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Monitorine <br />• The monitoring plan described below is designed to focus on spedfic issues that were raised during <br />baseline data collection and initial and subsequent review of the Mining and Reclamation Plan. <br />Golden Eagles. In 1989, the de-across haul road and initial construction of the mine complex were <br />initiated. Work on the mine entrance haul road was initiated after July 15, the end of the nesting <br />season for golden eagles in the azea. This tuning was consistrnt with the discussion with Mr. Mike <br />Lockhart, USFWS (personal communication, October, 1984), that construction should not be <br />conducted during the nesting season. 'T'his condition was to preclude disruption of nesting by the <br />Hubberson Gulch golden eagle pair. <br />Nest monitoring for the Hubberson Gulch golden eagle pair will continue annually in order to <br />determine any impact that training activities may have on Nests 5, 6, and 7 (see Exhibit 11-3). Nest <br />status (active or inactive) and productivity will be recorded. <br />B~ Game. Because CDOW has defined the mine region as winter range for elk and deer, an annual <br />winter aerial census will be conducted on the Seneca II-W Pemut Area and atwo-mile perimeter. <br />This census flight will be [Wade during December through eazly February of each yeaz and species <br />occurrence, total numbers, and distribution will be recorded. <br />Prior to 1994, the II-W survey area includes the permit azea; atwo-mile perimeter to the west, north <br />and east of the mine; and athree-mile perimeter to the south (approximately 35 mid. The survey azea <br />was increased to 845 miz in 1994 to include Seneca II, Yoast and II-W Mines and to 89.5 miz in 1996. <br />This expanded azea has been surveyed each yeaz from 1994 through 2006. Elk densites in the II-W <br />area from 1994-2006 ranged from 1.4 elk/ miz (1994) to 14.5 elk/ miz (1996). The observed trend in <br />• density generally follows that of the expanded azea. Most eIk observed in the II-W azea are assocated <br />with mountain brush habitat See Seneca II-W Mine 2006 Annual Reclamation Report, Wildlfe Report for <br />further dircurrionr. <br />During the aerial surveys, most mule deer have been associated with sloping mountain brash habitats <br />ox steep, exposed south-facing slopes in the expanded survey area. Mule deer expend more energy <br />walking through snow than elk and typically concentrate in areas with high quality forage, which aze <br />available in conjunction with lower snow depths. See Seneca II-W Mine 2006 Annual Reclamation Repoli, <br />Wildlife Report for fnrthef dzrcurJlonJ. <br />The results of the past 13 years of annual winter aerial surveys at the II-W Mine indicate that big <br />game winter use is more a function of winter snow depth and general herd movements rather than <br />reclaimed vegetation success since no definitive use trends aze shown based on the survey counts and <br />population densities within the Yoast survey azea. Now that active mining has ceased and <br />reclamation/revegetation activities have been ongoing for a number of yeazs, SCC will cease <br />conducting annual winter big game aerial surveys and big game mortalities at the II-W Mine. <br />e ortin <br />The results of annual spring (April) surveys for monitoring Columbian sharp-tailed grouse leks, <br />golden eagle nest activity, and sandhill crane activity will be reported in the annual report as required <br />by Rule 2.04.11. <br />L J <br />TR-57 4 Revised 4/07 <br />