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<br />Arizona Game and Fish Department <br />Biological Evaluation: Kanab Ambersnail <br /> <br />July 199B <br />Page 13 <br /> <br />CHAPTER III: DETERMINATION OF EFFECT <br /> <br />A. IMPACTS TO LISTED AND SPECIAL STATUS SPECIES <br /> <br />A complete account of listed and special status species occurring <br />within the three proposed establishment sites is given in Appendix <br />A. Establishment of wild KAS populations will not affect other <br />listed and special status species in the vicinity of establishment <br />sites. KASs are terrestrial snails restricted to wetland areas and <br />will not impact native fish populations. Similarly, as a result of <br />their habitat restrictions, KASs are unable to affect special <br />status flora occurring within the surrounding xeric landscape of <br />Grand Canyon. No Southwestern willow flycatcher or American <br />peregrine falcon nesting sites were discovered at proposed KAS <br />establishment sites. Researcher access to proposed establishment <br />sites will be light and will utilize existing game trails and <br />hiking trails. <br /> <br />B. DECISION OF EFFECT <br /> <br />This proposed recovery action has a, "May effect-is likely to <br />adversely affect" designation because of short term disturbance to <br />the KAS associated with removal from VP and transport to a new <br />location. Immature KASs are generally unlikely to experience <br />physical or physiological duress while in transit to establishment <br />sites; although some mortality may occur. The locomotion and <br />physical integrity of KASs are not affected during removal and <br />handling procedures (pers. comm. J. Sorensen, AGFD). For instance, <br />no handling related KAS mortality was observed during a mark- <br />recapture experiment in 1996. The successful transport of KASs <br />from VP to Northern Arizona University by L. Stevens and C. Nelson <br />in August 1997 also supports this position. <br /> <br />Direct effects: are those caused bv the action and occur at the <br />same time and olace as the action. <br />Removal of 500 KASs from VP constitutes a 1.7% reduction in the <br />source population (Table 1). However, development of satellite KAS <br />populations at three establishment sites will benefit the <br />subspecies (KAS) by reducing the probability of extirpation and/or <br />extinction. <br />