• Disturbance-free zones protect important sites for special interest species by minimizing activities that could disrupt the species or degrade habitat quality through habitat alterations or other disturbances.
• All of the listed disturbance-free zone standards have been implemented by TRPA and other partner agencies.
• Deer disturbance free zones cover 32,266 acres.

Relevance

Disturbance-free zones protect important sites that are used by special interest species by restricting habitat manipulations or other activities that would degrade the condition of habitat within the site. The zones are areas where activities that would disturb the species are minimized. The disturbance-free zones include a 0.5-mile radius buffer around bald eagle nests and a 0.25-mile radius buffer around osprey, golden eagle, and peregrine falcon nests. Goshawk disturbance-free zones include both a 0.25-mile circular buffer and the most suitable 500 acres of habitat surrounding the nest site. Specific areas are mapped for wintering bald eagles, deer, and waterfowl. Influence zones include a 3.5-mile radius buffer for goshawk, a 0.6-mile radius for osprey, a 9.0-mile radius buffer for golden eagle, and a 7.6-mile radius buffer for peregrine falcon. Specific influence areas are mapped for wintering bald eagle, deer, and waterfowl, and a variable influence zone is set for bald eagle nests. Northern goshawks and bald eagles are also considered sensitive species by the USDA Forest Service, and they receive additional consideration in all management decisions affecting Forest Service lands.

Human and Environmental Drivers

Significant regulatory protections exist in the TRPA Code of Ordinances that prohibit human-caused habitat degradation within disturbance-free zones. Existing regulations have protected the habitat structure for special interest species within disturbance-free zones, and have protected species within these zones from direct impacts associated with construction projects or resource management actions. Environmental Improvement Program projects have expanded key habitat types, such as wet meadows, and have treated forested areas to promote late seral stands, which can be beneficial to several special interest species. Disturbance-free zones protect important sites that are used by special interest species by restricting habitat manipulations or other activities that would degrade the condition of habitat within the site. These special interest species receive protection because they are locally important due to their rarity and/or exceptional public interest for wildlife viewing,

EIP Action Priorities

• Acquire Environmentally Sensitive Lands for Restoration and Protection

  Public land acquisition preserves open and wild spaces.

• Restore Priority Meadows, Wetlands, and Lake Tahoe Tributaries

  Low capability lands, such as meadows and wetlands, coincide with mapped areas of mule deer fawning habitat.

Management Status Rationale

Implemented. The TRPA Regional Plan, Goals and Policies, sub-section WL-2.1 provides protections for endangered, threatened, rare, and special interest species.

TRPA Code of Ordinances section 62.3.2.B states that projects and activities in the vicinity of deer migration areas shall be required to mitigate or avoid significant adverse impacts. The location of deer migration areas shall be verified by the appropriate state wildlife or fish and game agencies. And, Code of Ordinance section 62.3.3.B states that no project or activity shall threaten, damage, or destroy nesting habitat of raptors and waterfowl or fawning habitat of deer.