Appendix G Final SCR Panther Grove 05152020
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LWEG Tiers 1 and 2 Site Characterization Report Panther Grove Wind Energy Project Woodford County, Illinois May 15, 2020 Prepared for: Panther Grove Wind, LLC 17300 N. Dallas Parkway, Ste. 2020 Dallas Texas 75248 Prepared by: Stantec Consulting Services Inc. 2300 Swan Lake Blvd., Suite 202 Independence, IA 50644 Phone: (319) 334-3755 Fax: (319) 334-3780 Project #193706902 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 REGULATORY BACKGROUND .................................................................................... 1 1.3 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................... 2 2.0 METHODS ..................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 PRELIMINARY SITE EVALUATION (TIER 1) ................................................................. 4 2.1.1 Land Cover and Use ...................................................................................... 4 2.1.2 Wetlands and Waterways ............................................................................... 4 2.1.3 Migratory Birds ...............................................................................................4 2.1.4 Eagles and Other Raptors .............................................................................. 5 2.1.5 Bats ................................................................................................................5 2.1.6 Prairie and Sage-Grouse ................................................................................ 5 2.2 SITE CHARACTERIZATION (TIER 2) ............................................................................ 5 2.2.1 Federal- and State-Listed Species and Protected Lands ................................ 5 3.0 RESULTS ...................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 PRELIMINARY SITE EVALUATION (TIER 1) ................................................................. 7 3.1.1 Land Cover and Use ...................................................................................... 7 3.1.2 Wetlands and Waterways ............................................................................... 9 3.1.3 Migratory Birds ............................................................................................. 11 3.1.4 Eagles and Other Raptors ............................................................................ 15 3.1.5 Bats .............................................................................................................. 17 3.1.6 Prairie and Sage Grouse .............................................................................. 18 3.2 SITE CHARACTERIZATION (TIER 2) ...........................................................................18 3.2.1 Protected Lands ........................................................................................... 18 3.2.2 Federal-Listed Wildlife Species .................................................................... 20 3.2.3 State-Listed Wildlife Species ........................................................................ 26 3.2.4 Federal-listed Plant Species ......................................................................... 27 3.2.5 State-Listed Plant Species ........................................................................... 28 4.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................29 4.1 LAND COVER AND USE (FIGURE 2) ...........................................................................29 4.2 WETLANDS (FIGURE 3) ...............................................................................................29 4.3 MIGRATORY BIRDS (FIGURE 4) .................................................................................29 4.4 EAGLES AND OTHER RAPTORS ................................................................................29 4.5 BATS (FIGURES 6 & 7) ................................................................................................30 4.6 PRAIRIE AND SAGE GROUSE ....................................................................................30 4.7 PROTECTED LANDS (FIGURE 5) ................................................................................30 4.8 FEDERAL-LISTED SPECIES ........................................................................................30 4.8.1 Indiana Bat and Northern Long-eared Bat (Figures 6 & 7) ............................ 31 4.8.2 Decurrent False Aster .................................................................................. 31 4.8.3 Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid ..................................................................... 31 4.9 STATE-LISTED SPECIES (TABLES 7 & 8) ...................................................................31 4.9.1 Upland Sandpiper ........................................................................................ 31 5.0 LITERATURE CITED ....................................................................................................32 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. USFWS Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines Tiers .................................................... 2 Table 2. Land cover type and amount within the study area of the Panther Grove Wind Energy Project determined through analysis of land cover data. .................................. 7 Table 3. Wetland and deep-water habitat types present within study area of the Panther Grove Wind Energy Project through analysis of the National Wetlands Inventory. ..................................................................................................................... 9 Table 4. Birds of Conservation Concern, Bird Conservation Region 22 - Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Region..............................................................................................11 Table 5. Illinois bat species and their potential to occur within the study area of the Panther Grove Wind Energy Project. ..........................................................................17 Table 6. Illinois State-listed wildlife species with known occurrences within Woodford county, state status, habitat preferences, and habitat availability ................................26 Table 7. Illinois state-listed plant species, state status, habitat preferences (INHS 2018), and habitat availability ................................................................................................28 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Project Location and Topography ................................................................................ 3 Figure 2. National Land Cover Dataset ...................................................................................... 8 Figure 3. National Wetlands Inventory ......................................................................................10 Figure 4. Publicly Available Bird Sighting Data ..........................................................................16 Figure 5. National Conservation Easement and Protected Areas Databases ............................19 Figure 6. Bat Habitat Assessment .............................................................................................24 Figure 7. GAP Analysis Program Predicted Northern Long-eared Bat Habitat ..........................25 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A – EcoCAT Report Panther Grove Wind Energy Project Site Characterization Report 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION Stantec Consulting Services Inc. (Stantec) performed a site characterization study, including a threatened and endangered species habitat assessment, within the study area (Figure 1), which includes the project boundary (project area) of the proposed Panther Grove Wind Energy Project (project) in Woodford County, Illinois. The study area is approximately 82,720 acres in size and is located south of the town of Minonk and west of the town of Roanoke and north of the town of El Paso in Woodford County, Illinois (Figure 1). Panther Creek, East Branch Panther Creek, Little Panther Creek, South Branch Crow Creek, West Branch Panther Creek, Olive Branch, Hallenback Creek, and Snag Creek run through the study area. The study area is dominated by pastureland and agricultural fields in row crop production. Small and medium sized tracts of forest associated with waterways, rural residences, and farmsteads are scattered throughout the study area. 1.2 REGULATORY BACKGROUND The federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et seq.) provides for the listing, conservation, and recovery of endangered species. Section 9 of the ESA prohibits the take of any endangered or threatened species listed under the ESA. In reference to fish and wildlife, the ESA defines “take” as “…to harass, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect: species listed as endangered or threatened, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct.” In reference to plants, the ESA defines “take” as “…to collect, pick, cut, dig up, or destroy in any manner.” The no-take provisions under the act, which prohibit landowners from causing harm to listed species, apply only to animals. Plant species on private lands are, in general, protected only where a federal action (e.g., regulatory permit) is involved. In contrast, listed plants occurring on federal