REP49359 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Black-footed Fertet Report Dowe Flats Project ' these agricultural lands prior to reclamation efforts. Southwestern proposes that ' immediately following reclamation seeding, prairie dogs be excluded from these reclaimed agricultural areas with visual barriers. Prairie dogs that cross barriers into reclaimed areas will be controlled by zinc phosphide poisoning or other authorized lethal means at least until t the vegetative community can tolerate prairie dog grazing. ' S.5 CONCURRENCE ' Based on survey intensity over all active and recently active prairie dog habitat in Dowe Flats, on and beyond Southwestern's permit area, it is unlikely that black-footed ferrets were ' present in the area during the January 27 and August 7-10, 1994 surveys. While the Dowe Flats prairie dog population is part of a larger complex that, theoretically could support a ' ferret population, other towns in the surrounding complex are relatively small and fragmented. Despite the effects plague may have been having on Dowe Flats prairie dogs ' at the time of ferret surveys, any ferrets inhabiting this overall complex would most likely have been present in Dowe Flats. Considering the lack of sign during adequately intense surveys when ferrets should have been detectable, and the absence of historic and recent ' sightings and reports in this portion of Colorado, it is unlikely that black-footed ferrets are present in or around Dowe Flats. Mine development should, therefore, have "no effect" on ' the black-footed ferret. Southwestern would also commit to the above prairie dog management/ black-footed ferret survey protocol for the life of the mine. The USFWS is asked for their comments on, and concurrence with, the above surveys and future protocol to insure that Southwestern's mining ' proposal is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the black-footed ferret. 1 1 1 ' Western Eccsystems, Inc. t$ Nwcmber, 1994