August 22, Carol Prentice

Transcription

1 Sacajawea s Bitterroot Field Summary Report MOSQUITO CONSOLIDATED GOLD MINES, LTD. CUMO MINERALS EXPLORATION PROJECT IDAHO CITY RANGER DISTRICT, BOISE NATIONAL FOREST August 22, 2011 Carol Prentice This Field Summary Report presents the pertinent data documented in the Sacajawea s Bitterroot Monitoring Area between June 27 and July 8, Sacajawea s Bitterroot, Lewisia sacajaweana Wilson and Rey-Vizgirdas, (LESA) was surveyed and counted in the field and only the findings relevant to clearance actives are included, other findings will be reported later. Data presented here include two maps and two figures. Sacajawea s Bitterroot Potential Habitat Map 2011 The first map (Attachment A) delineates potential habitat within the Sacajawea s Bitterroot Monitoring Area. Potential habitat was designated by two methods: areas with the indicator species (plant species usually found with LESA) were walked, and when slopes were too steep, they were scanned with binoculars. Potential habitat was mapped on aerial photos and this technique facilitated the second method, expanding the map to include similar appearing open areas on the aerial photo. Areas walked included all roads and potential habitat, except where the slope was too steep to walk and these details will be mapped and provided in a later report. Forest habitat type maps consulted show LESA occurring in four different types, which surprisingly varied from moist subalpine fir to dry Douglas fir types. Potential habitat and correlation with forest habitat types will be further refined in the final report. The potential habitat within the Sacajawea s Bitterroot Monitoring Area is acres. Roads traversing the LESA potential habitat total 3.21 acres (figured with 2.03 miles of road to be used by 14-foot wide road base) and 7 drill pads in potential habitat total.24 acres. The total acres impacted equal 3.45 and therefore, the impact area is 2.91% of the potential habitat. Sacajawea s Bitterroot Population Count 2011 The second map (Attachment B) identifies populations counted and plants impacted by drill pad sites. The boundaries for each population are generalized. All roads within the Sacajawea s Bitterroot Monitoring Area, whether proposed for use this season or not, were surveyed for 50 feet on both sides of the road, for LESA. Additionally, a 90-foot radius around the drill pad was surveyed for LESA. The Environmental Assessment of the CuMo Exploration Project approved 137 pads with the majority to be drilled outside of the Sacajawea s Bitterroot Monitoring Area. Thirteen drill pads are proposed in the Sacajawea s Bitterroot Monitoring Area for the 2011 drilling season; seven of these drill pads are located within Sacajawea s Bitterroot Potential

2 Habitat; in their original location, five of these pads had LESA within a 90-foot radius of the pad. Pad 3GH had 94 LESA plants on it, and Pad 1I had 45 LESA plants on the slope above the high wall along the road. Pad 3D had 12 plants and pad 4F had 28 plants. After field review, Mosquito Gold felt that moving these pads, 3GH, 3D, 4F and 1I, would save these 179 LESA plants reducing impacted plants numbers by 93%. The new location for 3GH is on the main northern road and is not in LESA potential habitat. Pad 1I was moved south out of LESA potential habitat. Pad 3D was moved south to an old drill pad without any LESA. Pad 4F was moved north where no LESA were found during road surveys. Pad 3F/4A has 13 LESA located within a 90 foot radius of the pad. In addition, 29 LESA plants were identified along the road between pads 2BC and 2A. Mosquito Gold has decided not to drill pad 2A to protect these plants. Pad 2BC has been renamed pad 2ABC. Because they are close to the 90 foot perimeter they will be protected by flagging and roping them off, as was done in 2006 (Figure 1). The roads leading to 3D is a previous drill road and the roadbed has filled in with LESA for a portion of its length. The best way to mitigate this population is to develop the pad after the LESA has become dormant. In addition, clearing rocks and other debris by hand rather than grading that section of road will protect the population. This road will also be roped off until dormancy. Dormancy was not yet observed during an August 9 visit to flagged populations and will need to be determined with a future field visit. CuMo s commitment to mitigating the species whenever possible is reflected by impacting only 13 plants or 0.1% impact out of 13,261 counted. It is CuMo s intention to protect this population to the maximum extent practicable. Shape files for all pad locations will be delivered separately. Subpopulations and totals are provided in Figure 2. The total population counted is to be viewed as a snapshot in time as LESA was found to appear and disappear quickly, and some individuals even reappear. The subpopulation labeled Upper Mega Population of 7,578 plants was a new finding, growing in a different niche with sedge and higher amounts of loam with little gravel. More discussion of these findings will be provided in a more in-depth report. The population of 29 plants found on the road beyond 2ABC is likely an indicator of a population above it that could not be counted due to the steep slopes. This and other populations on steep slopes would add to the population count provided here. The actual total population of LESA is likely higher than the total 13,261 counted this year.

3 Figure 1 Sacajawea s bitterroot protected in 2006 by orange flagging hanging from rope across an old road. This site is on the point of the ridge just below the Upper Mega population and not scheduled for any activity for this year.

4 Figure 2 Sacajawea's Bitterroot Count 2011 Pad ID or Population On Pad Surrounding Population Total 3D 0 3F/4A 13 } A GH Ridge Population J F F D BC On road beyond 2ABC I in new location (Upper Mega population) Lower Mega population Triangle above Y Pop. West of 4J K A M Totals

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