PERMFILE42596 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• Section 816.112(d) Continued. (1942) also documented that in certain months sage grouse consume a higher percentage of introduced species than native plants. In recent years, winter flocks of sage grouse have been observed to frequent fields planted with crested wheatgrass (see: Beck 1975:22). Sage grouse preferences for introduced species also have been confirmed by studies in other locations. (See: Klebenow and Grey (1968), Peterson (1970), and Wallestad, et al. (1975}}. Since all of the proposed introduced species are currently encountered in North Park, an area of general homogeneity, the compatibility of these introduced species seems clear. In this regard, Kerr Coal is unaware of any published information which supports the proposition that the proposed introduced species planted in the proportions proposed will adversely affect diversity. Although Sindelar 1979 in "Successional Development of Vegetation on Surface Mined Land in Montana" published in Ecology and Coal Resource Development reported that introduced species achieved dominance in several sites, the seeding rates (9.29 per square foot) and the excessive fertilization renders Sindelar's findings inapplicable to the Kerr Coal situation. That is, the high proportion of introduced species planted by Sindelar and the application of fertilizers of benefit primarily to the introduced species explains the dominance experienced. Since Kerr Coal intends to fertilize only to correct nutrient deficiencies and since introduced species will be planted in low proportion, a result similar to Sindelar is not expected. Moreover, the documented desirability of the introduced species to control erosion and the preferences of wildlife for these species far outweigh the small potential for dominance of the introduced species over the planted native species. 816-149 aaR Revised -October, 1990