Common use of CONSERVATION ACTIONS Clause in Contracts

CONSERVATION ACTIONS. This section appends the conservation strategy section of the CCA with additional conservation actions, the expansion of Conservation Area A, and the inclusion of habitat patches to support dispersal between Conservation Areas A and B (Figures 3 and 4). The USFWS assesses existing and potential threats facing the species based on the five criteria as required by Section 4(a) (1) of the ESA. Within each of these criteria, several factors which have contributed to the degradation of CPSD tiger beetle habitat and its populations were identified. Threats include: 1) habitat loss and degradation caused by ORV use; 2) small population effects, such as vulnerability to random chance events; 3) the effects of climate change and drought; and 4) cumulative interaction of the individual factors listed above (77 FR 60208, October 2, 2012). The conservation actions in this amendment were developed to address the threats identified in the USFWS proposed rule. Conservation actions that will be enacted to address identified threats are described in Table 1. Habitat loss/degradation and mortality associated with ORV use • Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation agrees to expand the boundary of Conservation Area A to protect additional habitat while addressing diversity in recreation and maintaining safety standards for dune visitors. This area will be expanded in the 2013 field season from 207 acres (ac) to 266 ac (Figure 3), thus increasing protection of tiger beetle occupied ▇▇▇▇▇▇ from 48 percent to 88 percent. All new or expanded habitat areas will be demarcated with carsonite marking posts to facilitate compliance by Park visitors. • Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation and the BLM will protect vegetated habitat islands of connectivity between the southern and northern conservation areas and monitor to ensure compliance. This action will occur in 2013 and will protect 263 ac of additional sand dune habitat comprised of 14 individual habitat patches (Figure 4) which range in size from 2.6 to 37.1 ac each. All new or expanded habitat areas will be demarcated with carsonite marking posts to facilitate compliance by Park visitors. • Tiger beetle adults and larvae were found to the south of Conservation Area A in 2012. The conservation committee will visit this area in spring of 2013 to determine any additional habitats that should be protected to support the tiger beetle. The size and configuration of any protected areas will be determined during the 2013 field season with input from all members of the conservation committee. All new or expanded habitat areas will be demarcated with carsonite posts to facilitate compliance by Park visitors. • The conservation committee will analyze available historic aerial imagery, and other data, to better understand dune movement and associated vegetation changes as they relate to beetle occupation and suitable habitat over time. Knowledge of dune movement patterns will be used in adaptive management planning to accommodate dune changes and the need to alter conservation area boundaries. • The conservation committee will conduct experimental vegetation treatments within existing conservation areas to determine if this could be an effective mechanism to increase suitable habitat. • The conservation committee will revisit conservation area boundaries on a routine cycle (every 3 years) and make necessary adjustments as a result of shifting dunes, vegetation changes, population increase and decreases, and resulting changes to suitable habitat. • Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation and the BLM will continue efforts in law enforcement, education, and outreach. Vulnerability to stochastic events due to small population size • We are not aware of any additional populations of CPSD tiger beetle outside of the CPSD. However, the conservation committee believes it is appropriate to continue surveys for this species in the area. The conservation committee will identify potential habitat within a 50 mile radius of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes using aerial imagery, and survey for tiger beetle presence and habitat suitability. If appropriate habitat is found the area will be considered for experimental introduction. • The conservation committee will increase research effort in experimental translocations in Conservation Area B and evaluate new habitat islands for appropriateness for reintroduction efforts. • The conservation committee will introduce individuals into suitable habitats (potential sites have been identified), monitor these sites, and revise translocation activities via an adaptive management process. Inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms • The Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation and the BLM have done a creditable job of enforcing the protection boundaries of Conservation Areas A and B for approximately the last 15 years. This amendment increases the size of Conservation Area A by 59 acres, and the conservation committee will consider further protection of habitats to the south of Conservation Area A (see Habitat loss/degradation and mortality associated with ORV use, above). In addition, the amendment establishes 14 habitat patches to support dispersal of tiger beetles between Conservation Areas A and B, increasing the total protected area by an additional 263 ac. Because these signatory agencies have complied with the Conservation Agreement and Strategy for the last 15 years, it can reasonably be concluded that the BLM and Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation will continue to properly enforce the boundaries of all protected areas. Climate change and drought • The BLM is installing a weather station on-site in spring 2013 to better correlate weather patterns with beetle abundance. Understanding the effects of weather patterns on CPSD tiger beetle populations may help us develop adaptive management strategies by identifying important habitat use area during particularly dry or warm years. • The establishment of 14 additional habitat patches totaling 263 ac will occur at higher elevations in the sand dune area, and at locations that provide significant vegetated habitat. This has the potential to offset the drying and warming effects of climate change and drought on CPSD tiger beetle habitat. In addition these habitat polygons will provide dispersal habitat and connectivity between Conservation Areas A and B. This will better allow the tiger beetle to disperse to potentially cooler and wetter habitat that occurs in Conservation Area B. Cumulative effects of the above • Addressing the threats listed above independently will prevent these threats from acting cumulatively.