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14 <br />:. <br />^'{ t United States Department of the Interior <br />P19a AND WRDLIPE SERYICE <br />~' ELb1UCIC.LLaEIVICE9 <br />Ltl MMINIt1A.tTON BUILDING <br />IlV W64rIAlaDM1 <br />IWaN.l b:rtaM MLr 1A1[E CRy.IRaw MiMdi10 <br />SeptewDer 23, 1986 <br />acaapalal+ <br />i01 Niily Frenk, Pro Jett Coordinator, Bureau Or Ltnd fYnagtlaent. <br />Mite River Rnaurce Arn. Meeaer. Colondq <br />FRai; pnn..e I !YCue. F1 e!d Suovviaor. £wivgicli iervicu, <br />U.S. F1sn •nd Nlld life Service, Salt Lake City, Vtah <br />SU&1ECT: Dra/t Environmental Impact Stetexnt iDE151 1b 1! Ridge <br />[orporati on Mine Plan (or • fNhcolite Solution Mine <br />IEC eB67301 <br />The U.S. Fish ono Nildl ifs Service has reviewed the scab Jett DElS ono <br />N off ers the following cdwent5. Our Endangered Species Of f7C! hu been <br />W in contact with the BlM regaroi nq section 7 consultation, therefore. <br />thin memo will oat address endangere0 5oecies concerns. <br />Of the four alternatives presented, the No Action Alternative is <br />preferred by our agency. However, iim view the Drooofed action •! a <br />reasonable colnoromi se tMt •l lows development vet includes SH OUlatlona <br />Coat repute fish ono w5lolife tap acts. <br />SPECIFIC COMENTS <br />Page 2-29. 2.2.13. Other bolica nt Props sed Ml tlgatlon <br />Point 11 nenti ons that alt Dwerlines will De constr uc te0 1n <br />accordance w5tn Standards established 5n USDA REA Bulletin 61-30. <br />In addition tp CMa dpcuam nt, the Service recplmaends that <br />gu idelinea present eo in "Suggested Prectlces /or Rsp for Protection 49~ <br />an Pawerltnea - State of the Art in 1981" fpaotor Research geogrt 90 <br />Ns. 4, Raptor gesearch Fovndatlon, Carpenter St. Croix Nature <br />Center, 12805 St. Croix frail, Haati ngs. Minnesota 550331 De <br />followed as well. <br />Page 3-19. 3.6.5 <br />The Nature Conservanq has naninated an area encompuaing the <br />pro Jett site for deSignatlon a an area of critical environmental $ <br />concern IACECI. A de[ai led explanation gf My the Nature <br />Conservancy noN Oared to 15 area and My BLM rejected the it proposal <br />shoo ltl De included in tots section of the DE15. <br />Pag 3-19 3 B IYl ldltf <br />A If at of wildlife species in the prolecc vn should De included 91 <br />in an appendix. <br />14 <br />Page 3-20. 3.B.1. Big Game <br />All DropOSeo •ltlr na Lives over leY Imi le deer severe winter range <br />habitat. ThL is the cost critics/ habitat for flu l! deer During a 92 <br />xvere winter and probably has the greatest of /ect on /totting the <br />local deer herd. Ne quest ton Mether the mitt ga tl on proposed will <br />D! iDl! t0 C011nln5it! tOr tD15 1055. <br />Page 3-20- 3.8.2. Raotors <br />A acre Detailed description o/ Data collected mould De presented <br />Date a, tines, duration ono metiwos of raptor surveys Snould De 93 <br />1nc1ude0 1n an appendix. Is the available data adequate t0 Support <br />conclusions in section 4.9.2? <br />Page 3-23. 3.8.6. Agua[1c. Hetland. and Rioarian HaDltats <br />Mat de/inltion was uses [D neterm:n! :+etl a.^.D .:spits:] iha Sc~riie I <br />requests wetlmds De defined according to "Liss of tication of J 5 <br />Hetlanda antl Deepwa[er HaDitacs of [nG United States". Cawardl n, <br />et. al., DecenDer, 1979. FWS/OBS-79/31 (Service Mminlstratl ve <br />Mo nual 3MM 10.01. <br />Pa x 4-l0. 4.4.2. Surface Water Dual ltv b <br /> Ma[ iagacts will degraded scar/ace water quality Mve on adua[ic 49 <br /> and terreStrlal paDitats in lower Yellow Creel <br />Pag e 4-15. 4.6.1. Threatened. Endangered. Candidate and Sensitive <br />Pla nt Species and Pemnant Vegetation Associations <br /> How will the 45 acres of remnant vegetation association iRVA1, 5] <br /> ldentl[1!d Dy tht Ni CUre COnsefva n[y, D! iff Kted Dy the prODOSeg <br /> •Iternacive 1125,000 IPYI? <br />~9 e 4-lB. 4 9.2. Paotoro <br /> Tn1s section states "available infornati on Indicatef Coat the entire <br /> Dra)ect aro suoporis very Httle raptor nesting activity", yet i[ g3 <br /> is unclear how much lnformat ion is available, and 1f the available <br /> data is adequate tg draw this Conclusion. <br />Pag e t-19. 1.9.3. Upland Game and Wterlowl <br /> iota Section stales "during dry years groundwater use in CM <br /> 125.000 iPY Alternative (preferred •lternatlvel Wight reduce <br /> wen9e suanwr flows in loner Yellon Creek Dy 20 to 40 percent". <br /> Iibn iCUld tnese flow reductions effect the aquatic, wetland, an0 ), <br /> rtpart an nabitats on loiser rellow [reek, and na, would non-game 49 <br /> spec tea De off stied] These habitats ire of sign resource value, <br /> therefore, the Service requests mitigation Por any lose of habiNt <br /> values. <br />Pag e 4-20. 4.9.6. Ague tic. hktlano. and pioarl H bite[ <br /> This section states that the 500,000 iPY Alternate vt would induce <br /> notable ftow red uc cion in lower Yellow Creed; even Der iodic drying <br /> of the cmm~el. Because of the anticipated loss of aquatic. <br /> wetland and riparian naDitat values, Lne Service cannot support <br /> this alternative. <br />