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5.6
FISH AND WILDLIFE
5.6.1 Baseline Surveys
RER has initiated wildlife baseline investigations to help identify wildlife and important potential
habitats that may be impacted within the Project Area and surrounding vicinity. The baseline
wildlife survey area (survey area) will be determined for each species and approved by WDEQ-
LQD through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) prior to the surveys. WDEQ-
LQD Guideline No. 5 (Wildlife) and Guideline No. 6 (Non-coal: Application for a “Permit to Mine”
etc.) will be used to help determine the survey area. The objective of the baseline study is to
collect both quantitative and qualitative data on vertebrate and aquatic invertebrate species
occurrence, abundance, diversity, and general habitat affinity in the respective wildlife survey
areas. This includes the identification of habitats that could support special status species
and/or other high-value or unusual wildlife.
The baseline study was conducted from late fall 2011 through summer 2013, with a summary of
all wildlife sampling results presented after WGFD confirmation of adequate data collection.
Additionally, general wildlife distributions available in the WGFD Atlas of Birds, Mammals,
Amphibians, and Reptiles in Wyoming (WGFD, 2009) and the Black Hills National Forest
Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Service, 1996) and subsequent EIS
(Forest Service, 1997) will be reviewed, as well as previously collected data from other
monitoring activities (Forest Service, 2009) in the area to compile a comprehensive history of
wildlife use and occurrence within the project vicinity. All species of concern relevant to the
area, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Threatened and Endangered (T&E)
species for Crook County (2011); the 77 FWS Migratory Bird Species of Management Concern
in Wyoming: Non-coal List (FWS, 2002); the FWS Birds of Conservation Concern: Badlands
and Prairies (2008); WGFD Species of Greatest Conservation Need list (WGFD, 2010); and the
Forest Service R2 Sensitive Species, Management Indicator Species, and Species of Local
Concern lists for the Black Hills (Forest Service, 2011) will be used to help identify all sensitive
species likely to occur within the survey area. All species of concern and habitats that could
support them will be recorded during all site visits. All documented species will be included in
the Wildlife Baseline Report.
A general discussion of wildlife habitats based on their basic physical and vegetative
characteristics will be included in the Wildlife Baseline Report. This information will include a
discussion of the availability of any high-value, unique, or crucial/critical wildlife habitats that
may be present in the Project Area to address potential impacts from mining operations and
proposed post-mining reclamation/restoration.
5.6.2 Description of Potential Species Occurrence
5.6.2.1 Big Game
Currently, three big game species including elk (C
ervus elaphus)
, mule deer (
Odocoileus
hemionus)
, and white-tailed deer (
Odocoileus virginianus
] have been documented during initial
baseline surveys.
The WGFD has developed big game range designations for the entire state depicting crucial
and seasonal big game use areas. Within the wildlife survey area, all three confirmed big game
species (elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer) have a designated spring/summer/fall range. The
spring/summer/fall range is defined as the range where a population, or a portion of the
population, uses habitats from the end of the previous winter to the onset of persistent winter
conditions. Elk and mule deer have a winter/yearlong designation within the survey area.
Winter-yearlong range represents areas of general population use on a year-round basis, but
supports a significant influx of additional animals from other seasonal ranges during winter. The
