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

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Executive Summary Scenario 1— Under this scenario, habitat would be protected in habitat complexes within some of the thirteen central Platte River bridge -to -bridge segments. The Cooperative Agreement indicates that the Program will focus on obtaining and protecting wet meadow and channel habitat within blocks of land, which are suitable for development into habitat complexes. For purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that the Program will focus on the following habitat types. ■ main channel habitat — a mixture of wetted channel, sandbars and islands ■ riverine buffer — combination of cover types (e.g. main channel habitat, riparian forest and grasslands) ■ wet meadows — seasonally wet grasslands ■ wet meadow buffers — grasslands and/or croplands For the purpose of this analysis, the Program will protect and manage 10,000 acres according to the following schedule that was adapted from the FWS's, Preliminary Draft Milestones for First Increment of Proposed Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, October, 1998. Cottonwood Ranch Property would be developed and enhanced for target species starting in 2001 (2,650 acres). Habitat Block A (3,796 acres) would be developed and enhanced for target species starting in 2004. Habitat Block B (3,718 acres) would be developed and enhanced for target species starting in 2006. Scenario 2 — This scenario describes a plan to strategically select .habitat areas near or adjacent to existing protected habitat areas. This plan would be used to meet the biological needs of the target species and improve existing management activities on already protected habitat. The distribution of habitat lands under this scenario was based on the location of existing protected areas and identified using the 1998 GIS land coverage database provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). The estimated schedule for protecting and managing these areas is as follows. Cottonwood Ranch Property would be developed and enhanced for wildlife use starting in 2001 (2,650 acres). Habitat Segment A would be protected and managed near existing protected areas starting in 2004 (2,613 acres). Habitat Segment B would be protected and managed near existing protected areas starting in 2006 (2,618 acres). Hwd:40210R009.doc ES-4 Third Party Impact Study Final Report