Laserfiche WebLink
CHAPTERTWO <br />Agency Preferred Alternatlye <br />Off-site mitigation would be conducted on portions of the Piceance Site outside of the mining <br />panels, or on other BLM or CDOW properties. Off-site habitat improvetnents would be <br />provided at a ratio of 2.5 acres of improvement to each acre of on-site di:;turbance. <br />Improvements may include clearing and thinning, burns, plantings, fertilization, or <br />bottomland conversion. Off-site habitat improvement costs would be capped at $100 per <br />acre. <br />• Up-front habitat improvement would be done on 200 acres to compensate for disturbance <br />associated with the 0-5 year mining panel. <br />Sage Grouse <br />Mitigation of potential effects of the proposed project on two sage grouse lelcs (the Stewart <br />Gulch and Bragg Spring leks) includes timing restrictions and habitat improvement. <br />• No construction activities would occur before June 1, 2000, within the Sage Grouse <br />Treatment Area (8 miles of corridor). No construction activities would occur within this azea <br />from June 1 through July 1, except for access along Sprague Gulch Road. <br />• The pipeline would be located on the east side of the existing pipeline corridor for at least 2 <br />miles on either side of the Stewart lek. <br />• American Soda would provide up to 300 acres of mechanical brush controUtreatment to <br />enhance sage grouse habitats as determined by the CDOW. <br />• Revegetation seedings would be used within the Sage Grouse Treatment to enhance the <br />establishment of species found to be desirable to sage grouse on BLM lands and on private <br />lands to the extent such plantings are consistent with the requirements o1'the private <br />landowners. <br />• Excess rock would placed so as to not interfere with sage grouse movement nor provide <br />vantage points for predators. <br />• Weed control would .be conducted on an annual basis and would involve spot spraying to <br />min;m;~r potential impacts from herbicide drift. <br />Migratory Birds <br />Netting with a maximum mesh size of 2 inches would be installed over all active process ponds <br />or cells prior to the time that process fluids are stored in the pond or cell to I~revent access to the <br />ponds by migratory birds. American Soda would monitor process pond chemistries on a <br />quarterly basis. <br />Raptors <br />Mitigation objectives are to protect current raptor nesting efforts and to retain integrity of <br />woodland habitats within the mining panels. The Wildlife Mitigation Plan includes the <br />following components for raptor mitigation: <br />2-12 <br />