Management Unit: BLM Conde Complex, Management Unit 1



Management Plans for all Southern Oregon Cascade Mardon skipper (Polites mardon klamathensis) sites on BLM landsPrepared by Scott Hoffman Black, Loni Beyer, Sarina Jepsen, Celeste A. Mazzacano, Matthew Shepherd and Ashley MinnerathThe Xerces Society for Invertebrate ConservationOctober 2010U.S.D.A. Forest Service Region 6 and U.S.D.I. Bureau of Land Management???????? Interagency Special Status and Sensitive Species ProgramTable of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Section 1: Status and Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777867 \h 6Background PAGEREF _Toc275777868 \h 6History and Taxonomy of Mardon Skipper in Southern Oregon PAGEREF _Toc275777869 \h 6Species Range, Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777870 \h 6Recent Searches for Mardon Skipper in Southern Oregon PAGEREF _Toc275777871 \h 7Status of the Polites mardon klamathensis in southern Oregon PAGEREF _Toc275777872 \h 7Status of BLM sites PAGEREF _Toc275777873 \h 7Species Life History PAGEREF _Toc275777874 \h 9Threats and General Management Recommendations PAGEREF _Toc275777875 \h 12Livestock Grazing PAGEREF _Toc275777876 \h 13Forest Encroachment PAGEREF _Toc275777877 \h 15Prescribed fire PAGEREF _Toc275777878 \h 17Off Road Vehicles PAGEREF _Toc275777879 \h 18Use of Btk PAGEREF _Toc275777880 \h 19Site Priorities PAGEREF _Toc275777881 \h 20SECTION 2: MANAGEMENT PLANS BY UNIT PAGEREF _Toc275777882 \h 21Management Unit: 1 (Priority 3) PAGEREF _Toc275777883 \h 22Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777884 \h 22Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777885 \h 22Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777886 \h 22Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777887 \h 23Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777888 \h 23Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777889 \h 24Management Unit: 2 (Priority 2) PAGEREF _Toc275777890 \h 26Goal of the Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777891 \h 26Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777892 \h 26Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777893 \h 27Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777894 \h 27Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777895 \h 27Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777896 \h 28Management Unit: 3 (Priority 1) PAGEREF _Toc275777897 \h 30Goal of the Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777898 \h 30Species Range, Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777899 \h 30Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777900 \h 30Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777901 \h 31Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777902 \h 33Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777903 \h 33Management Unit: 4 (Priority 1) PAGEREF _Toc275777904 \h 35Goal of the Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777905 \h 35Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777906 \h 35Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777907 \h 35Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777908 \h 36Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777909 \h 37Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777910 \h 37Management Unit: 5 (Priority 4) PAGEREF _Toc275777911 \h 40Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777912 \h 40Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777913 \h 40Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777914 \h 40Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777915 \h 41Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777916 \h 41Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777917 \h 43Management Unit: 6 (Priority 2) PAGEREF _Toc275777918 \h 44Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777919 \h 44Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777920 \h 44Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777921 \h 44Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777922 \h 45Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777923 \h 46Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777924 \h 46Management Unit: 7 (Priority 1) PAGEREF _Toc275777925 \h 48Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777926 \h 48Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777927 \h 48Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777928 \h 48Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777929 \h 49Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777930 \h 49Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777931 \h 49Management Unit: 8 (Priority 1) PAGEREF _Toc275777932 \h 51Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777933 \h 51Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777934 \h 51Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777935 \h 51Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777936 \h 52Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777937 \h 52Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777938 \h 53Management Unit: 9 (PCT meadow south, Priority 1, PCT meadow west, Priority 3, PCT meadow North Priority 2) PAGEREF _Toc275777939 \h 55Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777940 \h 55Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777941 \h 55Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777942 \h 55Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777943 \h 57Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777944 \h 58Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777945 \h 58Management Unit: 10 (Priority 2-Hobart Peak 2 [middle]; Priority 3- Hobart Peak 1 [East]; Priority 1- Hobart Peak 3 [west]) PAGEREF _Toc275777946 \h 60Goal of the Site Management Plan PAGEREF _Toc275777947 \h 60Site Distribution, Abundance, and Trends PAGEREF _Toc275777948 \h 60Site Description PAGEREF _Toc275777949 \h 60Site Threats PAGEREF _Toc275777950 \h 62Site Management History and Current Land Allocations PAGEREF _Toc275777951 \h 64Management Needs PAGEREF _Toc275777952 \h 64Literature Cited PAGEREF _Toc275777953 \h 66Appendix 1: Summary of all known Mardon skipper sites in southern Oregon with all associated one day counts. PAGEREF _Toc275777954 \h 70List of Maps TOC \h \z \c "Map" Map 1 Mardon skipper (Polites mardon klamathensis) sites in the southern Oregon Cascades. PAGEREF _Toc275777955 \h 9Map 2: Grazing allotments and BLM Mardon skipper sites PAGEREF _Toc275777956 \h 15Map 3: Conde Creek site with proposed cattle exclosure. PAGEREF _Toc275777957 \h 25Map 4: Dead Indian Road 20.2 sites. PAGEREF _Toc275777958 \h 29Map 5: Pumpchance 128 with proposed grazing exclosure. PAGEREF _Toc275777959 \h 34Map 6: Pumpchance 125 with grazing exclosure. PAGEREF _Toc275777960 \h 39Map 7: Wildcat Glade. PAGEREF _Toc275777961 \h 43Map 8: Buck Prairie complex. PAGEREF _Toc275777962 \h 47Map 9: Burnt Creek Meadow. PAGEREF _Toc275777963 \h 50Map 10: Little Hyatt Reservoir. PAGEREF _Toc275777964 \h 54Map 11: PCT complex. PAGEREF _Toc275777965 \h 59Map 12: Hobart Peak Complex. PAGEREF _Toc275777966 \h 65List of Tables TOC \h \z \c "Table" Table 1: One day population counts at all known BLM Mardon skipper sites from surveys conducted between June 15 and June 17, 2009. PAGEREF _Toc275777967 \h 8Table 2: Site priority of Mardon skipper sites on BLM lands in Southern OR.. PAGEREF _Toc275777968 \h 20Section 1: Status and ThreatsBackgroundThe Mardon skipper, Polites mardon, (U.S. Federal Candidate species, Washington State Endangered Species) is a rare butterfly in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America. Mardon skippers are grassland and open meadow obligates endemic to the states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Historic Mardon skipper ranges are not known, as historical documentation of this butterfly is scarce, with most population surveys only occurring in the past decade (Black & Vaughan 2005). Mardon skippers were likely more widespread and abundant prior to the past 150 years of human development, livestock grazing, fire suppression, and invasion of grassland habitat by native and non-native vegetation.The Mardon skipper is known from four geographic areas: (1) southern Puget Sound, (2) the Mt. Adams area (the east side of the Cascade Mountains) and the Wenatchee National Forest in southern Washington, (3) the Cascade Mountains in southern Oregon, and (4) Del Norte (north-coastal) California and the southern coast of Oregon. History and Taxonomy of Mardon Skipper in Southern OregonMardon skippers were first described by W. H. Edwards (1881) from specimens taken near Tenino, Thurston County, Washington by H. K. Morrison (Dornfeld 1980). For nearly 100 years the only known populations were in Washington State. In June 1979, Sterling and Eileen Mattoon discovered a population on High Divide Ridge in Del Norte County, California. The first confirmed records for Oregon came in the late 1980’s when John Hinchliff found three male specimens in collections held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. These specimens were collected by W.E. Lawrence in 1931 at Lake of the Woods, Klamath County. After Hinchliff’s discovery, John Vernon and Mike Richard found a population on Dead Indian Road, Jackson County in 1990. Then, in 1991, Sterling Mattoon and others working on The Xerces Society Mount Ashland butterfly count added three additional populations in Jackson County, including the Soda Mountain Road population (now called the Hobart Peak complex) that eventually became the type specimen for the subspecies Polites mardon klamathensis in 1998 (Mattoon et al. 1998). During general butterfly surveys of the Soda Mountain Region in 1999, Eric Runquist (personal communication) estimated there were about 100 Mardon skipper individuals at the Soda Mountain Road sites. There are two described subspecies of Mardon skipper. Mattoon et al. (1998) proposed that the Oregon Cascades population be given subspecies status of Polites mardon klamathensis, and that the Washington and Northern California populations be given the subspecies status of Polites mardon mardon. The remainder of this review focuses on the subspecies Polites mardon klamathensis. Species Range, Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsAll confirmed P. m. klamathensis populations occur in a small geographic area to the east of the city of Ashland in the Cascades of southern Oregon. All of the sites are encompassed in an area that is 18 miles from north to south and eight miles from east to west, with the southern border at Hobart Peak in the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument (See Map 1). All of the sites are small (less than 0.25 to 5 ha (0.5 to 10 ac)) high-elevation (1,372 to 1,555 m (4,500 to 5,100 ft)) grasslands within mixed conifer forests that are associated with an ephemeral or permanent water source ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Beyer</Author><Year>2006</Year><RecNum>82</RecNum><record><rec-number>82</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">82</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Beyer, L.J.</author><author>Black, S.H.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Site utilization by adults and larvae of Mardon Skipper butterfly (</style><style face="italic" font="default" size="100%">Polites mardon</style><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">) at four sites in Washington and Oregon. Report to the Forest Service and BLM from the Xerces Society.</style></title></titles><pages>70pp</pages><dates><year>2006</year></dates><urls></urls></record></Cite><Cite><Author>Potter</Author><Year>2002</Year><RecNum>80</RecNum><record><rec-number>80</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">80</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Report">27</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Potter, A.</author><author>Fleckenstien, J.</author><author>Feen, J.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Mardon skipper range and distribution in Washington in relation to State and Federal highways with a habitat description and survey method guidelines. A report to Washington Department of Transportation, Olympia Washington under Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.&#xD;</title></titles><pages>19</pages><number>WDFW 39012270</number><dates><year>2002</year></dates><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Beyer & Black 2007).Recent Searches for Mardon Skipper in Southern OregonWork by The Xerces Society and others has added to our knowledge of the species distribution in southern Oregon (Vaughan & Black 2004, Black & Vaughan 2005, Ross 2005, Vaughan & Black 2005, Black 2006, Jepsen et al. 2007, Beyer & Black 2007, Black et al. 2008 a, b). Since 2004, The Xerces Society has worked with the US Forest Service and the BLM to survey over 200 potential sites in the southern Cascades of Oregon. These sites are as follows: Ashland Resource Area, Medford District BLM;Klamath Falls Resource Area, Lakeview District BLM to the east side of the Cascade crest; andAshland Ranger District of the Rogue River/Siskiyou National Forest north of Dead Indian Memorial Highway and around Mt. Ashland west of I-5. The Xerces Society has also completed limited surveys on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, and trained biologists on that Forest to complete surveys on their own. With over 200 potential Mardon skipper sites surveyed, we believe that the vast majority of sites in southern Oregon have been located and that subsequent searches would yield few, if any, additional sites. The Xerces Society has also completed one day population estimates at many of the sites in multiple years since 2005. These one day population estimates are completed as close to the peak of the adult butterfly flight period as possible. The Xerces Society also completed a study to determine host plant preferences at three sites in Southern Oregon (Beyer & Black 2007). Status of the Polites mardon klamathensis in southern OregonAt present, 19 confirmed current and historic sites (or site complexes) are known from Forest Service and BLM lands in the Cascade Mountains in southwestern Oregon (Appendix 1). Of these 19 sites on public lands, only 12 were found to have extant populations of Mardon skippers in 2009. Note: We have excluded some sites where in past years one individual was found in one survey and subsequent surveys yielded no positive findings, as these may be errant findings and may not denote a site or population. Four populations are located on private lands, although the status of those sites is not fully known. Of those four sites, one site is likely extirpated and two others have been degraded by grazing and off road vehicle use (S. Black, personal observation). Status of BLM sitesFourteen sites are known from BLM lands, all of which are located within the Ashland Resource Area, Medford District BLM. Only eight of these 14 sites had extant populations of Mardon skippers in 2009 (Table 1). Mardon skippers may have been extirpated from these sites, although additional conformational surveys of these sites should be completed in future years to confirm their absence. In 2009, one day population counts during peak Mardon skipper season revealed that only two sites had over 20 individuals (Moon Prairie had 45 Mardon skippers and Pumpchance 125 had 304 Mardon skippers), and two other sites had 10-20 individuals (Little Hyatt Reservoir with 12 and Burnt Creek with 16) (Table 1). The Xerces Society estimates that there are only a few thousand Mardon skippers distributed throughout the BLM sites, and that the majority of individuals occur at Pumpchance 125. There are likely several hundred (perhaps 1,000) on Forest Service lands at sites to the north of Dead Indian Memorial Highway, although these sites are also threatened by grazing, off road vehicle use, and conifer encroachment. Table SEQ Table \* ARABIC 1: One day population counts at all known BLM Mardon skipper sites from surveys conducted between June 15 and June 17, 2009. Management UnitSite# MardonManagement UnitSite# MardonMU1Conde meadow0MU8Burnt Creek16MU2Indian Rd., MP 20.26MU9PCT Meadow south6MU3Pumpchance 12845PCT meadow west1MU4Pumpchance 125304PCT meadow north0MU5Wildcat Glade0MU10Hobart Peak 1 east0MU6Buck Meadow0Hobart Peak 2 middle1MU7Little Hyatt Reservoir 12Hobart peak 3 west0Map 1 Mardon skipper (Polites mardon klamathensis) sites in the southern Oregon Cascades.Species Life HistoryMardon skippers are part of the grass feeding butterfly family Hesperiidae, meaning the larvae feed exclusively on graminoids. Recent studies have revealed some of the ways in which Mardon skippers utilize their habitats. Mardon skippers are univoltine, completing one life cycle annually. Individuals live between five days and two weeks. Adults do not all emerge on the same date, so the duration of flight period at a given site depends in part on the population size at that site. Sites with large populations may have a flight period that extends for more than a month, whereas sites with small populations may have adults present for only ten or fewer days. Weather influences emergence and flight period duration. Wet or cold conditions delay emergence and conversely, warm, dry conditions promote earlier emergence. Both wet/cold conditions and warm/dry conditions may affect the Mardon skipper’s flight period (Potter et al. 2002). Figure 1. Mardon skipper (Polites mardon klamathensis). Photo by Donald H. Gudehus. In the Oregon Cascades, adult Mardon skippers eclose from late May to early July. Adults actively nectar throughout their flight period, and seek refuge from adverse weather low in the vegetative turf under grasses and forbs. Females lay eggs singly into graminoid bunches while perched (Beyer & Black 2007, Beyer & Schultz 2010). Eggs are thought to hatch within seven days (Black & Vaughan 2005), and larvae feed through the late summer into the fall. It was previously believed that pupae hibernate through the winter (Potter et al. 1999, Dornfeld 1980 and Newcomber 1966 in Potter et al. 1999), but preliminary studies of flagged Mardon skipper larvae in the field by Beyer and Black, (2007, See Figure 2) and subsequent work by Erica Henry in Washington’s Puget Trough, suggests that this species overwinters in the larval life stage. In addition, in captive rearing studies, some Mardon skippers appear to enter diapause and overwinter as larvae (Mary Jo Anderson, personal communication). Figure 2. Mardon skipper larva in fescue. Photograph by Loni Beyer. Mardon skipper adults have been observed to patchily occupy meadow sites; distribution is rarely homogeneous across an entire site ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Beyer</Author><Year>2006</Year><RecNum>82</RecNum><record><rec-number>82</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">82</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Beyer, L.J.</author><author>Black, S.H.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Site utilization by adults and larvae of Mardon Skipper butterfly (</style><style face="italic" font="default" size="100%">Polites mardon</style><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">) at four sites in Washington and Oregon. Report to the Forest Service and BLM from the Xerces Society.</style></title></titles><pages>70pp</pages><dates><year>2006</year></dates><urls></urls></record></Cite><Cite><Author>Potter</Author><Year>2002</Year><RecNum>80</RecNum><record><rec-number>80</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">80</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Report">27</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Potter, A.</author><author>Fleckenstien, J.</author><author>Feen, J.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Mardon skipper range and distribution in Washington in relation to State and Federal highways with a habitat description and survey method guidelines. A report to Washington Department of Transportation, Olympia Washington under Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.&#xD;</title></titles><pages>19</pages><number>WDFW 39012270</number><dates><year>2002</year></dates><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Beyer & Black 2007). This is likely dependent upon microclimatic conditions (Ehrlich 1992), and may be associated with palatability of the host plant due to proximity with a water source. Female Mardon skippers have been observed ovipositing on multiple graminoid species, indicating that the larvae may be generalists (Beyer & Schultz 2010). Although Mardon skippers do not select for specific graminoids during oviposition, they do exhibit plant specificity within localities. In Washington State, for example, the Mardon skipper exhibits oviposition preferences for Carex spp. at one location and Danthonia spp. at another nearby location. Yet, when Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis) is present, it is generally preferred by ovipositing females (Beyer & Schultz 2010). At the two sites studied in Oregon, California oatgrass (Danthonia californica) was the most frequently utilized oviposition plant, although Mardon skippers also fed on Roemer’s fescue (Festuca idahoensis spp. roemeri) when available (Beyer & Black 2007). Variables such as graminoid structure and tree shading also influence oviposition behavior. The degree to which these preferences are shown depends on the specific habitat available to each Mardon skipper population (Beyer & Schultz 2010). Threats and General Management RecommendationsMardon skipper populations face a variety of threats; including grazing by domestic livestock, conifer, shrub, and grass encroachment, off road vehicle (ORV) use of meadows, prescribed and natural fire, recreation (including camping), applications of Btk, climate change, and issues related to small population size and stochastic events. Small and fragmented populations are generally at greater risk of extinction from normal population fluctuations due to predation, disease, and changing food supply, as well as from natural disasters such as droughts (reviewed in Shaffer, 1981). Small populations are also threatened with extinction from a loss of genetic variability and reduced fitness due to the unavoidable inbreeding that occurs in such small populations (reviewed in Shaffer, 1981). The subspecies of Mardon skipper Polites mardon klamathensis is known from less than 20 sites – most separated by a distance of over two miles. Mardon skipper are weak fliers and usually unable to disperse more than a few hundred yards (Runquist 2004). Therefore, there is little opportunity for the individual populations to intermix. Global climate change could threaten the Mardon skipper’s survival. Assessment of climate change trends in North America has already revealed changes in precipitation patterns, hydrology, and plant bloom time. Overall, annual mean air temperature increased in North America from 1955-2005. The effects of global climate change are projected to include warming in the western mountains, causing snowpack and ice to melt earlier in the season (Field et al. 2007), which will have an impact on Mardon skipper sites as all are associated with permanent, ephemeral, or subsurface water. These changing conditions may lead to drier summer conditions, particularly in arid western areas where snowmelt is important to maintaining ephemeral water sources. Spring and summer snow cover has already been documented as decreasing in the western United States, and drought has become more frequent and intense (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007, Saunders et al. 2008). Because the Mardon skipper is associated with wet areas, its survival may be threatened by climate change induced habitat impairments. Although management at the population scale cannot directly address global climate change, providing quality habitat spread in multiple sites across the landscape is thought to insulate species from climate change impacts.Below we provide information on threats and general recommendations for managing grazing, conifer encroachment, prescribed fire, ORV use, and Btk applications. For information on management at the ten BLM Mardon skipper Management Units, please see site specific information in Section 2 of this document.The following discussion of guidelines for management can only be understood and implemented when used in conjunction with site specific threat information that is available in Section 2. Mardon skippers persist in open prairie and meadow ecosystems. These ecosystems are naturally maintained by disturbance (Coop & Givinish 2007). Yet, a delicate balance is needed to create sufficient disturbance to restore and maintain the system without creating so much disturbance that the habitat is further degraded ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Schultz</Author><Year>2008</Year><RecNum>228</RecNum><record><rec-number>228</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">228</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Schultz, C. B.</author><author>Russell, C.</author><author>Wynn, L.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Restoration, reintroduction, and captive propagation for at-risk butterflies: A review of British and American conservation efforts</title><secondary-title>Israel Journal of Ecology &amp; Evolution</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Israel Journal of Ecology &amp; Evolution</full-title></periodical><pages>41-61</pages><volume>54</volume><number>1</number><dates><year>2008</year></dates><isbn>0021-2210</isbn><accession-num>ISI:000257257300004</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000257257300004</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Schultz and Crone 2008). Livestock GrazingGraminoid cover, composition, and structure are important for Mardon skippers (Beyer and Schultz 2010); as they provide larvae with adequate food, microclimate, and protection from predation and parasitism. Livestock grazing can adversely impact butterfly populations by altering plant community composition ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Stoner</Author><Year>2004</Year><RecNum>219</RecNum><record><rec-number>219</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">219</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Stoner, K. J. L.</author><author>Joern, A.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Landscape vs. local habitat scale influences to insect communities from tallgrass prairie remnants</title><secondary-title>Ecological Applications</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Ecological Applications</full-title></periodical><pages>1306-1320</pages><volume>14</volume><number>5</number><dates><year>2004</year><pub-dates><date>Oct</date></pub-dates></dates><isbn>1051-0761</isbn><accession-num>ISI:000224568800002</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000224568800002</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Stoner & Joern 2004) and trampling during immobile life stages (egg, larvae, pupae), or during cool temperatures when adult movement is restricted ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Warren</Author><Year>1993</Year><RecNum>222</RecNum><record><rec-number>222</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app='EN' db-id='920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9'>222</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name='Journal Article'>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Warren, M. S.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>A review of butterfly conservation in Central Southern Britain .1. Protection, evaluation and extinction on prime sites</title><secondary-title>Biological Conservation</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Biological Conservation</full-title></periodical><pages>25-35</pages><volume>64</volume><number>1</number><dates><year>1993</year></dates><isbn>0006-3207</isbn><accession-num>ISI:A1993LC03600005</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://A1993LC03600005</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite><Cite><Author>Warren</Author><Year>1993</Year><RecNum>223</RecNum><record><rec-number>223</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">223</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Warren, M. S.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>A review of butterfly conservation in Central Southern Britain .2. Site management and habitat selection of key species</title><secondary-title>Biological Conservation</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Biological Conservation</full-title></periodical><pages>37-49</pages><volume>64</volume><number>1</number><dates><year>1993</year></dates><isbn>0006-3207</isbn><accession-num>ISI:A1993LC03600006</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://A1993LC03600006</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Warren 1993). Grazing can be detrimental by stripping habitat of vegetation, removing adult nectar resources, and introducing invasive weeds ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Hayes</Author><Year>2003</Year><RecNum>203</RecNum><record><rec-number>203</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">203</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Hayes, Grey F. </author><author>Holl, Karen D.</author></authors></contributors><auth-address>Environmental Studies Department, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, U.S.A.</auth-address><titles><title>Cattle grazing impacts on annual forbs and vegetation composition of mesic grasslands in California</title><secondary-title>Conservation Biology</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Conservation Biology</full-title></periodical><pages>1694-1702</pages><volume>17</volume><number>6</number><dates><year>2003</year></dates><isbn>1523-1739</isbn><urls><related-urls><url> </url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Hayes & Holl 2003). 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ADDIN EN.CITE.DATA (Davies et al. 2005; Thomas & Jones 1993). In order for grazing to have a minimal impact on the Mardon skipper, the combination of timing, intensity, and duration must be found that is best suited for the specific ecology of the butterfly. In some sites the correct solution may be to eliminate grazing, while in other sites some grazing at the appropriate time of the year may not negatively impact the site. The timing and frequency of livestock rotation depends on both the size of the herd and the size of the grazed area (Schtickzelle et al. 2007). Generally speaking, grazing periods should be short with relatively long recovery periods for the habitat, and grazing should not take place during the adult flight period since butterflies are utilizing nectar sources and looking for oviposition sites during this time.Figure 3. Grazing impacts at Pumpchance 128. Stubble height was very low with some areas reduced to bare soil. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.In Jackson County of southern Oregon, adult Mardon skippers require plentiful floral nectar for survival, successful reproduction, and adequate egg production from late-May through early July. Livestock grazing during this period reduces or altogether removes key nectar resources. Likewise, grazing when butterfly larvae are active on host plants can result in direct mortality or removal of important larval vegetation (Smallidge & Leopold 1997). In Oregon, Mardon skipper larvae are believed to be active from approximately late April through October, although this window of activity varies, and is probably influenced by the microclimate of each site. The negative impacts of grazing to the Mardon skipper have been documented at BLM Conde Meadows (MU 1), Dead Indian Road (MU 2), Pumpchance 128 (MU 3), and Pumpchance 125 (MU 4). Grazing is suspected to have played a role in the extirpation of Mardon skippers from Conde Meadows (S. Black, personal observation). Several other sites have been overgrazed in the past, but are no longer grazed as a result of the buyout of the Keene allotment (Map 2). Grazing has also negatively impacted Forest Service sites (S. Black, personal communication). General Recommendations (Note: See specific management plans for each site)At the most severely impacted sites, exclude cattle from habitat in the meadow to allow the habitat time to repair. Do not allow grazing within Mardon skipper habitat during the flight period of the adult Mardon skipper. Keep grazing periods short, with recovery periods for the habitat relatively long. Map 2: Grazing allotments and BLM Mardon skipper sites. Note: The Keene allotment was retired in 2009.Forest Encroachment The removal and alteration of the natural disturbance regimes (such as fire suppression), that once maintained low shrub and conifer seedling establishment rates, has led to the loss and degradation of forest-meadow ecosystems ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Coop</Author><Year>2007</Year><RecNum>156</RecNum><record><rec-number>156</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">156</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Coop, Jonathan D.</author><author>Givnish, Thomas J.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Spatial and temporal patterns of recent forest encroachment in montane grasslands of the Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA</title><secondary-title>Journal of Biogeography</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Journal of Biogeography</full-title></periodical><pages>914-927</pages><volume>34</volume><dates><year>2007</year></dates><urls><related-urls><url> app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">46</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Norman, S. P.</author><author>Taylor, A. H.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Pine forest expansion along a forest-meadow ecotone in northeastern California, USA</title><secondary-title>Forest Ecology and Management</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Forest Ecology and Management</full-title></periodical><pages>51-68</pages><volume>215</volume><number>1-3</number><dates><year>2005</year><pub-dates><date>Aug</date></pub-dates></dates><accession-num>ISI:000232354000004</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000232354000004 </url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Coop & Givinish 2007; Norman & Taylor 2005). Forest encroachment not only reduces the amount of open habitat, but closes off corridors between meadows reducing butterfly dispersal ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Roland</Author><Year>2007</Year><RecNum>155</RecNum><record><rec-number>155</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">155</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Roland, Jens</author><author>Matter, Stephen F.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Encroaching forests decouple alpine butterfly population dynamics</title><secondary-title>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</full-title></periodical><pages>13702-13704</pages><volume>104</volume><number>34</number><dates><year>2007</year><pub-dates><date>August 21, 2007</date></pub-dates></dates><urls><related-urls><url>;(Roland & Matter 2007). During the adult flight, Mardon skippers avoid heavily forested habitats, avoid forest edges and trees during oviposition, and are assumed to have limited dispersal abilities (Beyer & Schultz 2010, Beyer & Black 2007; Runquist 2004). Large dense shrubs likely have a similar adverse impact as encroaching trees to the habitat and behaviors of this butterfly. Figure 4. Tree encroachment at PCT south. By Scott Hoffman BlackThe lack of genetic interchange and movement of individuals between populations will likely lead to lower overall fitness and extinctions of local populations. A better understanding of the feasibility and the effects of reconnecting neighboring Mardon skipper populations that have been isolated by forest and shrub encroachment is warranted ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Bergman</Author><Year>1999</Year><RecNum>109</RecNum><record><rec-number>109</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">109</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Bergman, K. O.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Habitat utilization by </style><style face="italic" font="default" size="100%">Lopinga achine</style><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%"> (Nymphalidae : Satyrinae) larvae and ovipositing females: implications for conservation</style></title><secondary-title>Biological Conservation</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Biological Conservation</full-title></periodical><pages>69-74</pages><volume>88</volume><number>1</number><dates><year>1999</year><pub-dates><date>Apr</date></pub-dates></dates><accession-num>ISI:000078180000007</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000078180000007</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite><Cite><Author>Dennis</Author><Year>2006</Year><RecNum>27</RecNum><record><rec-number>27</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">27</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Dennis, R. L. H.</author><author>Shreeve, T. G.</author><author>Van Dyck, H.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Habitats and resources: The need for a resource-based definition to conserve butterflies</title><secondary-title>Biodiversity and Conservation</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Biodiversity and Conservation</full-title></periodical><pages>1943-1966</pages><volume>15</volume><number>6</number><dates><year>2006</year><pub-dates><date>Jun</date></pub-dates></dates><accession-num>ISI:000238316900007</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000238316900007 </url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Bergman 1999; Dennis et al. 2006). Careful consideration should be given to the genetic and behavioral implications of local habitat preferences ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Kuussaari</Author><Year>2000</Year><RecNum>186</RecNum><record><rec-number>186</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">186</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Kuussaari, M.</author><author>Singer, M.</author><author>Hanski, I.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Local specialization and landscape-level influence on host use in an herbivorous insect</title><secondary-title>Ecology</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Ecology</full-title></periodical><pages>2177-2187</pages><volume>81</volume><number>8</number><dates><year>2000</year><pub-dates><date>Aug</date></pub-dates></dates><accession-num>ISI:000088888900012</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000088888900012</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite><Cite><Author>Moreau</Author><Year>2008</Year><RecNum>168</RecNum><record><rec-number>168</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="920599fwrd0awdea5twv2xfwvefdxwvpf5d9">168</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Moreau, J.</author><author>Rahme, J.</author><author>Benrey, B.</author><author>Thiery, D.</author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Larval host plant origin modifies the adult oviposition preference of the female European grapevine moth </style><style face="italic" font="default" size="100%">Lobesia botrana</style></title><secondary-title>Naturwissenschaften</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Naturwissenschaften</full-title></periodical><pages>317-324</pages><volume>95</volume><number>4</number><dates><year>2008</year><pub-dates><date>Apr</date></pub-dates></dates><isbn>0028-1042</isbn><accession-num>ISI:000254238100006</accession-num><urls><related-urls><url>&lt;Go to ISI&gt;://000254238100006</url></related-urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Kuussaari et al. 2000; Moreau et al. 2008), as Mardon skippers have displayed site specific selectivity (Beyer & Schultz 2010).Conifer encroachment is negatively impacting all BLM and Forest Service sites, although some sites have higher levels of encroachment than other sites. General RecommendationsIn areas where tree and shrub encroachment are occurring, small trees and problematic shrubs should be removed as soon as possible, before they grow larger and reproduce. Removal methods should incorporate sensitivity to butterflies in the egg and larval state underfoot. Remove all conifers under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) from the open meadow portion of the site.Leave conifers over 4” (DBH) at the site unless a Mardon skipper expert is consulted. Wherever possible hand cutting with chainsaws or handsaws is optimal. Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the core area of the site. Maintain a buffer of large trees at the edges of meadow since they may play an important role in maintaining the microclimate and hydrology of the local habitat. If thinning is needed for fuels and/or ecosystem needs remove only small diameter trees. If additional tree removal is needed consult with a Mardon skipper expert. Prescribed fireDue to the importance of fire in maintaining many native ecosystems, the use of controlled burning as a management tool has become increasingly common. The effects of fire on vegetation and vertebrate communities are more widely understood than the effects of fire on invertebrates. Fire can benefit, harm, or have no significant effect on invertebrates depending on the biology of the specific taxa (Gibson et al. 1992). Burning of meadows with populations of butterflies, such as the Mardon skipper, could extirpate the population if not done with careful consideration of butterfly behavior and life stage at time of burn, and knowledge of where the skipper population is distributed across the meadow. In addition, with isolated populations, there are often no source populations available for re-colonization once a population has been locally extirpated. Swengel (1996) and Swengel and Swengel (2001) found that fire had consistent negative effects on prairie specialist butterfly species, and that these effects persisted for three to five years post-burning. A recent study on prescribed burning and the Mardon skipper in California showed substantially fewer butterflies in the burned areas of meadows compared to unburned areas (Black et al. 2009). Population estimates showed that Mardon skipper numbers were 3-27 times higher in unburned areas compared to burned areas on the same dates (mean = 12 times greater).? Figure 5. Controlled burn at a Mardon skipper site in California. Photo by Brenda Devlin It is also important to note that some areas where Mardon skippers were found in The Xerces Society’s 2008 surveys lacked Mardon skippers completely or nearly so in the burned areas in 2009. Burning meadows that contain populations of Mardon skippers may kill all butterflies within the fire area, as this species is thought to overwinter as a caterpillar at the base of its host plant, and is thus highly susceptible to ground fires. If controlled use of fire within a Mardon skipper occupied site is feasible, and there is a management goal that can be best accomplished with controlled burning, then specific steps must be employed in order to protect the Mardon skipper. There are no plans for prescribed fire at any of the Mardon skipper sites on BLM lands. If prescribed burning is warranted a detailed burn plan should be developed for each site. General Recommendations (Note: Management plans should be developed for each site before implementing a prescribed burn)Do not burn more than 1/5 of the core habitat in any given year, and less if possible. As a fire moves through an area it may leave small patches unburned. Leave these skips intact as potential micro-refuges. Develop a comprehensive monitoring program to accompany any plans for continuing burns to determine the immediate and long-term impacts on Mardon skipper populations. Develop and implement measures to avoid actions that could degrade existing habitat and kill individual skippers in the course of implementing a burn plan, as a result of heavy equipment use, and additional or excessive foot traffic in Mardon skipper meadows. Off Road VehiclesMardon skipper eggs, caterpillars, pupae, and adults are killed by recreational activities such as off-road vehicle (ORV) driving (Potter et al. 1999). These activities can also damage native host plants and may lead to an invasion of non-native plant species. ORVs can aid the dispersal of invasive non-native species deep into forestlands. One study found that in just one trip on a 10 mile course, an ORV dispersed 2,000 spotted knapweed seeds (MSU 1992). In Wisconsin, a survey of seven invasive plant species along ORV routes found at least one of these (exotic) plant species on 88 percent of segments examined (Rooney 2005).? Off road vehicle use may have been one of the factors that have led to the extirpation of BLM site Buck Prairie and a site on private land north of Little Hyatt Reservoir. Damage from ORVs has been observed at the following BLM sites: Moon Prairie (Pumpchance 128), Pumpchance 125, Conde Meadows, the PCT complex, Burnt Creek, Wildcat Glade, Buck Meadow, and all Forest Service sites. Figure 6. Off road vehicle damage at Buck Prairie. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.General RecommendationsIn areas with ORV traffic, we recommend closing off access to Mardon skipper habitat areas and educating the public on the detrimental impacts of this form of recreation to sensitive habitats. Use of BtkBtk (Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki), a Lepidoptera-specific insecticide, has been widely used to treat defoliators in western forests (Wagner & Miller 1995). Btk is a bacterium which, when ingested, is lethal to butterfly and moth larvae. ?Species such as the Mardon skipper, which are single-brooded with spring-active larvae, that feed during the application period for the target species are especially vulnerable to Btk (Wagner & Miller 1995). Because of the Mardon skipper’s current patchy distribution on isolated sites and low vagility, its populations are even more threatened by Btk applications due to the decreased probability of re-colonization.?The threat of Btk is heightened because Btk has been shown to drift at toxic concentrations for distances greater than two miles from target spray areas (Barry 1993. As a result, aerial spraying with Btk can have significant adverse effects on Mardon skippers in the general area of an aerial Btk spray project.?General RecommendationsWe recommend not spraying Btk on forested areas within two miles of any Mardon skipper population.Site PrioritiesAll of the remaining extant Mardon skipper sites on BLM lands are critical to the survival of this subspecies, thus all extant sites should be considered a high priority (Table 2). The highest priority sites are Pumpchance 125 and 128 (Moon Prairie). Immediate action is recommended at these two large sites to lessen grazing intensity and duration through the placement of cattle exclosures. Other high priority sites include Little Hyatt Reservoir south, Dead Indian Road, the PCT complex, the Hobart Peak complex, and Burnt Creek. Action is needed at Little Hyatt Reservoir south, Dead Indian Road, the PCT complex, and the Hobart Peak complex in order to stop the spread of conifers into these open meadows. Large boulders are recommended to be immediately placed along the road at the Burnt Creek and Buck meadow sites to stop ORV trespass. Although some historic sites, such as Buck Meadow and Conde Creek, might be extirpated it is still important to manage them for Mardon skipper so that the habitat is suitable for re-colonization. At Conde Creek, placement of a cattle exclosure is recommended to curb grazing intensity and duration. Surveys of all potentially extirpated sites are recommended for at least three years to determine if Mardon skippers re-colonize these sites. Table SEQ Table \* ARABIC 2: Site priority of Mardon skipper sites on BLM lands in Southern OR. Highest priority sites are listed with a 1 and lowest with a 4. Priority was based on population size and eminent threats. Management UnitSitePriorityManagement UnitSitePriorityMU1Conde meadow MU13MU8Burnt Creek 1MU2Indian Rd., MP 20.2 B 2MU9PCT Meadow south 1MU3Pumpchance 128 1PCT meadow west 3MU4Pumpchance 125 1PCT meadow north 2MU5Wildcat Glade 4MU10Hobart Peak 1 east 3MU6Buck Meadow 2Hobart Peak 2 middle 2MU7Little Hyatt Reservoir S 1Hobart peak 3 west 1SECTION 2: MANAGEMENT PLANS BY UNIT Suggested management at each management unit is detailed below. In some cases, there is more than one alternative given to managers to allow for some flexibility. In other cases, such as curbing off-road vehicle traffic and cutting down small encroaching trees, only one alternative is given. We did not include a no-action alternative in these plans as our information indicates that action is needed at these sites to ensure survival of the rare butterfly. Management Unit: 1 (Priority 3)Site Name: Conde MeadowCoordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; W122 30.960N42 16.594Goal of the Site Management PlanEncourage Mardon skipper re-establishment by improving range condition. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsIn past surveys, Mardon skippers were found distributed along Conde Creek on the west end of an in-holding of BLM land on both sides of road 38-3E-7.1 (See Map 3). In 2005, Mardon skippers were found from 50 to 100 feet on both sides of the creek for approximately 1/8 mile upstream of the road and for several hundred feet downstream of the road. That population of Mardon skippers is thought to extend west along Conde Creek onto private land. In 2005, eight Mardon skippers were counted in a one day population estimate, but subsequently no Mardon skippers have been observed in surveys in 2007 and 2009. Figure 7. Conde Creek Site. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site DescriptionThis site is a long linear east facing meadow with Mardon skipper habitat on either side of the ephemeral Conde Creek. Both California Oatgrass (Danthonia californica) and Idaho Fescue (Festuca roemeri ) are present at the site. It is difficult to determine the extent of the host plant or abundance of floral resources, due to the extensive and severe grazing at the site. Although some host plants were observed, there was a large amount of bare soil and a low diversity of plants and floral resources. Spiraea spp. was also encroaching. Abundant cow pies were present throughout the site. ORV tracks were observed, including a set that ran across the small stream. Site Threats Conde Meadows appears to have been heavily impacted by cattle. Although we do not have good historical data, the core area where Mardon skippers have been found is denuded of vegetation in some areas. A salt lick was placed in the habitat causing a large patch of ground to be completely devoid of vegetation. There is also evidence of ORV traffic through the site and a portion of the site has been used as a large camping area. Figure 8. Grazing impacts at Conde Meadows. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsThis is part of the Conde Creek grazing allotment, a 4,786 acre allotment with 591 AUMs (Map 2). The season of use is 6/16 to 9/30. There is a small exclosure for aspen at the top end of the meadow, although the exclosure has not been maintained and the fence is down in some areas (see Figure 9). There is no potential Mardon skipper habitat within the aspen exclosure. Figure 9. Unmaintained aspen exclosure. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Management NeedsAlternative 1 (Recommended Alternative)(Cattle grazing)Extend the existing aspen exclosure down to road 38-3E-71 to fence in the majority of the core area that Mardon skippers formerly occupied. Exclude cattle from the core area for five years to allow the habitat time to repair. The Mardon skipper exclosure will not enclose more than two acres. This could be included as part of the aspen exclosure which would make the entire exclosure no more than three acres (Map 3). Continue surveys every two years to determine if the area is re-colonized by Mardon skippers.If the site meets identified goals (abundant larval host plant and high diversity of nectar plants), grazing could resume within this exclosure after five years. Future grazing in the exclosure is recommended to be on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. If Mardon skippers successfully re-colonize the site over time, then steps could be taken to modify grazing in the other BLM portion of the meadow to develop more habitat and allow for population expansion. The exclosure will also provide the benefit of excluding off road vehicles and camping on the habitat. Alternative 2(Cattle grazing)Exclude grazing from the entire BLM portion of the meadow using a large exclosure (Blue line on Map 3). Continue surveys every two years to determine if the area is re-colonized. If the site meets identified goals (abundant larval host plant and high diversity of nectar plants), then grazing could be resumed at the site after five years. Future grazing in the exclosure is recommended to be on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. The exclosure will also provide the benefit of excluding off road vehicles and camping on the habitat. Map 3: Conde Creek site with proposed cattle exclosure.Management Unit: 2 (Priority 2)Site Name: MP 20.2 Dead Indian RoadCoordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; N 42o 17.119’, W 122o 23.619’Goal of the Management PlanSustain extant Mardon skipper populations through manipulation of grazing regime at the site. Also maintain open meadow conditions by curbing conifer encroachment. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsThis Management unit is made up of two sites (20.2 A and 20.2 B) that are south of the Dead Indian Memorial Hwy near milepost 20.2. Site 20.2 A is a small linear strip and ledge that runs along the top of a large deep canal. The BLM portion of this site does not contain suitable habitat. The vegetation is too dry, and no host plants or Mardon skippers were observed in 2009. The Mardon skippers found in the past survey may have come from the private land across the canal which appears (from a distance) to be suitable Mardon skipper habitat. This site is not considered in this plan as it does not provide viable habitat for the Mardon skipper. Figure 10. Dead Indian site 20.2 A has no potential habitat. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site 20.2 B is a small meadow to the southeast of site 20.2 A. The Xerces Society documented 13 Mardon skippers on the 24th of June 2005, four on the 17th of June 2007, and six on the 15th of June 2009 at this site. Butterflies were only surveyed on public lands; there is a possibility that this population extends onto private lands.Site DescriptionDead Indian Road 20.2 B is drier than most occupied sites, although rushes and sedges were scattered in patches throughout the site. The site is very flat with no active surface water source in June. In fact, it is the only known site without surface water. Some Danthonia was present, but overall there was low plant diversity and few floral resources. The private land across the fence appeared to have more floral diversity. The population here may be a construct of having good habitat on the adjacent private land. Figure 11. Dead Indian Road Site 20.2 B. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site Threats This site showed evidence of grazing. Stubble height was short and there was bare ground. There are small ponderosa pine trees starting to encroach on the edges of the meadow. Although a timber sale was planned within 100 yards to the north of this site, this unit has now been canceled (Steve Godwin personal communication). Site Management History and Current Land Allocations This is part of the Deadwood grazing allotment, a 7,928 acre allotment with 788 AUMs (Map 2). The season of use is 6/16 to 8/15, which overlaps with the Mardon skipper flight period. Management NeedsAlternative 1 (Recommended Alternative)(Cattle grazing)Exclude grazing from the entire BLM portion of the meadow using a large exclosure (Map 4). Continue surveys every two years to determine population size and response to management action. If the site meets identified goals (abundant Mardon skippers and larval host plants and high diversity of nectar plants), grazing could be resumed within the exclosure after five years. Future grazing in the exclosure is recommended to be on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. (Forest encroachment)Remove small encroaching conifers along the west side of the meadow.All trees to be removed are under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH).Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual Mardon skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the Mardon skipper habitat area identified on Map 4. Maintain a buffer of large trees at the edges of meadow since they may play an important role in maintaining the microclimate and hydrology of the local habitat. If additional tree removal is desired consult with a Mardon skipper expert. Figure 12. Some conifer encroachment at Dead Indian Road site 20.2 B. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Alternative 2(Cattle grazing)Exclude cattle from the site until August 15th of each year. Continue surveys every two years to determine population size and vegetation response to management action. (Forest encroachment) Follow recommendations in Alternative 1Map 4: Dead Indian Road 20.2 sites.Management Unit: 3 (Priority 1)Site Name: Moon Prairie Meadow, also known as Pumpchance 128Coordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; W122 22.287N42 15.745Goal of the Management PlanSustain the extant Mardon skipper population through manipulation of grazing at the site. Also, maintain open meadow condition by curbing encroachment by conifers. Determine the response of the Mardon skipper to three different grazing strategies. Species Range, Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsMardon skippers are distributed in an area around the junction of Hoxie Creek and two other smaller ephemeral drainages. The site was discovered in 2004, and The Xerces Society minimum population counts were 46 individuals on June 24th, 2005; 62 individuals on June 17th, 2007; and 45 on June 16th, 2009. Figure 13. Pumpchance 128 (Moon Prairie). Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site DescriptionPumpchance 128 – Moon Prairie Meadow is in an open meadow area just to the south of the junction of 38-4E-8 and 38-4E-17.1. The bulk of the meadow is east of Hoxie creek – a dry creek bed. Few larval host plants were seen at the south edge of the site, but clumps of fescue were scattered around the rest of the site. This site was notable both for the large number of mosquitoes, and the extremely high density of grasshoppers which had grazed heavily on corn lily at the site. The creek bed was essentially dry, although substantial rainfall occurred in the area the previous afternoon.Site Threats There is evidence of substantial grazing at the site. There was also evidence of ORV use and some conifer encroachment. Figure 14. Grazing has caused damage to Mardon skipper habitat and the creek at Pumpchance 128. Note the down cutting on the left side of this creek bank. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Figure 15. There is a very low abundance and diversity of nectar sources possibly due to grazing. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Figure 16. There is some ponderosa pine encroachment at the site. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site Management History and Current Land Allocations This is part of the Deadwood grazing allotment, a 7,928 acre allotment with 788 AUMs (Map 2). The season of use is 6/16 to 8/15, which overlaps with the adult flight period of the Mardon skipper. There has been a lot of timber sale activity in the area, although none of this activity seems to have directly impacted the meadow. Past herbicide use may be a factor in the lack of floral diversity at the site (Steve Slavik personal communication). Hoxie creek has been severely impacted by grazing, likely changing the hydrology of the site. Hydrology is an important component of Mardon skipper habitat, as all but one known southern Oregon populations are associated with an ephemeral or permanent water source.Management NeedsThis site contains the second largest Mardon skipper population on BLM land in southern Oregon, and thus should be considered a very high priority.Alternative 1 (Recommended Alternative)(Cattle grazing)Install an 80 X 120 meter exclosure (illustrated on Map 5) within the core Mardon skipper area. Divide this exclosure into four 20 X 120 meter exclosures. In two of the exclosures exclude all grazing. In the other two allow fall grazing (after August 15) every other year. All other grazing in the meadow would follow the allotment plan. The entire exclosure area would not exceed four acres. Complete population counts along transects in each treatment at least three times each year over the Mardon skipper flight season to determine population size and response to management action (The exact study design to be determined). (Forest encroachment)Remove all small conifers on the west side of the meadow close to road 38-4E-8. Only conifers under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) are recommended for removal. Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual Mardon skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the Mardon skipper habitat area identified on Map 5. Maintain a buffer of large trees at the edges of meadow since they may play an important role in maintaining the microclimate and hydrology of the local habitat. If additional tree removal is desired consult a Mardon skipper expert. (ORV traffic) Place a sign at the entrance to the meadow asking people to stay on approved roads. Alternatively, install large boulders or tree stumps to eliminate access to ORVs at the site, although this may not be feasible since there are multiple access points into the meadow. Alternative 2(Cattle Grazing)Exclude grazing from the entire Mardon skipper habitat using a large exclosure of the entire core area (see map 5). Continue surveys every two years to determine population size and response to management action. If the site meets identified goals, (abundant Mardon skipper and larval host plants and a high diversity of nectar plants) grazing could be resumed at the site after five years. Grazing should be implemented on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. (Forest encroachment) Follow recommendations in Alternative 1(ORV traffic) Follow recommendations in Alternative 1Map 5: Pumpchance 128 with proposed grazing exclosure. left3810Management Unit: 4 (Priority 1)Site Name: Pumpchance 125 Meadow Coordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; W122 22.972 N42 16.012Goal of the Management PlanSustain extant Mardon skipper populations by excluding grazing from the core area of the site. Also, maintain open meadow conditions by curbing encroachment by conifers.Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsPumpchance 125 is a large meadow to the east of 38-4E-7.1. There is a cattle pond in the center of the meadow. The Mardon skippers are distributed throughout the meadow in a U-shape surrounding the cattle pond on the east, north, and south sides. The Xerces Society minimum population estimates were 74 individuals on June 24th, 2005; 128 individuals on June 25th, 2006; 265 individuals on June 17th, 2007; and 304 on June 16th, 2009. Site DescriptionThis is a relatively large wet meadow surrounded by conifers. Host plants consist of Danthonia californica and Festuca roemeri. At this site, Mardon skippers have been recorded nectaring on Potentilla diversifolia, Wyetha angustifolia, Penstemon procerus, Plectritus congesta, and Vicia species. There were a lot of grasshoppers at this site, but substantially less than at Pumpchance 128. Figure 17. Pumpchance 125. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site Threats The site showed evidence of impacts from grazing, as well as some tire tracks from ORV use. Lodgepole pines and Spirea are encroaching in this meadow. Figure 18. Cattle grazing and ORV use have degraded the meadow at Pumpchance 125. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Figure 19. Encroachment of Spirea at Pumpchance 125. Photo by Scott Hoffman BlackSite Management History and Current Land AllocationsThis site has been managed for cattle grazing. A large cattle pond was excavated decades ago in the center of the meadow presumably for cattle use. This is part of the Deadwood grazing allotment, a 7,928 acre allotment with 788 AUMs (Map 2). The season of use is 6/16 to 8/15, which overlaps with the adult flight period of the Mardon skipper. The area around the site has seen heavy logging rotation and there are tree plantations to the west and south of the site. Management NeedsThis site contains the largest Mardon skipper population in southern Oregon, and thus its management should the highest priority of the BLM sites.Alternative 1 (Recommended Alternative)(Cattle grazing) Create a U-shaped exclosure around the Mardon skipper core area. Exclude cattle from the core area for five years to allow the habitat time to repair. Exclosure would be approximately six acres (illustrated in Map 6).Continue surveys every two years to determine population size. If the site meets identified goals (abundant Mardon skippers and larval host plants and high diversity of nectar plants), then grazing could be resumed at the site after five years. Future grazing should only be implemented on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. (Forest encroachment)Remove all small conifers from east end of meadow.Also remove three larger trees from the east end of the meadow. A Mardon expert should be consulted to mark the larger trees for removal. Other than the three larger conifers only conifers under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) are recommended for removal.Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual Mardon skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the Mardon skipper habitat area identified on Map 6. Maintain a buffer of large trees at the edges of meadow since they may play an important role in maintaining the microclimate and hydrology of the local habitat. If additional tree removal is desired consult a Mardon skipper expert. (ORV traffic) Install large boulders or tree stumps to eliminate access to ORVs at the site. Alternative 2(Cattle grazing)Create a U-shaped exclosure around the core area. Allow grazing in the exclosure on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. The exclosure would be approximately six acres (illustrated in Map 6).Continue surveys every two years to determine population size. If the site fails to meet identified goals (abundant Mardon skippers and larval host plant and high diversity of nectar plants), grazing should be excluded from the core area. (Forest encroachment) Follow recommendation in Alternative 1(ORV traffic) Follow recommendations in Alternative 1Alternative 3(Cattle grazing)Exclude grazing from the entire BLM portion of the meadow using a large exclosure (Blue line on Map 6). Continue surveys every two years to determine population size. If the site meets identified goals (abundant Mardon skippers and larval host plants and high diversity of nectar plants), grazing could be resumed at the site after five years. Future grazing should only be implemented on an every other year fall schedule with no grazing before August 15. (Forest encroachment) Follow recommendations in Alternative 1(ORV traffic) Follow recommendations in Alternative 1Map 6: Pumpchance 125 with grazing exclosure.Management Unit: 5 (Priority 4)Site Name: BLM Wildcat Glade ComplexCoordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; N 42o 11.317’, W 122o 25.724’Goal of the Site Management PlanContinue to monitor site to determine whether Mardon skippers are still extant. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsThis is a long linear site along Wildcat creek just east of Hyatt Lake adjacent to road 39-3E-11. Past Xerces Society surveys and personal communication with Eric Runquist have reported a small population on the north side of the creek just to the west of the BLM/private land boundary. One individual was also found to the west of the site adjacent to Hyatt reservoir, but the area where the individual was found is regularly inundated and we do not believe this area provides larval habitat. The Xerces Society minimum population counts for the site found 25 individuals on June 23rd, 2005 and zero individuals on June 18th, 2007. A thorough survey of the site found no Mardon skippers on June 15th, 2009. Although surveys were not completed before 2005, Mardon skippers have been reportedly found regularly at this site since the 1990’s (Eric Runquist, personal communication). Figure 20. Wildcat Glade. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site DescriptionThis entire site is less than half a mile in length and about 20 yards wide. It extends on to private lands to the east of the BLM site (private land has not been surveyed, but individuals were seen from the fence in 2005, but not in 2007 or 2009). This site was one of the first areas where Mardon skippers were found without any fescue at the site. Eric Runquist (personal communication) theorized that the Mardon skipper larvae were feeding on Danthonia spp., which was common at the site; work in Oregon and Washington state has confirmed that Danthonia spp. do serve as suitable larval host plants for Polites mardon. In the past, the Mardon skippers were most prevalent upstream of a small wetland impoundment. This wetland area appears to have expanded over the last decade, and much of the former habitat has now been flooded by the wetland. Patches of Danthonia are present, but there are few floral resources available and much of the site was too wet to provide high quality habitat. Site Threats The area that is dry enough to still be considered suitable Mardon skipper habitat is severely degraded by cattle and ORV use at the end closest to private land. There is substantial evidence of ORV traffic across the stream, although the BLM has made efforts to curb access to the site. Note: This is part of the Keene Allotment which was retired in 2009. Figure 21. The Wildcat Glade site may have become too wet, because the wetland expanded over the last several years. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsThis site is in the Keene Allotment which was retired in 2009. In the late summer of 2009, large ditches were dug to try to stop ORV traffic on this site.Figure 22. Large areas of Wildcat Glade have bare soil and very short stubble height from substantial grazing. The Keene allotment was retired in 2009. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Figure 23. ORV traffic and cattle have caused stream siltation. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Management NeedsSurvey this site at least once during the adult flight season for the next three years to determine whether Mardon skipper are extant. Map 7: Wildcat Glade.Management Unit: 6 (Priority 2)Site Name: BLM Buck Prairie ComplexCoordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; N 42o 13.346’, W 122o 28.275’Goal of the Site Management PlanEncourage Mardon skipper reestablishment by eliminating ORV use at the site. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsThe Xerces Society estimated that the minimum population at Buck Prairie was four individuals on July 6th, 2005 and 95 on June 18th, 2007. Scott Black and Celeste Mazzacano surveyed this site on June 15th, 2009 and found no individuals although two individuals were found on July 7th, 2010. There is some uncertainty about the core area of Mardon skipper occupancy at this site, as the four individuals found in 2005 were located in a different area than the 95 individuals observed in 2007. Figure 24. This area had 95 Mardon skippers in 2007, none were found in 2009, and two in 2010. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site DescriptionBuck prairie is a large meadow complex on both BLM and private lands. The core area for Mardon skipper occupancy is in a stringer meadow on both sides of road 38-3E-33.3. Low stubble height, bare soil, hoof marks, and cow patties clearly indicate that the entire site (both BLM and private land) has been substantially grazed. Due to the retirement of the Keene Allotment, the BLM portion of this site may recover. Site ThreatsThe habitat at the site where 95 individuals were found is extremely degraded. Deep ORV tracks crisscrossed the entire site both above and below the road. Off-road vehicle use can result in direct mortality to individuals of this species and can also destroy habitat/plants, and potentially alter hydrologic regimes (which in turn can alter plant composition and vegetative structure). Off-road vehicle use may also introduce non-native weeds. This site was also heavily grazed, with much bare ground, although some patches of host plant were present. Since the Keene Allotment has been retired this should no longer be an issue. The shrubs Spiraea douglasii and Pseudotsuga menziesii are encroaching on this site.Figure 25. Extensive grazing at the Buck Prairie Complex. Grazing has now been retired from the BLM portion of this site. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Figure 26. Extensive ORV use has severely degraded this Mardon skipper site. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsThis site is in the Keene Allotment which was retired in 2009. This site has been used extensively for ORVs and/or 4X4s. Management NeedsSince this grazing allotment has been retired the most pressing issue at this site is ORV use. ORV use is an ongoing and persistent threat to this site. (ORV traffic)Use large boulders or tree stumps to eliminate access to ORVs at the site. This should be done where road 38-3E-33.3 crosses the meadow. (Forest encroachment)Monitor small conifers at edges of the meadow. Map 8: Buck Prairie complex. Management Unit: 7 (Priority 1)Site Name: Burnt Creek MeadowCoordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; N 42o 11.123’, W 122o 30.101’Goal of the Site Management PlanMaintain and improve habitat for Mardon skipper at the site. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsThe site is on both sides of Burnt Creek just to the northeast of road 39-3E-21. The Xerces Society minimum population counts were nine individuals on June 23rd, 2005; 25 individuals on June 18th, 2007, and 16 individuals on June 15th, 2009. Site DescriptionThis site is under and adjacent to a power line. The core habitat at this site seems to be in good condition. The larval host plants and floral resources are abundant and there is little tree or shrub encroachment. There was also an abundance of ant mounds -- a characteristic found at some other Mardon skipper sites. Note that the core habitat is not really “upland” as stated in a 2007 report—it is in the lea of trees, directly under and on both sides of the power line, south of the aspens.Figure 27. Most of the core habitat of the Buck Prairie site is below power lines. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site Threats Grazing has occurred at the site, but is most pronounced near the road. Off road vehicle use (ORV) was also noted at the site but was not extensive. If ORV use intensified it could become an issue. This site is in the Keene Allotment which was retired in 2009. This site could be threatened if power line management does not take into consideration the Mardon skipper biology and habitat requirements. Equipment used to repair or replace the power line could destroy habitat for this species. Figure 28. ORV use and management under the power lines are the most important potential threats. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsThis site is in the Keene Allotment which was retired in 2009. This site is located directly under and to each side of a high tension power line.Management NeedsAt present this site is recommended to be maintained for high quality habitat. Immediate needs include: Installing large boulders or tree stumps to eliminate access to ORVs at the site. Contacting the company that operates the power line to ensure they are aware of the Mardon skipper’s biology and habitat requirements, and potential actions that may harm this species.Work with the power line company to develop a specialized management plan for this section of the power line corridor, so that future managers are informed about the species specific considerations of this site. Map 9: Burnt Creek Meadow.Management Unit: 8 (Priority 1)Site Name: Little Hyatt Reservoir SouthCoordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA; N 42o 09.486’, W 122o 29.116’Goal of the Site Management PlanMaintain and improve habitat for the Mardon skipper. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsMardon skippers are found east of Keene Creek and west of road 9112 (Little Hyatt Road) just to the south of Little Hyatt Dam. The Xerces Society minimum population counts at Little Hyatt South were 28 individuals on June 23rd, 2005; 41 individuals on June 19th, 2006; 11 individuals on June 18th, 2007; and 12 individuals on June 15th, 2009. The core area is between the road and Keene Creek, except at the south end were it crosses the road adjacent to a small ephemeral creek. Figure 29. Little Hyatt Reservoir site. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site DescriptionThis site is the only known extant site in southern Oregon located along a permanent stream. There are abundant host plants (both Festuca rubra. and Danthonia californica). Nectar sources include Potentilla diversifolia, Wyetha angustifolia, Penstemon procerus, Plectritus congesta, and Vicia species. Site Threats The site has received little grazing pressure for some years, and is part of the Keene allotment which has been retired. Encroachment of conifers is the most pressing issue. There has been little or no ORV use within the meadow, perhaps because of the proximity of a dwelling. Any management of the dam should take the Mardon skipper into consideration. Figure 30. Conifer encroachment is the most pressing issue at this site. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsThis site was part of the Keene allotment which was closed in 2009. It is directly downstream of Little Hyatt Reservoir. Figure 31. Little Hyatt Reservoir shown from Mardon skipper habitat. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Management Needs(Forest encroachment)There is substantial tree encroachment on the west side of the meadow. Remove all conifers under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) from the west side of meadow. Several larger trees (Approximately 8” DBH) are also recommended for removal. Consult a Mardon expert to mark the larger trees. Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual Mardon skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the Mardon skipper habitat area. If thinning is needed for fuels and or ecosystem needs only small diameter trees should be removed. If additional tree removal is desired consult a Mardon skipper expert. (Dam Management)Just upstream of the core Mardon skipper habitat is a small reservoir. In the summer of 2006 a large crack in the dam was noted to be leaking water. At present, the dam has been stabilized. If action is needed to take down the dam, take steps to ensure that Mardon skipper habitat is not degraded. Flooding of this site would reduce survival of eggs and larvae. Consider a slow release of the dam to avoid flooding core areas. Keep all equipment and personnel needed for this operation off of the habitat, if possible. If that is not possible, mark a single trail and restrict foot traffic to that trail.(ORV management)Place a sign at the entrance to the meadow asking people to stay on approved roads. Also install large boulders or tree stumps to eliminate access to ORVs at the site. Map 10: Little Hyatt Reservoir.Management Unit: 9 (PCT meadow south, Priority 1, PCT meadow west, Priority 3, PCT meadow North Priority 2) Site Name: BLM PCT Complex Coordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA, N 42o 8.596’, W 122o 29.788’Goal of the Site Management PlanMaintain and improve habitat for Mardon skippers at the site. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsThis complex is made up of three meadows adjacent to road 9112 (Little Hyatt Road).The majority of Mardon skippers have been found at PCT south: four Mardon skippers were found on June 22nd, 2005; 20 on June 19th, 2007; and six on June 16th, 2009 at this site. The adjacent meadows have never had counts over two individuals. Site DescriptionPCT South (N 42o 8.596’, W 122o 29.788’) includes the core area where the majority of Mardon skippers have been found. A small ephemeral stream passes through the middle of this habitat area. This stream is usually partly dry by late June. This stream appears to have less flow now than there was in earlier visits, but there is no data set to corroborate this observation (S. Black, personal observation). There are abundant larval host plants and adult nectar sources at the site, and there has been little disturbance by grazing. Figure 32. PCT south. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.PCT north (N 42o 8.745’, W 122o 29.755’) is on the east side of Little Hyatt Prairie Road. This meadow is dryer than PCT south. The creek was dry in the core habitat, and the meadow across the fence on private land also appeared too dry to support Mardon skippers. Some conifer encroachment is occurring at this site.Figure 33. PCT meadow north showing tree encroachment. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. PCT west is just to the west of PCT south. There was little grazing or encroachment at this site, and both larval host plants (Festuca spp. and Danthonia californica) were present, but the site may be too dry to be good habitat.Figure 34. PCT meadow west. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site ThreatsThe main management issue with this site is off road vehicle use. Off road vehicle tracks are a common feature at these sites. Tree encroachment by ponderosa pine is an issue that should be addressed as well. The Pacific Crest Trail runs very close to this site, but there seems to be little impact to the site from hikers. Figure 35. Conifer encroachment at PCT south. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsHistorically this site was part of the Keene allotment. The allotment was retired in 2009. This complex of sites is just north of the Pacific Crest Trail. Management Needs(ORV management)Ensure that ORVs cannot gain access to the site by blocking off the area along the road and assessing whether vehicles can enter the site from the southwest.(Forest encroachment)Remove all conifers under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) from PCT North and South. PCT Middle: Remove small trees from lower part of meadow, leaving trees adjacent to road. Also remove all small trees at the upper south end of the meadow and all along the south side. PCT North: Remove small trees throughout the meadow, leaving trees adjacent to road. Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual Mardon skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the Mardon skipper habitat. Maintain a buffer of large trees at the edges of meadow since they may play an important role in maintaining the microclimate and hydrology of the local habitat. If additional tree removal is desired consult a Mardon skipper expert. Map 11: PCT complex.Management Unit: 10 (Priority 2-Hobart Peak 2 [middle]; Priority 3- Hobart Peak 1 [East]; Priority 1- Hobart Peak 3 [west])Site Name: Hobart Peak Complex east, middle, and west Coordinates: Medford District BLM, Ashland RA (see specific coordinates below)Goal of the Site Management PlanMaintain and improve habitat for Mardon skippers at this site complex. Site Distribution, Abundance, and TrendsThese three sites are located along Soda Mountain Road. All of the sites are very small. These sites apparently had larger numbers of Mardon skippers in the past (Eric Runquist personal communication), although population counts have been low in recent years. Since 2005, no more than two Mardon skippers were found at Hobart peak east and middle. There has apparently been a decline at the largest site (Hobart Peak west): in 2005, 10 Mardon skippers were found at this site, while seven individuals were counted in 2007, and no Mardon skippers were found in 2009. Site DescriptionAll three meadows within this complex are small and surrounded by conifers. Hobart Peak east (N 42o 05.228’, W 122o 29.236’) is the largest meadow in this complex. It is a relatively dry site adjacent to Soda Mountain road and a power line. The Pacific Crest Trail passes directly through the site. The habitat for the butterfly is to the east of the road in an area that is relatively moist. In my professional opinion, this site provides marginal habitat for the Mardon skipper because it is too dry. It may have been wetter in the past. Figure 36. Hobart Peak east. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Hobart Peak middle (N 42o 05.197’, W 122o 29.107’) is a very small meadow and has significant conifer encroachment. It is a relatively moist site, although there is no surface water. Large stature non-native grasses have moved into this site. Figure 37. Hobart Peak middle. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Hobart Peak west (N 42o 05.132, W 122o 28.922) has always had the largest population of Mardon skippers within this complex. It includes a small enclosure for cattle. This site is relatively wet and it is adjacent to a small ephemeral stream. There is considerable conifer encroachment at this site and what seems to be a non-native grass species has taken over much of the site. Research by Beyer and Black (2007) indicated Mardon skippers had a sensitivity to grass structure, with host plant height, cover, and density influencing oviposition selection. Eric Runquist (personal communication) theorized that the larger stature grass at this site was leading to degradation of Mardon skipper habitat. Figure 38. Hobart Peak west. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Site Threats These sites are primarily threatened by encroachment from conifers and non-native grasses. Figure 39. Non-native grasses have encroached on the Hobart Peak sites. Hobart peak west. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Figure 40. Conifer encroachment at Hobart Peak east. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black.Figure 41. Fire ring at Hobart Peak east. Photo by Scott Hoffman Black. Site Management History and Current Land AllocationsThese are the only sites that fall within the boundary of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument. It was part of the Keene allotment which was retired in 2009. Management Needs(Forest encroachment)Hobart Peak East: Remove small cedars on east side of the meadow (15+ trees just to the east of the PCT trail). All cedars to be removed are under 4” Diameter at Breast Height (DBH).Hobart Peak Middle and West: Monitor tree and shrub encroachment – no action needed at this time. Care must be taken to avoid actions that could degrade habitat and kill individual Mardon skippers as a result of heavy equipment use, people trampling meadows, piling of trees in meadows, or burning of piles in or adjacent to the Mardon skipper habitat area. Maintain a buffer of large trees at the edges of meadow since they may play an important role in maintaining the microclimate and hydrology of the local habitat. If additional tree removal is desired consult a Mardon skipper expert. (Non-native grass)Explore opportunities for control of non-native grass at the site. (Monitoring)Continue to monitor this site every other year.(Management of Pacific Crest Trail)Develop signage to keep people from camping on the core Mardon skipper area of occupancy of Hobart Peak east. Map 12: Hobart Peak Complex.Acknowledgements: Thanks to Rob Huff for his thoughtful reviews of drafts of this document. This management plan would not have been possible without the funding from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service Region 6 and U.S.D.I. Bureau of Land Management Interagency Special Status and Sensitive Species Program.Literature CitedBarry, J. W. 1993. Predicting and measuring drift of Bacillus thuringiensis sprays. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 12:1977-1989.Bergman, K. O. 1999. Habitat utilization by Lopinga achine (Nymphalidae: Satrinae) larvae and ovipositing females: implications for conservation. Biological Conservation 88: 69-74.Beyer, L. and S. H. Black. 2007. Site Utilization by Adults and Larvae of Mardon Skipper Butterfly (Polites mardon) at four sites in Washington and Oregon. Final Report to the Forest Service and BLM from The Xerces Society. Portland, OR: The Xerces Society. Beyer, L.J., Schultz, C.B. 2010. Oviposition selection by a rare grass skipper Polites mardon in montane habitats: Advancing ecological understanding to develop conservation strategies. Biological Conservation 143:862-872.Black, S. H. 2006. Report to U.S. Forest Service: Xerces Society Surveys for Polites mardon in the Rogue River National Forest in Southern Oregon (Summer 2006). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society. Black, S. H., Jepsen, S. and L. Lauvray. 2008. Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Surveys for Polites mardon in Del Norte County of Northern California. Portland, OR: The Xerces Society. Black, S. H., Jepsen, S. and L. Lauvray. 2008. Report: Xerces Society Polites mardon surveys in southern Oregon’s Mt. Ashland area (Summer 2008). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society. Black, S. H., C. Mazzacano and L. Lauvray. 2009. Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U. S. Forest Service, Mardon Skipper Survey of Coon Mountain Burn Site, Xerces Society, October 2009. Portland, OR: The Xerces Society.Black, S. H. and M. Vaughan. 2005. Mardon Skipper (Polites mardon klamathensis) Site Locations in Southern Oregon: Status of Our Knowledge. November 2005. Portland, OR: The Xerces Society. Coop, J. D., and T. J. Givinish. 2007. Spatial and temporal patterns of recent forest encroachment in monane grasslands of the Valles Caldera, New Mexico, USA. Journal of Biogeography 34: 914-927.Dana, R. 1997. Characterization of three Dakota skipper sites in Minnesota, a report prepared for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.Davies, Z. G., R. J. Wilson, T. M. Brereton, and C. D. Thomas. 2005. The re-expansion and improving status of the silver-spotted skipper butterfly (Hesperia comma) in Britain: a metapopulation success story. Biological Conservation 124:189-198.Dennis, R. L. H., T. G. Shreeve, and H. Van Dyck. 2006. Habitats and resources: The need for a resource-based definition to conserve butterflies. Biodiversity and Conservation 15:1943-1966.Dornfeld, E. J. 1980. The butterflies of Oregon. 276 pp. Forest Grove: Timber Press.Timber Press, Forest Grove, Oregon. 276 pp.Ehrlich, P. R. 1992. Population Biology of Checkerspot Butterflies and the Preservation of Global Biodiversity. Oikos 63: 6-12.Field, C. B., L. D. Mortsch, M. Brklacich, D.L. Forbes, P. Kovacs, J.A. Patz, S.W. Running, and M.J. Scott. 2007. Chapter 14: North America. In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, edited by M. L. Parry, O. F. Canziani, J. P. Palutikof, and C. E. Hanson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: , accessed 29 March 2010.Gibson, C. D., V. K. Brown, L. Losito, and G. C. McGavin. 1992. The Response of Invertebrate Assemblies to Grazing. Ecography 15: 166-76. Hayes, G. F., and K. D. Holl. 2003. Cattle grazing impacts on annual forbs and vegetation composition of mesic grasslands in California. Conservation Biology 17:1694-1702.Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007. Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, M. L. Parry, O. F. Canziani, J. P. Palutik, P.J. Van der Linden, and C. E. Hanson, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: , accessed 29 March 2010.Jepsen, S., S. H. Black, and L. Lauvray. 2007. Report: Xerces Society Polites mardon surveys in southern Oregon (Summer 2007). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society.Kuussaari, M., M. Singer, and I. Hanski. 2000. Local specialization and landscape-level influence on host use in an herbivorous insect. Ecology 81:2177-2187.Mattoon, S. O., J. F. Emmel, and T. C. Emmel. 1998. The Distribution of Polites mardon (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in North America, and Description of a New Subspecies from Southern Oregon. Systematics of Western North American Butterflies. Pp. 767-774.Moreau, J., J. Rahme, B. Benrey, and D. Thiery. 2008. Larval host plant origin modifies the adult oviposition preference of the female European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana. Naturwissenschaften 95:317-324.MSU (Montana State University, Extension Service).? 1992.? Controlling Knapweed on Montana Rangeland.?Circular 311, February 1992.Norman, S. P., and A. H. Taylor. 2005. Pine forest expansion along a forest-meadow ecotone in northeastern California, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 215:51-68.Potter, A., J. Fleckenstein, S. Richardson, and D. Hays. 1999. Washington State Status Report for the Mardon Skipper. Olympia, WA: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.Potter, A., J. Fleckenstein, and J. Feen. 2002. Mardon Skipper Range and Distribution in Washington in Relation to State and Federal Highways with a Habitat Description and Survey Method Guidelines, Final Report to Washington Department of Transportation.Ravenscroft, N.O.M. 1994. The Ecology of the Chequered skipper butterfly Carterocephalus palaemon Pallas in Scotland .1: Microhabitat. Journal of Applied Ecology 31:613-622.Roland, J., and S. F. Matter. 2007. Encroaching forests decouple alpine butterfly population dynamics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104:13702-13704.Rooney, T. P.? 2005.? Distribution of ecologically-invasive plants along off-road vehicle trails in the Chequamegon National Forest, Wisconsin.? The Michigan Botanist 44:178-182.Ross, D. 2005. Surveys for Mardon skipper on Public Lands in Southern Oregon. Report submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and The Xerces Society. The Xerces Society. Portland, Oregon.Runquist, E. 2004. Unpublished Report and presentation. Workshop on the ecology and status of the mardon skipper (Polites mardon) An unusual Pacific Northwest butterfly. Ashland, Oregon.Saunders, S., C. Montgomery, and T. Easley. 2008. Hotter and drier: the West’s changedclimate. Prepared for The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and Natural Resources Defense Council. 64 pp [online] URL: , accessed 29 March 2010.Shaffer, M. L. 1981. Minimum Population Sizes for Species Conservation. BioScience 31:131-134.Schtickzelle, N., C. Turlure, and M. Baguette. 2007. Grazing management impacts on the viability of the threatened bog fritillary butterfly Proclossiana eunomia. Biological Conservation 136:651-660.Schultz, C. B., and E. E. Crone. 2008. Note: Using ecological theory to advance butterfly conservation. Israel Journal of Ecology & Evolution 54:63-68.Smallidge, P. J., and D. J. Leopold. 1997. Vegetation management for the maintenance and conservation of butterfly habitats in temperate human-dominated habitats. Landscape and Urban Planning 38:259-280.Stoner, K. J. L., and A. Joern. 2004. Landscape vs. local habitat scale influences to insect communities from tallgrass prairie remnants. Ecological Applications 14:1306-1320.Swengel, A. B., and S. R. Swengel. 2001. Effects of prairie and barrens management on butterfly faunal composition. Biodiversity and Conservation 10(10):1757-1785. Swengel, A. B. 1996. Effects of fire and hay management on abundance of prairie butterflies. Biological Conservation 76:73-85. Thomas, C. D., and T. M. Jones. 1993. Partial recovery of a skipper butterfly (Hesperia comma) from population refuges- lessons for conservation in a fragmented landscape. Journal of Animal Ecology 62:472-481.Vaughan, D. M., and S. H. Black 2005. Report: Xerces Society Surveys for Polites mardon in the Rogue River National Forest (Summer 2005). Portland, OR: The Xerces Society.Vaughan, D.M. and S.H. Black. 2004. Report on Xerces Society Search and Monitoring for Polites mardon in Southern Oregon, June 22, 2004. Portland, OR: The Xerces Society. Wagner, D., and J. C. Miller. 1995. Must butterflies die for the gypsy moth’s sins? American Butterflies 3:19-23.Warren, M. S. 1993. A review of butterfly conservation in central southern Britain: II. Site management and habitat selection of key species. Biological Conservation 64:37-49. Whaley, W. H., J. Arnold, and B. G. Schaaleje. 1998. Canyon drift and dispersion of Bacillus thuringiensis and its effects on selected nontarget lepidpoterans in Utah. Environmental Entomology 27:539-548.Personal Communication Eric Runquist, UC DavisMary Joe Anderson, Oregon ZooSteve Goodwin, BLM Steve Slavik, BLMAppendix 1: Summary of all known Mardon skipper sites in southern Oregon with all associated one day counts. Site NameGeographic LocationAdministrative UnitDate - Day Counts USFS Conde Complex Service GladeN:42°18.006’? W:122°27.622’Ashland RD Rogue River/ Siskiyou NF6/21/05 – 26/21/06 – 116/16/07 – 326/31/08 – 247/6/10 – 8 Conde Creek 4N:42°18.452’?W:122°27.582’Ashland RD Rogue River/ Siskiyou NF6/21/05 – 46/21/06 - 106/16/07 – 426/31/08 – 137/6/10 – 2USFS Short Creek Complex Short Creek Prairie Site 1W:122 23.291 N: 42 20.540Ashland RD Rogue River/ Siskiyou NF6/22/05 - 97/8/05 – 96/21/06 – 206/17/07 – 296/31/08 -837/6/10 –76 Short Creek Prairie Site 2W:122 23.023 N:42 20.304Ashland RD Rogue River/ Siskiyou NF7/8/05 – 76/21/06 – 216/17/2007 – 406/31/2008 – 677/6/10 – 26BLM Conde SiteBLM Management Unit 1 Conde Meadow W122 30.960N42 16.594Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/24/05 – 86/16/07 – 06/16/09 – 07/6/10 –0Indian Road SiteBLM Management Unit 2 MP 20.2 Dead Indian RoadW 122o 23.619’N 42o 17.119’Medford District BLM, Ashland RA??6/9/05 - 06/24/05 – 136/17/07 – 46/16/09 – 6Moon Prairie ComplexBLM management Units 3-4 Moon Prairie Meadow (Pumpchance 128)W122 22.287 N42 15.745Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/24/05 - 467/5/05 – 276/17/07 – 626/16/09 – 457/6/10 –7 Pumpchance 125 MeadowW122 22.972 N 42 16.012Medford District BLM,Ashland RA6/9/05 - 116/24/05 - 747/5/05 – 506/18/06 – 1026/25/06 – 1286/17/07 – 2656/16/09 – 3047/6/10 – 91Wildcat Glade SiteBLM Management Unit 5 Wildcat GladeW122 25.465 N 42 11.262 Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/23/05 – 256/18/07 – 06/18/09 – 0Buck Prairie SiteBLM Management Unit 6 Buck PrairieW 122o 28.275’N 42o 13.346’Medford District BLM, Ashland RA7/6/05 – 46/18/07 – 956/17/09 –07/7/10 –2Table Mt. SiteBLM Management Unit 7 Table Mountain (Burnt Creek Meadow) W 122o 30.101’N 42o 11.123’ Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/23/05 – 96/18/07 – 256/15/09 – 167/7/10 – 11Little Hyatt Reservoir SiteBLM Management Unit 8 Little Hyatt Reservoir SouthW:122 29.115 N:42 9.478Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/23/05 – 286/19/06 – 416/26/06 – 106/18/07 – 116/15/09 – 127/7/10 –9PCT ComplexBLM Management Unit 9 PCT Meadow SouthW:122 29.788 N:42 8.596Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/10/05 - 06/22/05 – 46/19/07 – 206/15/09 – 67/7/10 – 4 PCT Meadow North W:122 29.755 N:42 8.745Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/10/05 - 06/22/05 – 16/19/07 – 26/15/09 – 17/7/10 – 0 PCT Meadow WestMappedNo co ordinanceMedford District BLM, Ashland RA6/10/05 - 16/22/05 – 16/15/09 – 17/7/10 – 0Hobart Peak ComplexBLM management Unit 10 Hobart Peak?1 (East)W:122 .48257 N:42.08592Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/10/05 - 07/5/05 – 26/19/07 – 26/15/09 – 07/7/10 – 0 Hobart Peak?2 (middle)W:122 29.109 N:42 5.172Medford District BLM, Ashland RA7/5/05 – 16/15/09 – 17/7/10 – 1 Hobart Peak?3 (West) (exclosure)W 122o 28.922N 42o 05.132, Medford District BLM, Ashland RA6/10/05 - 107/5/05 – 76/15/09 – 07/7/10 – 0 ................
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