2672-2672.24a Page 1 of 5 FOREST SERVICE MANUAL WASHINGTON TITLE 2600 - WILDLIFE, FISH, AND SENSITIVE PLANT HABITAT MANAGEMENT Amendment No. 2600-91-4 Effective May 31, 1991 POSTING NOTICE. Amendments are numbered consecutively by title and calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with this amendment. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document. The last amendment to this Title was Amendment 2600-91-3 to FSM 2670 (2670-2671). Superseded New Document Name (Number of Pages) 2672-2672.24a - 5 Digest: 2672 - This is a technical amendment to correct the document name. F. DALE ROBERTSON Chief 2672 - PLANNING FOR MANAGEMENT AND RECOVERY. 2672.1 - Sensitive Species Management. Sensitive species of native plant and animal species must receive special management emphasis to ensure their viability and to preclude trends toward endangerment that would result in the need for Federal listing. There must be no impacts to sensitive species without an analysis of the significance of adverse effects on the populations, its habitat, and on the viability of the species as a whole. It is essential to establish population viability objectives when making decisions that would significantly reduce sensitive species numbers. 2672.11 - Identification of Sensitive Species. Regional Foresters shall identify sensitive species occurring within the Region. They shall examine the following sources as possible candidates for listing as sensitive species: 1. Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service candidates for Federal listing (categories 1 and 2) under Federal Register Notice of Review. 2. State lists of endangered, threatened, rare, endemic, unique, or vanishing species, especially those listed as threatened under State law. 3. Other sources as appropriate in order to focus conservation management strategies and to avert the need for Federal or State listing as a result of National Forest management activities. 2672.12 - Conservation Agreements. Regional Foresters, in cooperation with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), shall identify sensitive species that qualify for conservation agreements. Such agreements provide the Forest Service an opportunity to take the initiative in removing any threats to FWS "Federal candidate species," so that they no longer qualify under the Endangered Species Act criteria for formal listing as threatened or endangered. The FWS has developed policy, criteria, and a sample format to assist in developing conservation agreements. 2672.2 - Threatened and Endangered Species Management and Recovery. 2672.21 - Recovery Requirements. The Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce must develop and implement recovery plans for the conservation and survival of endangered and threatened species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of the species. The Forest Service must manage habitats at levels that accomplish the recovery of Federally listed species so that protective measures under the Act are no longer necessary. 2672.22 - Recovery Teams. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) usually requests the Forest Service to recommend candidates for recovery teams when National Forest System lands or programs have a significant role in recovery. The Washington Office Director of Wildlife and Fisheries nominates candidates to recovery teams for species occurring in more than one Region. Regional Foresters nominate teams for species occurring in only one Region. The role of the Forest Service recovery team members is to provide biological information and to interpret Forest Service programs, practices, and policies to the team. Their role is that of technical expert and advisor, and their participation in plan preparation does not indicate Forest Service approval of the plan. 2672.23 - Review of Recovery Plans. Recovery plans direct necessary management actions for restoration of an endangered or threatened species as a viable self-sustaining member of its ecosystem. Recovery plans, prepared by recovery teams appointed by the Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, provide a means to combine varied programs of many organizations into a single, coordinated management effort for a species, with the goal of species delisting. Recovery plans serve as guidance for forest land and resource management plans. 1. Informal Technical Review. Regional Foresters are responsible for coordinating periodic review by Forest Service units during formulation of a draft recovery plan. The Forest Service should furnish only biological and habitat information during these informal technical reviews. Recovery teams should be asked to consider this input only as technical review information and not as official agency concurrence. 2. Formal Agency Review. Endangered species recovery plans for multi-Regional species require the concurrence of the Deputy Chief before implementation by the Forest Service. Regional Foresters may provide concurrence for species limited to the Region. a. The FWS or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Regional Director transmits the final draft recovery plan to affected Forest Service Regions. b. Within 30 days, the Forest Service unit assigned lead responsibility shall respond to the FWS concerning species occurring only within the Region. For multi- Regional species, the lead unit shall coordinate input from all concerned Regions, Areas, and Stations, and shall transmit a draft response to the Chief within 30 days. c. The Deputy Chief for the National Forest System normally responds to the FWS or NMFS within 45 days from the time the Forest Service lead unit receives the draft recovery plan. 3. Review Standards. When reviewing recovery plans Forest Service units must: a. Evaluate the recovery plan for adequacy of biological information. b. Determine whether measurable recovery objectives have been stated clearly in a manner that enables the Forest Service to identify its share of recovery objectives. c. Identify any conflicts with other laws and regulations governing Forest Service programs and activities. d. Identify constraints on other Forest Service programs, activities, or practices mentioned or implied in the plan. e. Evaluate the effect of the planned actions that other cooperators on Forest Service programs are to carry out. f. Identify modifications or amendments to Forest plans, ongoing programs, or routine practices needed to carry out the recovery plan program of action. g. Check accuracy of cost estimates for Forest Service tasks and evaluate work force and funding needs. 2672.24 - Forest Service Portion of Recovery Objectives and Strategies. The Regional Forester shall prepare multi-year, multi-phase implementation recovery strategies to help monitor and accomplish the Forest Service portion of recovery objectives and actions agreed to in an approved Fish and Wildlife Service or National Marine Fisheries Service recovery plan. 2672.24a - Recovery Objectives for Federally Listed Species. Forest Service recovery objectives and units of measure for federally listed species are contained in exhibit 01. These objectives represent estimates of the Forest Service portion of recovery objectives. Regional Foresters shall revise and update exhibit 01 as better biological information becomes available. Reporting of accomplishments shall be incorporated into the implementation strategy schedule and transmitted to the Washington Office annually by March 1, along with revision and updates of exhibit 01. Regions shall prepare Regional Supplements for category 1, 2, and sensitive species where the objectives are to increase the species density, habitat, or are part of conservation management plans or other mutually agreed to conservation efforts. Use the recovery increment concept illustrated in exhibit 01. The implementation strategies shall be incorporated into Forest Plans and or support documents. Implementation strategies for listed species, category and sensitive species supplements shall be patterened after those shown in exhibit 01, and be available for use through electronic distributed processing. 2672.24a - Exhibit 01 PROPOSED, ENDANGERED,THREATENED AND CATEGORY SPECIES OCCURRING ON LAND ADMINISTERED BY NFS EXHIBIT 01 IS A SEPARATE DOCUMENT.