WILDLIFE RESOURCES. Purchaser, its employees, agents, representatives, contractors, subcontractors and invitees shall not harass or disturb fish or wildlife resources.
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. The WMA contains excellent big game, small game and resident fish populations. This is primarily due to the terrain, remoteness, habitat diversity and the lack of road entry. The WMA is included in the IDFG’s G me M n gement Unit 9 Elk re the most sought fter game species in the unit. Elk harvests for Unit 9 have been relatively stable for the last five years averaging 136 elk taken annually (Table 1). Hunter success rates for elk hunters average 15-20%. There are approximately 2,500 acres of elk and deer winter range in the WMA. The bulk of the winter range lies below 4,000 feet elevation on the south and west-facing slopes of Canyon Creek. Population dynamics information for elk have only recently been collected. The elk population estimate for all of Unit 9 calculated after the February 1991 elk sightability survey is 684±162. An excellent population of mountain goats occurs in Unit 9 also. The bulk of the population is found in Canyon Creek and its tributaries on the south-facing slopes of Snow Peak. Smaller groups can also be found in Spotted Louis, Sawtooth and Xxxxx creeks. Arieal surveys of mountain goat populations on Snow Peak have been conducted frequently. The unit served as the St te’s sole source of tr nspl nt stock for m n e rs Over 5 go ts h ve been tr pped t the Snow Peak lookout tower and transplanted to other parts of Idaho, Colorado and Oregon. The most recent aerial survey of the unit was completed in March 1991 (Table 2).
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. 6 2.1 LOCATION 6 2.2 HABITAT 7 2.3 SPECIES 7 3.0 POTENTIAL PROJECT IMPACTS 11 3.1 WATERWAYS 12 3.2 TRANSMISSION LINES 12 4.0 CONSERVATION METHODS 13 4.1 FERC LICENSE AND SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT 13 4.2 SECONDARY MANAGEMENT AREAS 14 4.3 WETLAND HABITAT MANAGEMENT 15 4.4 RIPARIAN VEGETATION 15 4.5 TRANSMISSION LINE RIGHTS-OF-WAY 16 4.6 FORESTED HABITAT MANAGEMENT 17 4.7 INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES MANAGEMENT 18 4.8 RAPTOR SITE MANAGEMENT 21 5.0 IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE 22 6.0 AGENCY CONSULTATION 25 7.0 REFERENCES 26 ACRONYMS & ABBREVIATIONS To enhance readability, the use of acronyms and abbreviations has been minimized in this document. However, for longer terms that are frequently used throughout the document, as well as certain units of measurement, the following acronyms and abbreviations have been used. BA Biological Assessment BO Biological Opinion EA Environmental Assessment FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission MDA Montana Department of Agriculture NWCAR Noxious Weed Control Annual Report ROW Transmission Line Right-of-Way USFWS U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Figure 1. White tailed deer in Primary Management Area Tables Table 1. Sensitive Species of Concern 9 Table 2.Wildlife Habitat Management Areas 15 Table 3. Montana and Flathead County Noxious Weeds List 18 Table 4. Potentially Breeding Raptor Species in the Vicinity of the Project 22 Table 5. Implementation Schedule. 22 Figures Figure 1. White tailed deer in the Primary Management Area 3 Figure 2. Bigfork Hydroelectric Project Vicinity Map 7 Figure 3. Wildlife Escape Ramp 8 Figure 4. Osprey Nest on Constructed Nest Platform 13 Figure 5. Second Growth Conifer Forest 17 Figure 6. Osprey Nest Deterrent 21 Figure 7. Painted Turtles warming on a log the Swan River 24 Appendices Appendix A 2021 USFWS LISTINGS OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED Appendix B BIGFORK PROJECT AREA
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. The Plan is not intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of wildlife resources within the Project. Additional detailed survey information is available in included in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license application Final Environmental Assessment (EA) (FERC 2002), which is the primary source for the general data included in this section. A review of the location, habitat, and wildlife species within the Project is provided for context to inform analysis of Project impacts and implementation of conservation methods.
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. Significant Wildlife Habitats: to include the revised NH Wildlife Action Plan habitats, as well as additional habitats identified through API • NH Wildlife Action Plan highest ranked habitats in the state and biological region • Significant biodiversity areas • Wildlife corridors • Unfragmented Lands – this data layer will be corrected to reflect the actual fragmenting influence of Class VI roads and in relation to wildlife corridors
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. Issue #5 • The project involves permanent and temporary habitat loss and the creation of temporary levels of noise above ambient levels. These disturbances could impact wildlife species.
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. This Conservation Easement seeks to protect large intact areas of wildlife habitat and connect patches of wildlife habitat. Large habitat patches typically support greater biodiversity and can maintain more ecosystem processes than small patches. Large intact habitats allow larger, healthier populations of a species to persist; thus, increasing the chance of survival over time. Fragmentation of large habitats often decreases the connectivity of systems, negatively affecting the movement of species necessary for fulfilling nutritional or reproductive requirements. The Property includes nearly a dozen environmentally different areas with diverse growing conditions, soil types, slopes and moisture levels. To provide easy access to the different habitat areas, a system of trails are maintained along with maps and other materials posted onsite for guidance and enjoyment of the Property. In addition to the native plants and bird resources observed, a wide array of wildlife, such as white-tail deer, black bear, red fox, bobcat; turkey, xxxxxxxx, ruffed grouse; blue and green heron, kingfishers, ducks, geese; warblers, wrens, bluebirds, orioles; hawks, owls, woodpeckers; turtles, frogs, lizards, snakes (non- poisonous); butterflies, dragonflies, bees have been observed and catalogued on the Property.
WILDLIFE RESOURCES. The WMA contains excellent big game, small game and resident fish populations. This is primarily due to the terrain, remoteness, habitat diversity and the lack of road entry. The WMA is included in the IDFG’s Game Management Unit 9. Elk are the most sought after game species in the unit. Elk harvests for Unit 9 have been relatively stable for the last five years averaging 136 elk taken annually (Table 1). Hunter success rates for elk hunters average 15-20%. There are approximately 2,500 acres of elk and deer winter range in the WMA. The bulk of the winter range lies below 4,000 feet elevation on the south and west-facing slopes of Canyon Creek. Population dynamics information for elk have only recently been collected. The elk population estimate for all of Unit 9 calculated after the February 1991 elk sightability survey is 684±162. An excellent population of mountain goats occurs in Unit 9 also. The bulk of the population is found in Canyon Creek and its tributaries on the south-facing slopes of Snow Peak. Smaller groups can also be found in Spotted Louis, Sawtooth and Xxxxx creeks. Arieal surveys of mountain goat populations on Snow Peak have been conducted frequently. The unit served as the State’s sole source of transplant stock for many years. Over 150 goats have been trapped at the Snow Peak lookout tower and transplanted to other parts of Idaho, Colorado and Oregon. The most recent aerial survey of the unit was completed in March 1991 (Table 2).
