Laserfiche WebLink
<br />0 greatest diversity of birds in riparian habitat was found along the Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek <br />40 in areas where there was less gradient and vegetation such as willows, hawthorn, alder and red <br />0 osier dogwood were more common. Many of the bird species shown for the riparian habitat <br />• were also found in other adjacent oakbrush/mountain shrub habitat. This is a reflection of the <br />• influence of neighboring habitat types. <br />The large expanses of aspen and oakbrush/mountain shrub habitat help minimize the potential <br />impacts to neotropical birds from lost habitat due to construction of drill pads and access roads. <br />Considering the total number of acres of these types available and the few acres that will be lost, <br />• potential impacts to these birds will be minor. However, stands of aspen are dying.out in the area <br />with little or no regeneration. As the aspen die out suitable habitat for neotropical birds will be <br />reduced and it is expected there will a decline of density and diversity of birds in the project area. <br />As sites and roads are reclaimed species used to revegetate these areas will add to the diversity of <br />the areas. In addition, there is the possibility that constructing roads and pads in aspen stands <br />and then reclaiming these areas could result in aspen regeneration that may not have occurred in <br />stands that died out naturally. Observations made during other surveys conducted for energy <br />• development projects in the North Fork Valley have shown that as vegetation becomes <br />established along the road corridors and around pads, both the density and diversity of birds <br />increases. <br />AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES <br />While conducting transects and nesting raptor surveys, observations of amphibians and reptiles <br />were kept. The only adult species of amphibians observed were Northern leopard frogs, chorus <br />frogs and tiger salamanders that were found at ponds located in the project area. Adult Northern <br />leopard frogs were observed at two different ponds during the surveys. Chorus frogs were found <br />at a number of ponds in the area. Tiger salamanders in the larval stage were observed in the <br />upper pond at Two Ponds. The only species of reptile observed was the western terrestrial garter <br />snake. These snakes were observed at more than one location in the project area. <br />FISHERIES <br />The Dry Fork of Minnesota and Deep Creeks do not support a viable fisheries. All other <br />drainages are small with intermittent streams that only run during spring snow melt or when <br />there is a rainfall event that produces enough water for flows to occur. <br />• SUMMARY <br />10 During wildlife surveys conducted in May and June 2009, no T&E wildlife species were <br />0 observed in the project area. Should any of these species be encountered appropriate measures <br />0 as determined by the Forest Service and FWS will be implemented to avoid disturbance. <br />0 Several sensitive species are found in the project area. Measures should be implemented to <br />0 minimize impacts to habitat utilized by these species. <br />0 <br />0 15