harvesting. Other roads in the 

 project area are restricted to 

 administrative use by gates or 

 berms. Wolves could use the 

 project area as part of their 

 home range or enable them to be 

 transient to the area,- however, 

 no recent denning or rendezvous 

 sites have been documented and no 

 recent use has been documented in 

 or near the project area (T. 

 Meier, personal communication, 

 USFWS, 9/18/02) . Wolf habitat is 

 not expected to be altered, and 

 the proposed project would be 

 completed by April 1, which 

 precedes the onset of wolf 

 denning. Therefore, the gray 

 wolf was not considered further 

 in this document. 



> Grizzly Bear 



Grizzly bears are listed as 

 "threatened" under the Endangered 

 Species Act. The Grizzly Bear 

 Recovery Plan defines 6 recovery 

 areas {USFWS 1993) . This project 

 is proposed in grizzly bear 

 habitat in the North Continental 

 Divide Ecosystem Recovery Area. 

 The North Continental Divide 

 Ecosystem Recovery Area is 

 divided into subunits. Each 

 subunit approximates the size of 

 a home range for a female bear 



Big Blowdown Salvage 



Page E-7 



