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Coal Methane Drainage Projeet - Pane/t 16-T4 Wert E/k Mine • Page 3-21 Under Alternatives 2, 3, and 4, elk habitat effectiveness decreases from 45 percent to 33 percent during the life of the project (7 years). This 12 percent decrease is attributed to the substantial increase in traffic. MCC estimates 15 vehicle trips per day on roads needed in the project area. Post- project elk habitat effectiveness returns to slightly better than pre-project levels. Under Altemative 2, post-project elk habitat effectiveness is 46 percent. Because motorized road and trail densities in the HABCAP model aze adjusted by established use type coefficients, there is little change between action alternatives. All action alternatives propose similar total road use and frequency of vehicle trips (refer to Table 2, Summary Comparison of Alternatives). Subsequently, post-project elk habitat effectiveness increases slightly from the No-Action Alternative because the existing roads and trails aze classi&ed as primitive (receiving an average of less than one vehicle per day). Therefore, post- project obliteration of approximatelyl2 to 15 [rules of primitive roads (varies by alternative) increases habitat effectiveness slightly from the existing condition. Doting project implementation, elk habitat effectiveness will be lower than the Forest Plan objective of 40 percent. Post-project and long-term elk habitat effectiveness will, however, increase thus improving the areas effectiveness from existing condition. All of the project area is within winter range as mapped by the CDOW. Standazd USFS stipulations regarding timing restrictions for drilling and road construction will apply in this area. Human activity associated with monitoring and maintenance of wells post-drilling was evaluated with local CDOW representative, Kirk Madariaga (personal communication). CDOW indicated that operation and maintenance of facilities utilizing as few personnel as possible and one access route at a time would have minimal effects to wintering elk. Elk would continue to use the south and southwest facing slopes where hiding cover is abundant. An estimated 68 acres are proposed to be disturbed by road and drill pad construction under Alternative 2, 63 acres under Alternative 3, 67 acres under Alternative 4, and 50 acres under Alternative 5. Of the 54 proposed drill pads, 13 would be located in aspen, 5 in spruce-fu, and the remaining 36 in oak habitat or on existing zoads/trails. Approximately 4.0 miles of road would be located in aspen habitat and 0.4 miles in spruce-Fu habitat. Under Alternative 2, approximately 26.7 acres of aspen and approximately 5 acres of spruce-fir habitat would be disturbed for project activities (Cover Type Map and Overlay aze in the project file). Of the total vegetated acres disturbed, 24 percent is aspen. Removal of aspen would likely be permanent on these sites. Constmction and associated activities on drill pads and roads would cause soil compaction, inhibiting regeneration of aspen sprouts. Openings caused by these disturbances would be either too small or narrow to allow adequate sunlight to regenerate aspen. In addition, because these sites would be small, any aspen regeneration would likely be very attractive to elk, deer, and/or livestock. Repeated browsing would eventually kill the aspen sprouts. Displacement of songbirds and small mammals is also expected in road and drill pad construction areas. In general, most wildlife would avoid these areas until reclaimed, since the proposed activities would eliminate all vegetation from the disturbance areas. The effects of methane gas emissions on songbirds is not fully understood. Methane gas has a density of approximately 50 percent that of air, therefore, it will rise and mix in the atmosphere at a rapid rate. It is likely songbirds will avoid the azea adjacent to and for some distance from the exhausters. Uplands in the project area aze composed of mature oak with similaz stmcture and age class. The reclaimed pads and roads in this community type would result in an increased amount of edge and increased vegetative diversity. Species that favor oak and eazly successional grass-forb and shrub seedling communities are expected to increase their utilization of these areas following reclamation. Wildlife habitat in Sylvester Gulch would be compromised by construction of a classified yeaz-round access road. This would establish along-term access pazalleling the stream channel for its entire length (approximately 3 miles). In the project area, riparian aeeas and related drainages provide the Emdronmenta/ Arrerrment U"uvl VUUai G.'G/E.r/DM S/~/03E1 uIDt ~i vor.s