2024-06-07_PERMIT FILE - M2024026 (36)

Home Browse Search

c 3.2 Field Survey During the field survey, the Study Area was observed to consist entirely of grassland habitat dissected by oil and gas wells and gravel access roads. One special status species, the burrowing owl, was observed during the field survey. Table 3 lists TRC's observations documented during the field survey. Figure 2 shows the locations of TRC observations. Five active black-tailed prairie dog towns were recorded within the Study Area. Burrowing owls were observed within two of the prairie dog towns during the field survey (Table 3; Figure 2). One active burrowing owl burrow/nest site (Map ID 10) was identified within a prairie dog town (Map ID 09)withing the 0.5 mi buffer of the Project Area during the October 16th, 2023, survey. A second burrowing owl was observed flying (Map ID 03) in another prairie dog town (Map ID 02), but no burrow/nest was observed in the vicinity of the burrowing owl in flight. No federally listed, proposed, or candidate species were observed during the field survey. Of the ten species analyzed (Table 1), suitable habitat exists in the Study Area for the monarch butterfly. However, the monarch's obligate host species, milkweed was not observed at the time of the survey, but individual plants could have been missed due to the timing of the surveys outside of the flowering period. Existing oil and gas structures or road culverts adjacent to the Project may provide suitable roosting habitat for the tricolored bat. However, roosting habitat will not be removed as a result of Kersey Mine implementation and all disturbance will remain 100 feet from the existing oil and gas structures. Food and water sources (agricultural reservoirs and wetlands and waterbodies associated with the South Platte River) are located within two miles of the Project. Therefore, there is potential for this species to occur as a transient while foraging through the Permit Area. Areas of suitable habitat for all of the State listed threatened, endangered, and special concern species listed in Table 2 were observed within during the field survey. However, prairie dog towns recorded during the field effort are not present in areas of black footed ferret reintroductions. Additionally, the prairie dog towns observed are small in size and fragmented throughout the Study Area and, therefore, are not ideal for potential future reintroductions of the black-footed ferret. Additional raptor species observed during the survey included one red-tailed hawk perched within the Study Area and multiple northern harriers observed flying through the Study Area (Table 3; Figure 2). Incidental wildlife observations included a variety of species that are common to the area. Two songbird species, horned larks and western meadowlarks, were seen throughout the Study Area. Incidental mammal observations consisted of black-tailed prairie dogs, pronghorn antelope, cottontail rabbits, and coyote (scat observed). Two species of reptiles observed were prairie rattlesnakes and an ornate box turtle (Table 3; Figure 2). Colorado Sand Company LLC—Kersey Mine May 2024 Special Status Species and Habitat Assessment Report 7