Laserfiche WebLink
Susan Morrison <br />July 21, 1992 <br />Page 3 <br />Bia Game <br />Peabody has been flying winter big game surveys in <br />the Yoast area since 1990 in conjunction with <br />flights over Seneca II and Seneca II-W. Three <br />flights are made in late February/early March, late <br />March/early April, and May using a fixed wing <br />aircraft. Low altitude flights using both grids <br />with flight lines spaced at one-half mile intervals <br />and saturation flights have been used. All big <br />game and predator sightings are recorded on 1"=400' <br />topographic maps by habitat. Peabody proposes to <br />continue collecting this data in 1993 and use the <br />accumulated data in the permit application. <br />Peabody proposes to conduct general ground <br />reconnaissance of the permit area in May and early <br />June, 1993 to augment the flight data. Ground <br />reconnaissance will emphasize identification of <br />critical winter range and elk calving areas. <br />Animals encountered on the ground will be recorded <br />(numbers, habitat, sex, where possible, age, etc.). <br />No quantitative ground surveys are proposed (i.e., <br />browse studies, pellet-group studies, radio <br />telemetry, Erickson cruise counts, spot-lighting, <br />road counts, etc.). <br />The data will be used to identify the numbers of <br />big game utilizing the permit area, distribution, <br />habitat affinity, and critical habitat location and <br />extent. Data will be presented on a map for the <br />permit application, and will include habitat, <br />numbers observed, sex (where possible), and age <br />(where possible). Habitat descriptions will <br />accompany the text, including impact analysis of <br />critical range and calving areas. Critical winter <br />range, and elk calving areas have been identified <br />as important issues in past permit negotiations. <br />Small. Medium Game and Non-Game Mammals. Predators, <br />Furbearers <br />No quantitative studies are proposed. Information <br />for the permit application will be drawn from the <br />Seneca II and Seneca II-W studies. A species list, <br />assessment of relative abundance, and determination <br />of habitat affinity will be developed using general <br />reconnaissance and incidental observations made <br />during the course of conducting field studies. <br />