U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Battle Battle Mountain Office District
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BLM U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Battle Mountain District Office Mountain Battle Gold Bar Exploration Project Resource Report 23 Appendices DOI-BLM-NV-B010-2018-0038-EA Preparing Office Battle Mountain District Office 50 Bastian Road Battle Mountain, NV 89820 December 2018 GOLD BAR RESOURCE REPORT 23 APPENDICES Appendix A – Summary of Findings Appendix B – BLM Sensitive Species List APPENDIX A SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Summary of Environmental Consequences RR # Resource Subtopic Context Duration Intensity Significance Summary Exploration activities will be exploratory and not extractive. Surface disturbances during exploration activities will consist primarily of the creation of new exploration roads, drill pits, and sumps. At any given time within the 17,316-acre EPO Area, a maximum of 100 acres of unreleased Proposed Action-related disturbance will exist. Release of reclaimed lands 3 Geology & Minerals --- Localized Short-term Negligible Not Significant could occur as early as the third growing season as stated in the BLM and NDEP bond release policy. Overall, it is anticipated that the program will be conducted over 10 years with total unreleased disturbance not exceeding 100 acres at any point in time and with a total project reclaimed disturbance not exceeding 200 acres (based on concurrent reclamation being released for future phases of exploration activities). Changes in runoff distribution would be negligible and the overall effect on surface water resource would be negligible. The Proposed Action is expected to have a negligible effect on snowmelt recharge to shallow groundwater within EPO Surface Water Localized Short-term Negligible Not Significant Area. BMPs to control stormwater, sediment erosion, and protect surface water resources from pollution related to surface disturbance activities would be implemented to reduce the potential for temporary effects to water quality. Water required 4 Water Resources for the Proposed Action would be produced water from the Gold Bar Mine and therefore no surface or groundwater would be used. No water rights would be affected. No groundwater extraction would be needed for the Proposed Action. Drilling activities are expected to be less than the Ground Water Localized Short-term Negligible Not Significant depth to groundwater. Nevertheless, MMI EMPs would ensure that the drill holes do not become conduits for surface runoff to groundwater by filling the holes with bentonite and cement. Effects to soils caused by disturbance range from degradation of soil structure, loss of microbiotic crust and function, increased compaction, and the disruption of soil development. Additionally, surface disturbance may result in increased erosion, though the interval between disturbance and reclamation would be short; reclamation would stabilize soils and 5 Soils --- Localized Short-term Minor to Moderate Not Significant reduce erosion; and erosion control BMPs would reduce erosion. Collectively, these effects cuased by surface disturbance will be localized, short-term, and minor. The Proposed Action will not result in significant effects to soils. MMI will not store fuels and will implement controls and cleanup measures in accordance with NDEP guidelines. Direct effects of the Proposed Action will include removal of up to 200 acres of vegetation (approximately 1.1 percent of the EPO Area), which will be reclaimed as part of the Proposed Action. Of this, up to 50 acres of existing previous disturbance from Atlas mining activities may be reclaimed, resulting in a potential net benefit of an increased amount of reclaimed lands. Except for existing tree species, the seed mix used for reclamation will help re-establish desirable species similar to pre-disturbance communities. Exploration activities will result in a new steady-state within the sites’ General Vegetation Localized Long-term Minor Not Significant state and transition model post-reclamation, creating localized, short-term, and minor effects to ecological site 6 Vegetation characterization. Further, surface disturbance will increase the susceptible of a site to weed invasion, but EPMs will be implemented to substantially reduce the spread and establishment of noxious weeds and non-native invasive species. Effects from the Proposed Action on the spread and establishment of noxious weeds and non-native invasive species are expected to be regional, short-term, and minor, given MMIs EPMs. The Proposed Action will conform with federal and Special Status The Proposed Action would be in conformance with the ESA and other Federal regulations regarding special status plant Localized Short-term Minor Not Significant Species species. Wetlands & Riparian Avoided; no effect Not Significant Wetlands and riparian areas will be avoided. The Proposed Action will affect various types of wildlife habitat throughout the EPO Area though there will be a net increase in habitat due to MMI’s preferential utilization and subsequent reclamation of existing unreclaimed lands. A portion of wildlife habitat will be converted to new vegetation communities (i.e., woodlands converted to Short- & Long- grassland/shrubland once reclamation was successful). This conversion of habitat will be small as compared to the General Wildlife Localized Minor Not Significant term available undisturbed wildlife habitat within and immediately adjacent to the EPO Area. Effects to wildlife are expected to be localized, short-term, and minor to most species and the effects will not result in population-level effects. As the habitat to be disturbed will be primarily woodlands (pinyon-juniper and curl-leaf mountain mahogany), the direct effects will be long term due to the length of time it takes for these areas to recover. Potential effects to migratory birds include direct mortality from the disturbance of eggs and young, habitat alteration and fragmentation. Because the habitat to be disturbed will be primarily woodlands (pinyon-juniper and curl-leaf mountain mahogany), the direct effects will be long-term due to the length of time it takes for these areas to recover. However, the Proposed Action will also result in beneficial effects from the reclamation of existing unreclaimed areas, thereby Short- & Long- Migratory Birds Localized Negligible to Minor Not Significant increasing the amount of overall available habitat. The Proposed Action also will result in an incremental increase in term habitat diversification. After reclamation, reclaimed areas will provide nesting and foraging habitat for migratory birds, with a species composition similar to regional herbaceous habitats. Because suitable habitat exists adjacent to the EPO Area, these effects are anticipated to be localized, both short- and long-term, and negligible to minor. Indirect effects due to noise and increased human presence during the Proposed Action may cause adult and fledged birds to vacate areas Potential effects to raptors, including golden eagles, include direct mortality, habitat or nesting substrate alteration, and indirect (e.g., noise) disturbance. Direct mortality and indirect disturbance to raptors will be prevented or limited by the Raptors Localized Long-term Minor Not Significant EPMs described in MMIs EPO. The alteration of woodlands to herbaceous habitat will have both direct long-term adverse and beneficial effects to raptors nesting near the EPO Area, as well to other migratory raptors. 7 Wildlife The Proposed Action will result in the disturbance of woodland and shrubland habitats and associated habitat fragmentation. The Proposed Action will disturb up to 200 acres of mule deer habitat. The disturbance will be dispersed Mule Deer Localized Long-term Minor Not Significant and represents approximately 1 percent of the available habitat within the EPO. Direct mortality due to vehicle collisions would be minimized by through applicant-committed EPMs. Overall, the effects to mule deer are anticipated to be localized, long-term, and minor. The Proposed Action will not result in significant adverse effects to mule deer. Appendix A - Page1 Direct effects to pronghorn antelope may result of vehicle collisions or loss of habitat. The Proposed Action would disturb up to 200 acres of pronghorn habitat. While this represents a small portion of the available habitat in the region, the disturbed habitat would be initially reclaimed to an herbaceous state and the recovery of a mature sagebrush community Pronghorn Antelope Localized Short-term Minor Not Significant may take decades. Direct mortality due to vehicle collisions would be minimized through applicant-committed EPMs. Collectively, these direct effects will be localized, long-term, and minor. As active disturbances will primarily be located outside of pronghorn distribution, the effects of noise and increased human presence are expected to be localized, short- term, and negligible. The Proposed Action will not result in significant adverse effects to pronghorn antelope. The Proposed Action is expected to effect a small proportion of the available foraging and nesting habitat for dusky Game Birds Localized Short-term Negligible to Minor Not Significant grouse, mourning doves, and chukar. Disturbance areas will be reclaimed but with an alteration of wooded habitats towards a more herbaceous habitat. The Proposed Action will result in the direct loss of greater sage-grouse habitat. The Proposed Action will disturb approximately 200 acres of potential habitat. The effects to the disturbance within greater sage-grouse habitat will be