Draft environmental assessment, Montana Elk Company Game Farm, Townsend, Montana

68 Pages·1997·3.6 MB·English

by  Montana. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Region 3

DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
MONTANA ELK COMPANY GAME FARM
TOWNSEND, MONTANA
STATE DOCUMENTS COLLECTION
MONTANA STATE LIBRARY
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HELENA, MONTANA 59620
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Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
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1400 South 19th
Bozeman, Montana 59715
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Bozeman, 59718 September 30, 1997
TO: Governor's Office, Julie Lapeyre, Room 204, State Capitol, POB 200801, Helena, MT 59620-0801
Environmental Quality Council, Capitol Building, Room 106, POB 201704, Helena, MT 59620
Dept. Environmental Quality, Metcalf Building, POB 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901
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Montana Fish, Wildlife Parks
Director's Office
Enforcement Division - Karen Zackheim
Wildlife Division
Legal Unit - Ashley Schannauer
FWP Commissioners
Dennis Flath
MT Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office, POB 201202 Helena, MT 59620-1202
MT State Parks Association, POB 699, Billings, MT 59103
MT State Library, 1515 E. Sixth Ave., POB 201800, Helena, MT 59620
James Jensen, Montana Environmental Information Center, POB 1184, Helena, MT 59624
Janet Ellis, Montana Audubon Council, POB 595, Helena, MT 59624
George Ochenski, POB 689, Helena, MT 59624
MT
Broadwater County Commissioners, Courthouse, Townsend, 59644
Department of Livestock, Luella Schultz, Animal Health Division, POB 202001, Helena, MT 59620-2001
Jerry DiMarco, POB 1571, Bozeman, MT 59771
Wildlife Federation, POB 1175, Helena, MT 59624
Wayne Hurst, POB 728, Libby, MT 59923
MT
Glen Hockett, 745 Doane Road, Bozeman, 59715
MT
Skyline Sportsman’s Assoc., Box 173, Butte, 59701
MT
Anaconda Sportsman’s Club, #2 Cherry, Anaconda, 59711
Jefferson Valley Sportsman’s Assoc., POB 663, Whitehall, MT 59759
MT
Prickly Pear Sportsman’s Assoc., 1721 Virginia Dale St., Helena, 59601
MT
Senator Mike Foster, 414 N. Cedar St., Townsend, 59644
MT
Representative Gay Ann Masolo, 20 Buck Dr., Townsend, 59644
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The enclosed Environmental Assessment (EA) has been prepared for the Montana Elk Company Game Farm. This
draft EA is submitted for your consideration. A public hearing has been scheduled for October 16, 1997 at 7:00
p.m. at the Community room at the Broadwater School and Community Library. Questions and comments will be
accepted until 5:00 p.m., October 30, 1997. Please direct your questions or comments to Tom Carlsen, P.O. Box
MT
998, Townsend, 59644.
Sincerely,
Stephen L. Lewis
Regional Supervisor
I
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
summary
1
INTRODUCTION
1
Objectives 1
Public Participation 2
PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES 2
Proposed Action 2
Alternatives 2
Purpose and Need of the Proposed Action 2
Role of FWP and DOL 2
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 4
Land Resources 4
.
Water Resources 4
Vegetation 6
Fish and Wildlife .6
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES 6
Land Resources 6
Water Resources 8
Vegetation 8
Fish and Wildlife 8
Cumulative Effects 8
EA CONCLUSION 8
! . .
Mitigation Measures 9
PART GAME FARM LICENSE APPLICATION INFORMATION 12
I.
PART II. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 16
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 17
Land Resources 17
Air Resources 20
Water Resources 22
Vegetation 26
i
Fish and Wildlife 28
HUMAN ENVIRONMENT 32
Noise Effects 32
Land Use 33
Risk/Health Hazards 34
Community Impact 36
Public Services and Taxes 38
Aesthetics/Recreation 39
Cultural and Historical Resources 40
Summary
41
SUMMARY EVALUATION OF SIGNIFICANCE CRITERIA 42
PART III. NARRATIVE EVALUATION AND COMMENT 44
PART IV. EA CONCLUSION 46
TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued
Page
FIGURES
FIGURE 1 Montana Elk Company Game Farm Site Map 3
FIGURE 2 Land Use and Land Cover 5
FIGURE 3 Winter Range 7
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A Fish, Wildlife and Parks Fencing Requirements
APPENDIX B Private Property Assessment Act Checklist
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
MONTANA ELK COMPANY GAME FARM
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
This 11 page summary provides an abbreviated description ofthe Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for
the proposed licensing of the Montana Elk Company Game Farm. Detailed descriptions of the Proposed
Action, the affected environment, potential consequences of the Proposed Action and recommended
mitigation measures are presented in the Draft EA which begins on page 12 of this document.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is required to perform an environmental analysis
in accordancewiththe Montana Environmental PolicyAct (MEPA) for each proposal for projects, programs,
legislation, and other major actions of state government significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment (Administrative Rules of Montana [ARM] 12.2.430). FWP prepares environmental assessments
(EAs) in the game farm licensing process to identify and evaluate environmental impacts of a proposed
game farm. Eas also determine whether the impacts will be significant and whether, as a consequence,
FWP will perform a more detailed environmental impact statement (EIS).
When preparing an EA, FWP reviewsenvironmental impacts ofthe proposed action, impacts ofthe noaction
alternative, and impacts of other alternative actions which include recommended and/or mandatory
measures to mitigate the project’s impacts. A mitigated EA, as defined under MEPA, includes enforceable
requirements (stipulations) which reduce impacts of the proposed action to a level below significance. The
EA may also recommend a preferred alternative for the FWP decision maker.
Based upon its review of the Montana Elk Company game farm application, FWP has prepared a mitigated
EA.
OBJECTIVES
This EA has been prepared to serve the following purposes in accordance with FWP MEPA rules ARM
12.2.430:
• to ensure that FWP use natural and social sciences in planning and decision-making;
• to be used in conjunction with other agency planning and decision-making procedures to make a
determination regarding the Proposed Action;
• toassist inthe evaluation ofreasonable alternatives and the development of conditions, stipulations, and
modifications to the Proposed Action;
• to determine the need to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) through an initial evaluation
and determination of the significance of impacts associated with the Proposed Action;
• to ensure the fullest appropriate opportunity for public review and comment on the Proposed Action;
and
• to examine and document effects of the Proposed Action on quality of the human environment.
1
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Public involvement in the EA process includes the steps necessaryto identify and address public concerns.
The Draft EA will be available for public review and comment from September 30, 1997 until 5 pm October
30, 1997 at the Region 3 FWP office. Address all comments regarding this EA to:
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Tom Carlsen
P.O. Box 998
Townsend, MT 59644
[phone]
PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES
PROPOSED ACTION
The FWP received an initial application May 1, 1997, and a complete application July 15, 1997 from Lewis
and Linda Reeves to develop a new game farm referred to as the Montana Elk Company. The proposed
game farm is located approximately 7 miles east of Townsend, Montana (Figure 1). The Proposed Action
consists of managing up to 120 elk on a 55-acre game farm pasture. The game farm area would also
contain a quarantine and handling facility and maintain a minimum 25-foot vegetated buffer zone between
the perimeter fence and Deep Creek. The applicant would breed, sell, and dispose of domestic elk in
accordance with Montana game farm and disease control requirements stipulated in Montana statute and
administrative rules. Fence construction would be in accordance with requirements of FWP under ARM
12.6.15Q3A (Appendix A) unless a waiver is granted by FWP to construct a game-proof fence of an
alternative design.
ALTERNATIVES
One alternative (No Action Alternative) is evaluated in this EA. Underthe No Action Alternative, FWP would
not issue a license for development of the Montana Elk Company game farm as proposed. Therefore, no
game farm animals would be placed on the proposed game farm site. Implementation of the No Action
Alternative would not preclude other activities allowed under local, state and federal laws to take place in
the proposed game farm area.
PURPOSE AND NEED OF THE PROPOSED ACTION
The purpose of the Proposed Action is to establish a new game farm site that would enclose domestic elk.
The Montana Elk Company game farm would be a commercial enterprise that would raise and harvest elk
primarily for meat production.
ROLE OF FWP AND DEPARTMENT OF LIVESTOCK
FWP is the lead agency in preparing this EA for the proposed project. This document is written in
accordance with the Montana Environmental Quality Council (EQC) MEPA Handbook and FWP statutory
requirements for preparing an EA under Title 75, Chapter 1, Part 2, Montana Code Annotated (MCA) and
FWP rules under ARM 12.2.428 et seq. FWP is required to perform an environmental analysis for proposed
projects in accordance with MEPA as stated in the Introduction section above.
Regulatory responsibilities for new and expanding game farms are shared with the Montana Department of
Livestock (DoL). The DoL is responsible for regulating the health, transportation and identification of game
farm animals. During the application process, all quarantine plans and specifications are submitted to the
2
Map
Site
NationalForest NBoutree:auOwonfeLrasnhdipMaDantaageDmereinvtedFrom Proposed Game Farm EA
PublicLands MontanaPublicLands, 1 100000 Reeves Property
0 Feet 4000 ScaleQuadrangles. SourceDate 1975.
BroadwaterCounty
MAXIM StateofMontana
FIGURE
5609702535-10 1
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