Biological Evaluation
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APPENDIX D BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION BIOLOGICAL EVALUATION FOR PHASE III MOSS MINE EXPANSION AND EXPLORATION PROJECT Prepared for: 2440 Adobe Road – Bullhead City, Arizona 86442 Project Number: 1203.05 March 13, 2020 WestLand Resources, Inc. 4001 E. Paradise Falls Drive Tucson, Arizona 85712 5202069585 Biological Evaluation for Phase III Moss Mine Expansion and Exploration Project Golden Vertex Corp TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1 2. PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ................................................................................ 1 3. ANALYSIS AREA DESCRIPTION ..................................................................................................... 8 3.1. Physiographic Setting ....................................................................................................................... 9 3.2. Surface Water Features .................................................................................................................... 9 3.3. Abandoned Mine Features ............................................................................................................ 12 3.4. Soils ................................................................................................................................................... 12 3.5. Vegetation ........................................................................................................................................ 13 3.6. Wildlife ............................................................................................................................................. 16 3.7. Wildlife Linkages ............................................................................................................................. 17 3.8. Land Use .......................................................................................................................................... 17 4. SPECIAL-STATUS SPECIES SCREENING ANALYSIS METHODS ..................................... 18 4.1. Special-Status Species Identification ............................................................................................ 18 4.2. Special-Status Species Screening ................................................................................................... 18 5. EFFECTS ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 19 5.1. Surface Disturbance ....................................................................................................................... 19 5.2. Lighting ............................................................................................................................................ 20 5.3. Noise and Vibration ....................................................................................................................... 20 5.4. Dust .................................................................................................................................................. 21 5.5. Traffic ............................................................................................................................................... 21 5.6. Groundwater Pumping .................................................................................................................. 22 5.7. Pit Lake............................................................................................................................................. 22 6. SPECIAL-STATUS AND BLM REQUESTED SPECIES SCREENING RESULTS ............. 23 6.1. Effects to Species Known to Occur within the Analysis Area ................................................ 38 6.1.1. Desert Bighorn Sheep ........................................................................................................ 38 6.1.2. Desert Tortoise .................................................................................................................... 39 6.1.3. Cavern Obligate Bats .......................................................................................................... 41 6.1.4. Migratory Birds .................................................................................................................... 41 7. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 44 TABLES Table 1. Proposed Disturbance by Land Status ................................................................................ 3 Table 2. Plant Species Observed in the Analysis Area during Field Reconnaissance ................ 14 Table 3. Screening Analysis: Potential for Occurrence of ESA Listed Species within the Analysis Area ...................................................................................................... 24 Table 4. Screening Analysis: Potential for Occurrence of BLM Sensitive Species within the Analysis Area ...................................................................................................... 26 Table 5. Screening Analysis: Potential for Occurrence of BLM Requested Species within the Analysis Area ...................................................................................................... 34 Table 6. Screening Analysis: Potential for Occurrence of Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Species within the Analysis Area ............................................................. 37 WestLand Resources, Inc. ii Q:\Jobs\1200's\1203.05\ENV\Moss Mine BE\20200313_Submittal\20200313_Moss Mine_BE.docx Biological Evaluation for Phase III Moss Mine Expansion and Exploration Project Golden Vertex Corp FIGURES (follow text) Figure 1. Vicinity Map Figure 2. Analysis Area Figure 3. Springs in the Vicinity of the Analysis Area Figure 4. Mount Perkins-Warm Springs Wildlife Linkage and Proposed Phase III Moss Mine footprint Figure 5. Bighorn Sheep Habitat Categories in the Vicinity of the Analysis Area Figure 6. BLM Desert Tortoise Habitat Categories and Observations in the Vicinity of the Analysis Area APPENDICES Appendix A. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Information for Planning and Consultation Report Online Query Results Appendix B. Bureau of Land Management, Arizona – Bureau Sensitive Species List (February 2017) Appendix C. Representative Photographs of Analysis Area Appendix D. Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Data Management System Online Query Results Appendix E. HabiMap Arizona Breeding Bird Atlas Species Appendix F. Special Status Species that are Unlikely or Have No Potential to Occur within the Analysis Area Appendix G. Custom Soil Resource Report for Mohave County, Arizona, Southern Part Golden Vertex Moss Mine Biological Analysis Area WestLand Resources, Inc. iii Q:\Jobs\1200's\1203.05\ENV\Moss Mine BE\20200313_Submittal\20200313_Moss Mine_BE.docx Biological Evaluation for Phase III Moss Mine Expansion and Exploration Project Golden Vertex Corp 1. INTRODUCTION Golden Vertex Corp (Golden Vertex) is proposing to expand exploration activities and mining operations onto lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of the Moss Mine Phase III Project (the Project). The Moss Mine is situated east of Bullhead City in Mohave County, Arizona (Figure 1). WestLand Resources, Inc. (WestLand), was retained by Golden Vertex to develop a Biological Evaluation (BE) for the Project to evaluate the potential for special-status species to occur within the vicinity of the Project and determine the potential effects of proposed activities on biological resources. The Analysis Area is approximately 7,500 acres and includes the proposed mining and exploration activities of the Moss Mine Project plus a buffer of at least 500 feet (152 meters [m]) surrounding proposed areas of surface disturbance. For the purpose of this report, special-status species is defined as species designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as Endangered, Threatened, Proposed for listing, or Candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Appendix A), those species designated as sensitive by the BLM Colorado River District (Appendix B), species protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and species recently identified by the BLM as being of conservation and management interest in the vicinity of the Project. The following sections: provide a description of the Project (Section 2), identify and describe the current conditions of the Analysis Area for the BE (Section 3), describe the methods used to analyze potential effects to special-status species (Section 4), determine the potential for special-status species to occur within the Analysis Area and the potential effects of the Project on special-status species (Section 5), discuss the effects to species known to occur within the Analysis Area (Section 6), and list the references cited (Section 7). 2. PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION Moss Mine is an existing open pit gold and silver operation located in Mohave County, Arizona (latitude: 35° 06’ 00” N/longitude: 114° 26’ 52” W), 9 miles east of the Colorado River on the western slope of the Black Mountains. The mine is approximately 8 miles east of State Highway 95, and approximately 4 miles east of the city limits of Bullhead City, Arizona. The town of Oatman, Arizona is located 8 miles southeast of the mine. Moss Mine lies within portions of Sections 19, 20, 29 and 30 of Township 20