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Sage Creek Mine February 2009 <br />• 4.2.2 Greater Sage- grouse <br />The CDOW has designated the northwest and southeast portions and the connecting central <br />lowlands (8.0 miles or 42 %) of the Sage Creek Mine study area as a greater sage - grouse <br />(Centrocercus urophasianus) production (i.e., nesting) area. Approximately 2.6 miles (14 %) of the <br />northwest extent has also been classified by the CDOW as sage - grouse brood - rearing range <br />(CDOW 2008). <br />Historical CDOW records indicate that one sage - grouse lek was documented in NE NE Section 6 <br />as well as past observations of sage - grouse recorded along the southern margin of the Sage <br />Creek Mine survey area in Sections 22 -24 T5N:R87W. The last known attendance at the lek <br />occurred in 1989 and possibly into the early 1990's, but the declines in the sage - grouse <br />populations at that time likely resulted in abandonment of the lek site. Although ICF Jones & <br />Stokes biologists have monitored the Seneca II and Yoast Mine areas annually from the ground <br />since 1996, no sage - grouse leks or individual sage - grouse have been documented in the vicinity. <br />In 2008, ICF Jones & Stokes biologists checked the historical lek and past observation locations <br />but did not find any sage - grouse or evidence of recent or past use in those areas. Biologists also <br />• watched for and recorded grouse or their droppings or feathers during all surveys. No sage - grouse <br />or signs of abundant use were recorded, but a single sage - grouse feather was found within a small <br />patch of relatively dense sagebrush south of the Yoast Mine access road in NE SE Section 29 <br />T6N:R87W during surveys in April 2008. <br />4.2.3 Other Upland Game Birds <br />The only other upland game bird species identified on or near the Sage Creek Mine survey area in <br />2008 was the mourning dove (Zenaida macroura). Mourning doves occur regularly throughout the <br />area during late spring and summer, usually in association with agricultural lands, tree windbreaks, <br />and /or perched on power lines. <br />Although no blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) were observed on or in the vicinity of the Sage <br />Creek Mine survey area in 2008, regular sightings of one to three individuals have been <br />documented in most years. The vast majority of observations have included lone displaying males <br />on the Seneca II Mine in SE ' /4 Section 36 T6N:R87W, N '/2 Section 1, or NE '/4 Section 2 <br />T5N:R87W. Few observations have been recorded elsewhere in the survey area within the past <br />10 years, but lone displaying males have been documented north of the Twentymile County Road <br />�1 <br />17 <br />