Identification and Evaluation of Potential Thrid Party Impacts Related to the Habitat Component of the Proposed Platte River Recovery

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4.0 Habitat Protection Scenarios Cottonwood Ranch Property (2,650 acres) - would be developed and enhanced for wildlife use starting in 2001. Habitat Segment A (2,613 acres) - would be protected and managed near existing protected areas starting in 2004. Habitat Segment B (2,618 acres) - would be protected and managed near existing protected areas starting in 2006. • Habitat Segment C (2,570 acres) - would be protected and managed near existing protected areas starting in 2006. The protection and management of habitat under this scenario, other than the Cottonwood Ranch property, would be based on the perceived needs of the existing protected areas. For instance, it may be determined that existing protected areas need additional acreage managed as buffers to enhance the protection and management of certain habitat areas. Alternatively, existing protected areas may need additional habitat acreage to meet the biological needs of the target species. It is anticipated that the management of habitat under this scenario would be similar to the management scheme defined under Scenario 1. 4.3 Scenario 3 This scenario describes a situation where the proposed Program would acquire and/or protect habitat lands scattered throughout the Habitat Protection Area. The location of habitat lands would be driven by the cooperation of voluntary participants. Under Scenario 3, 7,820 acres of habitat would be protected in a series of blocks approximately 500 to 600 acres in size in each of the bridge segment areas. Additionally, Cottonwood Ranch would protect 2,650 acres of habitat under this scenario. The habitat lands under Scenario 3 will be protected and restored according to the schedule proposed for Scenario 1 and Scenario 2. 4.4 Restoration and Management of Habitat Lands The third party impact analysis considered how habitat lands would be managed and enhanced under the Program Management plans have not been developed at this time but it is presumed that an adaptive management approach will be implemented by the management entity. An adaptive management strategy has been defined in the Cooperative Agreement as follows.3 ... the Governance Committee will monitor and evaluate the impacts of activities implemented in the first increment of the Program on the associated habitats and the response of the target species to those impacts.... Based on the monitoring and evaluation results, additional actions and/or adjustments to existing actions will be identified and implemented, consistent with the purposes of the Program 3 Cooperative Agreement for Plane River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats Along the Central Plane River, Nebraska, Attachment III, p. 5, July 1, 1997 Hwd:40210R013.doc 4-4 Third Party Impact Study Final Report