Twin Buttes Game Farm decision document

30 Pages·1999·0.86 MB·English

by  Montana. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Region 7

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F6326tb0g2d94 MONTANASTATELIBBadv
1999 3III0864IIIOut4 60552
TWINBUTTESGAMEFARM
DECISIONDOCUMENT
November3,1999 statedocumentscollection
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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
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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
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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
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Pleasefeelfreetocontactuswithanycommentsorquestions.
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