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' Btack-footed Ferret Repon Dowe Flan Project <br />' Flats representing the vast majority of habitat within the local complex where any ferrets <br />' should have gravitated, and (5) the lack of any nearby, sizeable prairie dog towns that would <br />likely constitute a ferret emigration source for Dowe Flats. Therefore, prior to any <br />disturbance associated with incremental mining advances, a suitable ferret survey would be <br />conducted on the impact area and within a surrounding 200m buffer area. Protocol for the <br />2 survey methods are outlined below. <br />' 5.4.1 SUMMER SURVEYS <br />' Nocturnal surveys are intensive and would be conducted over 3 consecutive nights. The <br />USFWS will be contacted prior to these surveys and familiarized with the project and <br />Southwestern's ferret survey protocol. The surveys would cover the proposed impact area <br />(e.g., 10 acres) and a surrounding buffer zone of at least 200m. Assuming that the 10 acre <br />mine expansion area is circular (it would actually be rectangular), it would have a radius of <br />' 372 feet. Adding the 656 foot (200m) buffer zone would result in a radius of 1,028 feet and <br />a survey area of 76.3 acres. Southwestern proposes that an area this small can be <br />adequately surveyed by 1 certified ferret surveyor (rather than the standard 2 man crew). <br />(Guidelines suggest that a 2 person crew can cover 320 acres per night.) <br />' After 2 of the 3 replications (assuming no ferrets are detected on replications 1 and 2), the <br />USFWS will be contacted for verbal authorization to bulldoze the prairie dogs in the impact <br />area immediately following the third replication with negative results. A report would also <br />be prepared for timely submittal to the USFWS. This would be the most biologically <br />' conservative management approach to insure that ferrets would not enter the clearance area <br />between surveys and site disturbance. However, this may, at least initially, be awkward from <br />the USFWS's perspective until a rapport has been developed between the USFWS and <br />' Southwestern personnel. The standard approach is to prepare a report following surveys <br />and submit it to the USFWS for their concurrence. This could easily take a month, during <br />' which time any ferrets theoretically present in the surrounding area could move into the <br />impact area. If Federal guidelines were applied, mine progression would also be <br />unauthorized during this interval. <br />' 5.4.2 WINTER SURVEYS <br />' Subsequent winter ferret clearance surveys are not recommended because of the unreliability <br />of suitable survey conditions at Dowe Flats. An alternative would be to conduct the <br />' Western Ecosystems, Inc. ]5 November, 1994 <br />