Final Environmental Impact Statement
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Final Environmental Impact Statement
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Vestal <strong>Final</strong> <strong>Environmental</strong> <strong>Impact</strong> <strong>Statement</strong> Chapter 3<br />
Threatened and Endangered Species<br />
A list of federally threatened, endangered and proposed species has been provided by the<br />
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), South Dakota State Office, and last verified on<br />
September 1, 2011 (USFWS 2011a). The USFWS lists the following endangered and/or<br />
threatened species for Custer County, South Dakota: whooping crane, sprague’s pipit,<br />
and black-footed ferret.<br />
The whooping crane and least tern have been removed from the list of species considered<br />
on the Black Hills National Forest under Section 7 consultation (letter of concurrence<br />
from D. Gober, Field Supervisor, USFWS, Pierre, South Dakota, dated August 8, 2003).<br />
It was determined that management activities on the Forest would have ‘no effect’ on<br />
these species because the Black Hills National Forest lacks suitable habitat.<br />
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the conservation status of Sprague’s Pipit to<br />
determine whether the species warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act.<br />
The status review found that listing Sprague’s Pipit as threatened or endangered is<br />
warranted, but that listing the species at this time is precluded by the need to complete<br />
other listing actions of a higher priority. To ensure this review was comprehensive, the<br />
Service solicited information from state and federal natural resource agencies and all<br />
interested parties regarding the Sprague’s pipit and its habitat.<br />
Refer to Appendix G which contains a summary of the BA/BE completed for this project.<br />
Region 2 (R2) Sensitive Species<br />
The current sensitive species list for the Rocky Mountain Region (R2) was renewed on<br />
June 10, 2011. Sensitive species for the Black Hills National Forest are listed on the R2<br />
threatened, endangered, and sensitive species home webpage (USDA Forest Service<br />
2011).<br />
The pre-field review of R2 Sensitive Species was completed using survey results, district<br />
records, literature reviews, on-line databases, and the South Dakota Natural Heritage<br />
Database. There are fourteen R2 sensitive species which occur or could potentially occur<br />
(habitat may be present) in the Vestal project area.<br />
Species Presence Confirmed & Habitat Present:<br />
• Bald eagle<br />
• Northern goshawk<br />
• Black-backed woodpecker<br />
• Northern leopard frog<br />
• Black Hills redbelly snake<br />
• Fringed myotis<br />
• Townsend’s big-eared bat<br />
• Black-tailed prairie dog<br />
• Mountain sucker<br />
Species Presence Expected and Habitat Present:<br />
70<br />
• Hoary bat<br />
• American marten