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CNAPTERFIVE Draft EIS Recisions <br />winter (thermal cover). For thermal cover to be effective, vegetation must be greater than 5 feet <br />in height. For maximum thermal effectiveness, canopy cover must be at a minimum of 60 <br />percent, 75 percent being optimum, and stand width greater than 300 feet. Thermal cover is also <br />used as hiding cover. Hiding (escape) cover is defined as cover capable of hiding 90 percent of <br />bedded deer at 150 feet or less. The azeal extent of suitable hiding cover requires from 6 to 26 <br />acres and between 600 and 1,200 feet in width. For optimum habitat, thermal cover needs to be <br />up to 30 percent and hiding cover 15 percent of the available habitat (Leckenby et al. 1986). ~e <br />BLM and CDOW have a concern that the construction of wells and lineaz facilities in the mine <br />panels would result in an ultimate distribution and extent of woodlands that would be <br />substantially less effective in providing thermal and hiding cover, thereby compromising the <br />usefulness of the severe winter range in the lease. <br />Page 4-46 <br />After mining of a panel has ended, the disturbed azeas would be reclaimed by replacement of <br />stockpiled topsoil, preparation of a seedbed by disking, and seeding of grasses and other species. <br />Example seed mixtures in the Soil Conservation, Erosion and Sediment Control, Reclamation, <br />and Revegetation Plan prepazed for the Yankee Gulch project (Water and Earth Technologies, <br />Inc. and Habitat Management, Inc. 1998) include shrub species used by deer as 25 to 30 percent <br />of the seed mixture. Proposed seed mixtures have not been defined, and may vary depending on <br />reclamation goals. Seeding shrubs at the same time as grasses may result in poor establishment <br />of shrubs, which take longer to establish and may have trouble competing with the grasses. <br />BLM is requiring American Soda to prepare both a revegetation plan and a wildlife habitat <br />mitigation plan, which would specify seed mixtures and establishment techniques. The plans <br />will be geazed towazd successful reestablishment of key habitat components. Disturbed areas in <br />mine panels should provide deer forage in 5 to ] 0 yeazs after reclamation, which would continue <br />to increase with time. (The developing revegetation azeas combined with the currently disturbed <br />azeas would cover up to half of the mining panels at any one time.) Herbaceous fornge would be <br />available more quickly than woody forage, which may take a considerably longer time especially <br />if it is browsed during establishment. However, portions of some reclaimed mine panels may <br />have little use during mine operation, due to displacement of deer from azeas neaz permanent <br />facilities and roads. Losses of thermal cover and hiding cover would take much longer to <br />replace, perhaps 50 years or more. <br />Page 4-50 <br />Human-caused mortality ... Although American Soda has proposed severe consequences for <br />employees who disturb wildlife, individuals may still attempt to harvest mountain lions if they <br />are seen near the facility.... <br />Page 4-51 <br />Raptors may also be affected by removal of inactive nests and by alterations of habitat. Inactive <br />_ nests may be removed during construction of the facilities without violation of the Migratory <br />Bird Treaty Act. Raptors generally return to azeas in which they have nested previously, often <br />using the same or neazby nest site. Alterations in occupied habitat may result in displacement of <br />. breeding pairs into alternate and sometimes less optimal habitat, which may reduce the breeding <br />population. When habitat is present but is either fragmented or adjacent to high human use azeas, <br />5-29 <br />