Laserfiche WebLink
DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT <br />surveys vs. ground surveys, walking transects vs. driving transects). Biologists from the Service, <br />state wildlife resources management agency, and/or the land management agency are available to <br />assist with the selection of appropriate and site-specific survey techniques. Since surveys can be <br />interactive with nesting raptors, Federal and State permits may be required. <br />Surveys for broad-scale or permanent developments are advised for a minimum <br />3-year period prior to the start of construction unless there is existing information <br />about the local raptor population. These surveys should include species use, status, <br />and locations of raptor nest sites (occupied or unoccupied), winter roost sites, and <br />associated habitat use areas <br />• Where feasible, preproject surveys should include at least one cycle of a known <br />prey's population fluctuation since raptor densities are partly responsive to prey <br />fluctuations. Microtine rodents have been documented with fluctuations of 3-4, 4-7, <br />and 9-10 year intervals (Speirs 1939, Elton 1942, Dymond 1947, Keith 1963); prairie <br />dogs and ground squirrels with population fluctuations of 3-5 years (Barnes 1982); <br />and jackrabbit populations have been suggested to fluctuate at 7-10 year intervals <br />(Clark 1972, Wagner and Stoddart 1972, Newton 1979, McAdoo and Young 1980, <br />Thompson et al. 1982, K. Keller, 1998, pers. comm.). <br />• For the life of the project, a qualified wildlife biologist should be retained to annually <br />inventory and document raptor nesting and winter roosting status within the proposed <br />land use impact area and at least 1-mile distance (!s this appropriate for all states?) <br />to external project boundaries. <br />• Data and overall results from baseline and annual surveys should be provided to the <br />Service and the State wildlife resource agency for incorporation into the State wildlife <br />resource agency's computerized raptor database. Publishing data and results should <br />also be considered to develop information regarding raptor populations and responses <br />to human activities and developments. <br />Prior disturbance history and tolerance of raptors -- As mentioned previously, some individual <br />and breeding pairs of raptors appear relatively unperturbed by some human disturbance and <br />human-induced impacts and continue to breed successfully amid these activities. Nesting within <br />or near human-altered environments may be a manifestation of the decreased availability of <br />high-quality natural nest sites; indicative of high densities of breeding birds; indicative of <br />abundant or available prey; or simply a display of higher tolerance for disturbance by certain <br />individuals or breeding pairs. Accordingly, it is not the intent of these guidelines to restrict <br />current land use activities in those situations where raptors appear to have acclimated to the <br />current level of disturbance and human-induce impacts. However, these Guidelines should be <br />closely followed if proposed land use activities may result in exceeding the current levels and <br />timing of disturbances. Coordination with Service, State wildlife resources management agency, <br />and/or land management agency wildlife biologists should be accomplished when proposed land <br />use activities will result in increasing the current disturbance levels in or near raptor use areas. <br />An assessment of raptor population status/trends in a project area may be important in <br />determining current and projected levels of impact to raptors and their habitats.