TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction.................................................................................................................................................1-1 1.1. Study Overview.............................................................................................................................1-1 1.2. Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................1-2 2.0 Study Area...................................................................................................................................................2-1 3.0 Methods.......................................................................................................................................................3-1 3.1. Literature Review and Personal Communications ........................................................................3-1 3.2. Database Queries...........................................................................................................................3-1 3.3. Field Surveys.................................................................................................................................3-3 3.3.1. General Survey Methodology..........................................................................................3-3 3.3.2. Transect Surveys..............................................................................................................3-3 3.3.3. Northern Goshawk, Owl, and Gray Wolf Calling Surveys..............................................3-3 3.3.4. Habitat Assessment..........................................................................................................3-4 3.3.5. Data Recording................................................................................................................3-5 4.0 Survey Results.............................................................................................................................................4-1 4.1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................4-1 4.2. Wildlife Species Survey ................................................................................................................4-1 4.3. Northern Goshawk, Owl, and Gray Wolf Calling Surveys ...........................................................4-2 4.3.1. Northern Goshawk...........................................................................................................4-2 4.3.2. Other Hawks....................................................................................................................4-3 4.3.3. Owls.................................................................................................................................4-3 4.3.4. Wolf .................................................................................................................................4-3 4.3.5. Species of Concern ..........................................................................................................4-4 4.4. Wildlife Habitat Assessment .........................................................................................................4-9 4.4.1. Wetlands ........................................................................................................................4-10 4.4.2. Uplands..........................................................................................................................4-11 5.0 Likely Impacts to Wildlife Species and Habitat From the Proposed NorthMet Mine Project....................5-1 5.1. Habitat Loss and Modification and Wildlife Species Impacted....................................................5-1 5.1.1. Wetlands ..........................................................................................................................5-2 5.1.2. Uplands............................................................................................................................5-3 5.1.3. U.S. Forest Service Management Indicator Habitats.......................................................5-4 5.1.4. Habitat Fragmentation and Travel Routes .......................................................................5-5 5.2. Land Use and Noise.......................................................................................................................5-5 5.3. Acid Mine Drainage ......................................................................................................................5-6 5.4. Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species ...........................................................................5-6 5.4.1. Federally-listed Threatened and Endangered Species .....................................................5-6 5.4.2 State-listed Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................5-7 5.4.3 State Species of Concern .................................................................................................5-7 5.4.4 Federal Species of Concern .............................................................................................5-8 5.4.5 Other Species of Concern ................................................................................................5-9 5.5. Best Management Practices and Reclamation.............................................................................5-14 6.0 References...................................................................................................................................................6-1 NorthMet Mine Summer 2004 Wildlife Study i February 8, 2012 05461-002-400 APPENDICES A Common and Scientific Names of Plants and Animals Given in the Report.............................................A-1 B Agency and Organization Contacts............................................................................................................B-1 C Superior National Forest Regional Forester Sensitive Species..................................................................C-1 LIST OF FIGURES 2-1 Location Map..............................................................................................................................................2-2 3-1 Survey Transects and Bait and Calling Stations .......................................................................................3-14 4-1 Habitat Data.................................................................................................................................Back Pocket LIST OF TABLES 3-1 Ages of Forest Stand Types ........................................................................................................................3-6 3-2 Habitat Classification..................................................................................................................................3-7 5-1 Habitat Classification and Acres in Lease Area and Mine Site ..................................................................5-2 NorthMet Mine Summer 2004 Wildlife Study ii February 8, 2012 05461-002-400 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Study Overview PolyMet Mining Company, Inc. (PolyMet) proposes to construct an open pit low grade polymetallic mineral mine in northern Minnesota. This project, called the NorthMet Mine and Ore Processing Facilities Project (mine project), is located in St. Louis County on the eastern end of the Mesabi Iron Range, about 60 miles north of Duluth, and 6 miles south of Babbit, Minnesota (Mine Site). PolyMet plans to mine and process polymetallic ore from the northwest portion of the Duluth Complex. The ore contains copper, nickel, gold, platinum, palladium, and cobalt. PolyMet plans to operate a processing facility at the Cliffs Erie (former LTV) mill near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota, that will produce copper cathode, and separate platinum/palladium group metals sulfide and nickel/cobalt hydroxide concentrates, for off-site shipment and treatment. This project would impact over 3,000 acres of habitat used by wildlife, including species of concern to federal and state agencies. Habitats that would be affected by the project include conifer forest (comprised primarily of black spruce1, jack pine, tamarack, and balsam fir), deciduous forest (comprised primarily of trembling aspen and paper birch), mixed conifer/deciduous forest, riparian (dominated by speckled alder, red osier dogwood, and willow), and wetland (dominated by sedges, cat-tail, Labrador-tea, leatherleaf, and sphagnum moss). Wildlife species of concern (and federal/state status) that could be impacted include bald eagle (federal threatened), gray wolf (federal threatened and state special concern), Canada lynx (federal threatened), mountain lion (state special concern), least weasel (state special concern), northern goshawk (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA] U.S. Forest Service [USFS] Region 9 sensitive species), and boreal owl (USFS Region 9 sensitive species). Loss of habitat for these species was identified as an important issue by state (Berg 2000) and federal (Vora 2000a) agencies during meetings regarding the proposed project. Several wildlife studies have been conducted in the area. Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the vicinity of the NorthMet Mine Site were studied as part of the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board Regional Copper-Nickel Study (Johnson and Lieberman 1979, Sather et al. 1979) in the late 1970s; this study included the NorthMet Mine Site. In July and August of 1999, Foth and