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s F6326tb0g2d94 MONTANASTATELIBBadv 1999 3III0864IIIOut4 60552 TWINBUTTESGAMEFARM DECISIONDOCUMENT November3,1999 statedocumentscollection W TIC 2' GameFarmApplicationandMEPAReview HMEOLNETN1AA5N,15AMESO.TNA6TtTAhENAALVIE5B.9R6AR2Y0 TheMontanaFWPreceivedaninitialapplicationdatedMay17,1999fromCharlesSamuelsonto developanelkgamefarm(i.e.,alternativelivestock)inPowderRiverCounty,Montana. Twoother applicants-LouAnnHerrmannandDrewLewis-arelistedontheapplication. FWPacceptedthe applicationascompleteinalettertoMr.SamuelsondatedJuly14,1999. TheproposedTwinButtesElkGameFarmwouldplaceupto59headofelk(2bulls,30cows,and 27calvesatfullcapacity)onayear-roundbasison50acresoffee-titlelandlocatedapproximately 20milessouthwestofthetownofBroadusalongthePowderRivervalleybottom. Theapplicant indicatesthatthecalveswouldbesoldeachfallandwouldmostlikelybegonefromthegamefarm byNovemberofeachyear. Mr.SamuelsonandMs.Herrmannwillliveattheresidencelocatednear thenortheastcomeroftheproposedgamefarmsite. Mr.Lewisownstheranchonwhichthegame farmsiteislocated. Purposesoftheproposedgamefarmincludebreedingstock,meatproduction,andantlerproduction. Theinitial20cowelktobereleasedintotheproposedgamefarmwouldcomefromtheBlackHills ElkGameFarm,SouthDakota(currentlyownedbyMs.Herrmann). FWPpreparedaDraftEAfortheproposedTwinButtesElkGameFarmwhichidentifiedno significantimpactsfromtheProposedActionthatcouldnotbemitigated. TheDraftEAwas releasedforpublicreviewandcommentSeptember 17, 1999. Publiccommentswereaccepted throughOctober8,1999.TheDepartmenthasreviewedandrespondedtothepubliccomments. RefertotheFinalEAforadiscussionofthepubliccommentsandthedepartmentresponses. ProposedDecision BaseduponourreviewoftheEA,thegamefarmlicenseapplicationfileandtheinformation notedbelow,theFWPhasdeterminedthatalicensetooperatethegamefarminquestionwill beissued. Theissuanceofthislicenseiscontingentuponapprovaloffenceconstruction. DepartmentofLivestockapprovalofquarantineandhandlingfacilitiesandtheLicensee’s 1 adherencetothestipulationlistedbelow. TheLicenseewillhavetwoyearsfromthedateof athpipsliacpaptrioovnamlutsotcboempalpeptreovfeedncbeycoFnWstPrupcrtiioorntaosismupblmeimtetnetdaitniohinsoafpmploidciaftiicoant.ionCsh.angesfromthe Licenseemustbeincompliancewithallgamefarmstatutes,rulesandregulationsofMontana Fish,WildlifeandPartsandDepartmentofLivestock. Currentregulationsareattachedforthe applicant'sinformation,butitisthelicensee'sresponsibilitytokeepupwithanychangesin thelawsorregulations. TheLicenseemustalsocomplywiththestipulationlistedbelow. REQUIREDSTIPULATION ThefollowingstipulationisimposedbyFWPfortheTwinButtesGameFarmandisdesignedto mitigatesignificantimpactsidentifiedintheEAtobelowthelevelofsignificance: Submitawrittenfence-monitoringplantoFWPforapprovalpriortoFWPgrantingthegame farmlicense. Hazardtrees(e.g.,largecottonwoodsproximaltothefence)shallberemoved fromeithersideoftheperimeterfence. Wheretheperimeterfenceistobelocatedparallelto araisedroadbedorditch,thefenceshallberaised(minimumof2feet)orsetback(minimum of1Ofeet)sufficientlytopreventaheightadvantageforpossibleingress/egress. Ifitappears thatfenceintegritymaybecompromisedbecauseoffloodingand/oriceconditionsinthe PowderRiver,thelicenseeshallimmediatelyremoveallelkfromthepasture(s)closesttothe riverandtransfertheelktothe12-acresoutheasternpasture. Ifrepairsarerequiredofthe perimeterfenceduetofloodingoriceflowconditions,noelkshallbeplacedbackintothe affectedpasture(s)untilaFWPrepresentativeinspectsthefenceforgame-proofcondition. Shouldingressofwildlifeduringwinterbecomeaproblem,areaspronetosnowdriftingshall beidentifiedandthefenceheightraisedsufficientlytopreventingress/egress. Gamefarm animalsshallbetemporarilyremovedfromanygamefarmpasturethroughwhichdomestic cows/calvesaretransported. Thisstipulationisimposedtomitigateapotentiallysignificantrisktofenceintegrityandthe resultingpotentialcontactwithdomesticlivestockand/orwildlife. Risktolivestockand wildlifefromcontactbetweengamefarmanimalsanddomesticlivestockandwildgameis potentiallysignificantduetothesitebeinglocatedinanareacurrentlyutilizedbydomestic livestockandwildgame RECOMMENDEDMITIGATIONMEASURES ThefollowingrecommendedmitigationmeasuresaddressminorimpactsidentifiedintheTwinButtes ElkGameFarmEAforresourcesthathavethemostpotentialeffectsfromtheProposedAction: Maintainareasonablestockingratewithinthegamefarmenclosurestominimizechanges insoilstructureandpotentialincreasesinerosionfromdisturbedground. A"reasonable stockingrate"isdefinedunder"EADefinitions"onthefirstpageofPartIIinthisEA. Dustmanagementactivitiesincludevegetatingexposedgroundwherepossible,protecting fillpilesfromwinderosion,andlimitinggrounddisturbancetoonlytheareanecessaryto completethejob. Employthefollowingbestmanagementpractices(BMPs)toreduceodorproblemsifthey occur. (1)incorporatewasteintosoilquicklybyplowingordiscing;(2)spreadwasteduring coolweatherorinthemorningduringwarm,dryweather; and(3)properlydisposeof animalcarcasses. Carcassesshouldnotbedisposedofinoradjacenttowaterbodies,roads, andditches. Maintainareasonablestockingrateintheareatomitigatepotentialimpactsfromrunoffand fecalmatter. Potentialwaterqualityimpactsalsocouldbeminimizedbydisposingdead animals,gutpiles,andexcessfecalmaterialatasitethatisisolatedfromsurfacewaterand groundwater(disposalmustmeetcountyregulationsforsolidwaste). Foranyareasthatmayhaveerosionandsedimentationproblems,utilizebestmanagement practices(BMPs)wheresurfacewatercoulddraindirectlytothePowderRiver. TheBMPs mayincludeearthberms,strawbaledikes,vegetativebufferzones,and/orsiltfences. Monitortheproposedgamefarmsiteforinvasionofnoxiousweedsandtreataffectedareas inatimelymanner. Shouldnoxiousweedscontinuetobedetected,aweedcontrolprogram shouldbeimplementedtocontroltheweeds,ifnotalreadyin-place. Providesupplementalfeedandmineralstotheelkonayearlongbasistoreduceexcessive grazingonpreferredpastureplants. Storehay,feed,andsaltawayfromexteriorfencesorencloseinbear-resistantcontainersor buildings. Feedgamefarmanimalsatinteriorportionsoftheenclosureandnotalongtheperimeter fence. Removedeadanimals,excessfecalmaterial,andwastefeedfromthegamefarmanddeposit atanapprovedsitenotlikelytobeusedbyhumans,anddomesticandwildanimals. Iffenceintegrityoringress/egressbecomesaproblem,adjustmentoffencerequirementsto includedoublefencing, internalfencing,electrification,orincreasedheightmaybecome necessary. Duringwintersofexceptionalsnowcover,removalofsnowoneithersideoftheenclosure fencemayberequiredtopreventingressandegress. Escortpersonsintoandoutofthegamefarmperimeterfencewhomayneedtoaccessthe powerlineundertheeasementagreementassurethatagateisnotinadvertentlyleftopen. Ifarcheologicalartifactsareobservedduringconstructionofthegamefarmfenceorfrom otheractivities,workshouldstopintheareaandthediscoveryreportedtotheMontana HistoricalSociety,HistoricPreservationOffice,inHelena. TheDepartmenthasthedutyundertheMontanaEnvironmentalPolicyActtoconductan additionalenvironmentalreviewiftheactionapprovedbytheagencychanges,subsequentto theagency’soriginalapproval,inamannerwhichhasimpactssubstantiallydifferentfrom thosewhichwerereviewedintheoriginalMEPAreview. RavalliCountyFishandGame Associationv.MontanaDepartmentofStateLands.273Mont.371,903P.2d1362(1995). Forthatreason,theDepartmentprovidesnoticethattheMEPAreviewperformedforthe instantlicenseapplicationreviewedtheimpactsofagamefarmwith59elk. Totheextentthat theapplicanthereafterincreasesthenumberorspeciesofanimalsormakesothersignificant changestotheoperation,asupplementalMEPAreviewmaybeconducted. November5. 1999 DonHyyppa Date RegionalSupervisor PleasesignandreturntheoriginaltoFWPtoindicateyourconcurrencewiththelicense stipulationslistedabove. Acopyofthesigneddecisionwillbeprovidedtoyouforyour records. Mailto:DonHyyppa,MontanaFish,Wildlife&Parks,Box1630,MilesCity,MT59301 CharlesSamuelson Date 9 (, MTECHANOLXOGIIESMINC® XyTt'Ohu'^i*/s1a*(,tt$cf0cj&T~J'tuafga'feX* i\7V'•irGCTi O^ ioog H;Heell/:eennaa,,3MM0Poo3.nnOtt.IaarenBnnaoaex55S994tr666e009e149t nbht^-falooh’ Fax:((440066))444493--35722190 M xt* vr*m.im.x* ** «_J DATE: October20, 1999 TO: DonHyyppa,FWPRegion7,P.O.Box 1630,MilesCity,MT59301 CC: TimFeldner,FWPEnforcementDivision,POBox200701,Helena MT59620 (w/outdisc) FROM: DougRognessandChrisCronin,MaximTechnologies SUBJECT: FinalEA Samuelson-TwinButtesElkGameFarm pFArtaotrpamecrhlneyedarriespBrtrehoseaednFutisnF.alWPePnlvepiaorsioennt-mroeefnv-tivaeilwewastsh.seeWsrseems’epvnoetnsa(elsEsAot)oenfpcoulrboltsihecedpcaroodmipmsoecsneotdfstThawenidtnexbBteutintseuWsroerEdlthpkaetrGfatehmceety D5.o1cuinmecnatseaynoduFinneaeldEtAomsahkoueldanbyelsaesntt-moiuntutbeyeTdhiutsr.sdaAyc,coNrodviengmbteorou1r1,sc1h9e9d9u,le,theDecision Pleasefeelfreetocontactuswithanycommentsorquestions. — Jv/i\ 11ProvidingCost-EffectiveSolutionstoClientsNationwide" 9