1988-04-11_PERMIT FILE - C1981008A (25)

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According to USFWS (1986) guidelines prairie dog towns within the study area are of sufficient size to support a population of black-footed ferrets. However, based on the results of the spotlight surveys and the fact that most of the study area, histor- ically, has been and currently is intensively managed as pastureland or agricultural land (which has included prairie dog control measures such as poisoning), it appears unlikely that a population of black-footed ferrets would reside within the study area. Evaluation of the Effects of Mine Expansion on Study Area Prairie Dog Towns As indicated in Table 3, a total of 14 prairie dog towns are expected to be directly disturbed by mining and associated activities in the permit area. Eleven towns will be totally removed by mining, while three others will be partially disturbed. The largest town to be affected is Number 26 (12.35 acres). The remainder to be impacted are 5.8 acres or less in size. A total of approximately 42.6 acres of prairie dog towns will be disturbed by the proposed permit term. It is Cedar Creek's opinion that prairie dog colonies in the path of mining repre- sent relatively marginal black-footed ferret habitat due to past and present land use practices and that additional annual clearance surveys for ferrets should be unnecessary. Historic and current agricultural activities continually break up the pattern of prairie dog colonization which subsequently diminishes the remote potential for occupancy by ferrets. In addition, as discussed in the previous section, past prairie dog control meas- ures associated with ranching and farming operations minimize the possibility that a remnant ferret population could exist in the area. Further, no confirmed or uncon- firmed sightings of black-footed ferrets have been made in the general region of the Nucla East Mine study area (Jobman and Anderson 1981, Masden, CDOW, pers. comm. 1987). 11