2008-06-12_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1980007 (3)

Home Browse Search

EFFECTS OF THE ACTION One effect to lynx habitat associated with underground coal mining is subsidence. Subsidence • would result in no discernable or measurable changes in lynx habitat. Subsidence can result in surface cracking in small isolated areas that could cause minor changes in the microhabitat for plants. Plant communities monitored by MCC in areas adjacent to the Dry Fork LBA since the 1990s revealed no significant impact to these communities from mine subsidence. Subsidence can affect riparian ecosystems when surface cracks occur. Surface cracks may temporarily alter surface water flow, either minimizing or enlarging (pooling) the riparian ecosystem, and is dependant on gradient. Most impacts to plants from subsidence would be on a microhabitat level and would impact individual plants. Therefore we do not anticipate negative effects to lynx, since there will not be detectible changes in the vegetation and no effect to the lynx primary prey. Post-lease surface use would include methane drainage wells, ventilation and escapeway facilities, associated roads and over-the-snow routes needed for monitoring and maintenance. Methane drainage wells require construction of drill pads, and construction of temporary roads to access the well sites. The effect of these activities could result in the temporary (up to 25 years) conversion of 60 acres of lynx habitat to an unsuitable condition, 8.5 acres of which may be a permanent loss due to construction of a ventilation facility. Loss of habitat will result in lower productivity in snowshoe hares, which will result in a lower productivity of lynx using the area as part of their home range. Table 4 displays the LAU data and the amount of habitat affected by the proposed action. The net result of the proposed action will increase unsuitable habitat to approximately 71 acres (0.003 percent), well within the thresholds recommended by the LCAS (Ruediger et al. 2000). The decrease in the available habitat over the 25 year life of the proposed is action is considered insignificant and discountable and therefore unlikely to adversely affect lynx. Table 4. Effects of proposed action and cumulative effects of past actions on Canada lynx hahitnt in the Mrnmt C'Tnnnicnn T.All Total LAU Acres of Non-Lynx Acres of Acres of Acres and Total Acres and Acres potential lynx Habitat in Currently Denning, Lynx Habitat percent lynx habitat habitat in LAU Unsuitable Winter Converted to converted to unsuitable LAU Lynx Habitat Foraging, & Unsuitable as a condition in LAU Other Habitat result of the proposed action 47,250 15,696 25,554 11 6,999 Up to 60 acres Up to 71 377 acres(<0.003 ° t,) 11,330 respectively Compacted over-the-snow routes within the Mount Gunnison LAU will increase due to road construction associated with development and monitoring of the MDWs. The majority of the access routes are likely to occur outside of lynx habitat, and efforts will be made (as stated in the BA) to avoid lynx habitat. However sight specific locations are unknown at this time, and may occur within lynx habitat. Compacted snow routes provide travel corridors for competing predators (e.g. coyote) into lynx habitat, thus putting them in direct competition with lynx for snowshoe hares, which is likely to result in adverse effects to lynx by reducing the productivity of a lynx using the area as part of a home range. Buskirk et al. (2000a) cited in Ruediger et al. • (2000) hypothesized that coyotes may be locally or regionally important competitors for lynx 18