the project and analysis areas, respectively. For late successional foraging habitat, there are 

 approximately 317 and 1,345 acres within the project and analysis areas, respectively. Proposed 

 action alternatives would each have an effect on the amount and distribution of foraging habitat 

 in both the project and analysis areas (Table 4-7). While early foraging habitat would increase 

 under all action alternatives, the amount of late foraging, and potential denning, habitat would 

 decrease. Overall, the potential reduction in late foraging habitat could have a direct negative 

 effect on lynx foraging opportunities. Preliminary results of lynx foraging research indicates 

 >70% of lynx foraging attempts occurred within late foraging habitat (J. Squires, U. S. Forest 

 Service, pers. comm., December 2002). Due to the local moisture regime, effects of the 

 proposed mixed severity and low intensity harvests would not attain late foraging habitat 

 conditions for at least 40 years post-harvest. However, all proposed action alternatives are 

 located >100 yards from riparian zones within the project area (Beaver Creek in Section 5, Bear 

 Creek in Section 8, Huepeck Gulch in Section 17, and Arbuckle Gulch in Sections 21 and 28). 

 Such areas are higher in percent shrub coverage, which would likely have higher snowshoe hare 

 densities than surrounding uplands, and provide connective corridors to other late foraging 

 habitat within the analysis area. 



Each action alternative proposes construction of new roads and reconstruction of pre-existing 

 roads (Table 4-5). While compaction of snow on roads by winter recreationists is thought to 

 promote competition to lynx, by permitting other carnivores that are less adapted to snow to gain 

 access to lynx winter foraging habitat, the proposed new road construction and reconstruction 

 would be closed to public motorized access through a cooperative road management plan with 

 the U. S. Forest Service. Thus, there would be low risk of negative effects to lynx as a result of 

 the proposed actions with roads under the action alternatives. 



While proposed action altematives would likely provide low risk of long-term (>40 years) direct 

 negative effects to lynx, due to the 5.5 - 13.2% decrease (Alt. D and C, respectively) in late 

 foraging habitat within the analysis area, and new roads would be constructed, provision of 

 connective corridors to other late foraging habitat may help mitigate these effects. 



Table 4-7. 



Projected quantities of early and late successional lynx foraging habitat as a result of the 



proposed action alternatives within the project and analysis areas 



91 



