Laserfiche WebLink
• a new lek. However, adjacent suitable habitat does not appear to be fully occupied for <br />reasons not well understood. <br />Sher p-tai led grouse production areas mapped by CDOY cover most of the permit area in <br />Sections 8 and 16, and nearly half of Section 17. However, most of this area is too steep <br />and rugged to be considered typical brood•reari ng habitat as described in the baseline <br />wildlife report (Tab 11). The most extensive brood-rearing type habitat in the vicinity <br />is north of the permit area. The north portion of Section 8, where the facilities are to <br />be built, and most of the haul road corridor, ere in habitat that could be considered <br />su(table for sharp-tailed grouse production. <br />Short-term impacts on sharp-tailed grouse will include some habitat loss from construction <br />of the facilities and haul road. There is also the possibility of increased mortality due <br /> to roadkills. Hi nimal long term impacts to this species are foreseen, after the <br /> facilities are reclaimed. Th e haulroad is proposed for retention in the postmining <br /> landscape, resulting in a net loss of approximately 10.2 acres of sharp-tailed grouse <br /> habitat. This impact will be offset by reclamation of mountain brush habitat disturbed by <br />• mining to a condition suitable for sharp-tailed grouse use. Asharp-tailed grouse lek has <br /> been documented on reclamation et the nearby Seneca II mine (unpublished data). <br />A small number of blue grouse breed and summer on the Yoast permit area (Tab 11). <br />Although they use a variety of habitats, blue grouse are probably attracted to the Yoast <br />area by the presence of aspen and mountain brush habitats. Mining those habitats will <br />probably displace some birds, and may result (n a slight decline in the number of blue <br />grouse in the area. <br />Sage grouse were not observed during baseline studies at Yoast. The nearest known lek is <br />over 314 miles west of the haul road corridor. There should be no impact on breeding <br />activity. The Colorado Department of wildlife (CDOw) has mapped sage grouse brood and <br />production areas in the vicinity. Somewhat more than 120 acres of brood area overlaps the <br />permit area in the north pert of Section 8 where the Yoast facilities wilt be located. An <br />additional eight to ten acres of mapped production area overlaps potentially affected land <br />in Section 16. The haul road runs for 2.75 miles through sage grouse brood and/or <br />production areas. Habitat loss from haul road construction will increase overall <br />• temporary habitat loss by another 20 acres. The haulroad is proposed for retention in the <br />postmining landscape. Following mining, it will 6e narrowed to accommodate local traffic <br />and the shoulders will be reclaimed. This will result in a net loss of habitat of 10.2 <br />acres. 5 Revised 06/18/95 <br />