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Home My WebLink AboutAPA23777233 ALASKA POWER A1JTDORlTr TI( 1425' .S8 A23 I\(j.1..;l."'f} Phone:(907)277·7841 (907)27&0001 ARLIS Alaska Resources Library &Infonnation Services library Building,Suite 111 3211 Providence Drive A.nchoragc.AK 9950~-4614July24,1984 Susitna File No.6.14.4/J I ~,i .3$'WEST 5th AVENUE·ANCHORAGE,ALASKA .., Mr.Dennis Money U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service 1011 East Tudor Road Anchorage,Alaska 99504 Re:Confirmation of Discussions Regarding Peregrine Falcon Nesting Habitat on the Tanana River in the Vicinity of the Proposed Susitna Transmission Line Dear Mr.Money: o 00 On June 26,1984,the Alaska Power Authority and its representa- G:;tivesmet with you and Mike Amaral to discuss the findings of the ~June 11,1984 peregrine nesting survey along the Tanana River. T"""oo LO ~ M M You will recall that this survey was conducted to establish the location of historic peregrine nesting sites thought to be within one mile of the proposed Susitna Hydroe1ectri~Project transmission line. The June 11.1984 survey revealed that only three possible areas of peregrine falcon nesting habitat occur within three miles of the proposed Healy-to-Fairbanks transmission route crossing of the Tanana River.These locations (Nenana Bluff No.1,Nenana Bluff No.2,and Nenana Bluff No.3)are shown in enclosure 1.Two other locations near Nenana were previously thought to have contained historical nest sites.These locations clearly do not cantain nesting habitat (see Notations 1 and 2 in enclosure 1). Although all three areas of potential habitat found near the proposed transmission route crossing were judged to contain suit-~ able nesting habitat for peregrines (especially Nenana Bluff No.··1 and Nenana Sluff No.2),only one contains a documented historical nest site•.The historical nest site is at Nenana Bluff No.2 on a series of south-facit~rock outcroppings about 200 -300 feet above the valley floor and 1.4 miles east of the proposed transmission route (see Notation 3 in enclosure 1).The correct location of this nest site has been tentatively verified on the basis of the June 11.1984 findings that appropriate nesting habitat does not exist near the junctions of Sections 4,5,8,and 9,T4S,R7W, F.M.,or on a river bluff at the junctions of Sections a,9,16, and 17,T4S,R7W,F.M. 3033/245/d1/fl Mr.Dennis Money Susitna File No.6.14.4 Page 2 The two locations that contain suitable potential peregrine falcon nesting habitat that have no record of previous use (Nenana Bluff No.1 and Nenana Bluff No.3)are located about 2.3 miles east and 2.5 miles west of the proposed transmission route,respectively. Because the historical peregrine falcon nesting location at Nenana Bluff No.2 lies 1.4 miles east of the proposed transmission route, it is our understanding that the only U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service recQn11lended restrictions that may apply to this nesting location are those recommended for application within two miles of a nest site,but more than one mile from it (provided that project activities,including aircraft overflights,do not enter a one-mile buffer zone surrounding the nesting location).These recommended restrictions do not apply to aircraft (beyond one mile),and do not appear to specifically rule out the presence of permanent facil- ities producing low or negligible levels of noise (e.g.,a trans- mission line that may be const.TUcted and patrolled with the aid of aircraft).The recommended restrictions generally state that the use of explosives and other activities (e.g.,I'rock-crushing")or facilities that have noise levels sufficiently high to disturb nesting efforts are prohibited from April 15 through August 31, unless specifically authorized.Although these reconmended re- strictions are applied to each historical nesting location begin- ning on April 15 of each year,they are relaxed after June 1 in those years in which the nesting location is shown to be unoc- cupied.In such cases,construction activities that are normally prohibited within the two-mile buffer zone are allowed to proceed until April of the follOWing year,as long as they do not result in permanent facilities that are capable of producing relatively "high"levels of noise·of an on-going (although not necessarily continuous)nature (e.g.,gas1ine compresser stations). The other historical peregrine falcon nesting locations are all more than two miles from the transmission line route (Chena Bluff, 3.4'miles:Sa1chaket Bluff No.2,4.8 miles;Rosie Creek Bluff, 4.9 miles;and Bonanza Creek Bluff,2.9 miles).All other poten- tial nesting locations are also more than two miles from the transmission route (Sa1chaket Bluff No.1,4.4 miles;and Whiskey Island Bluff,3.6 miles).The historical and potential nesting locations are shown on the oversize map provided to you on June 26, 1984. Please confil.1 in writing whether our understanding of there- strictions regarding transmission line construction,operation and maintenance are correct in light of information provided by the June 11,1984 survey. 3033/245/d1/fl Mr.Dennis Money susitna File No.6.14.4 Page 3 Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comnents. Sincerely, ~":1onS.F guson Project anager TJA/JSF/jm Enclosure as stated cc:J.Drennan,PHS,D.C.,w/encl. M.Barr,PMS,San Francisco,w/encl. R.Putz,USFWS,Anchorage,w/encl. J.Lowenfels,BHB,Anchorage,w/encl. W.Larson,H-E,Anchorage,w/encl. 3033/245/dl/fl ') .--y:--'--;j'-- ~:i\\;'\3 \i ....) 1..:;.~'r~,. I 1 \',,/,,~~\,\1fT ,v+-~,,11 '--:-iJl.I-(-(-r-=;:'.J.J~:~~'('\:1/,' N:,.~;'.~'CI(~"~~.~I :..".,;!h Nt 'I. f\.\".~'~\~~~-~--n~;'~l(.l ~'\,,",(,~~~.~.,"";'.'?~'•\.,'...",.,.lq"':C.~':;:'.::::::-=o~ .~'O~:.1!i·'·",'<~:..,;:,'....(;01;,,$1•.__15 .,,'.,,'Ir::'.'.''"''..,1;;'.~:;~·~:··~'If~.:8;{.~(I"(NENANA ~LUFF'NO.2)I \ (:.~/"'l)(,<lr ri~ii~c-;~351 \....,;.:J.HISTORIC,M..~EREGRINE:FALCON "\J:---------2---·~...1 '--+i J,~._II---.fH.-":spr:l,nt)et:..:s-a Lr--'NBS-'F-l-NG-LoGA!-roN--d-~Vered'-bY--I I ,~OJ .....,I I.••••••i,---.Li.~../':.enen.'0 '\\I..:.:.nea.r:h.e...:ti1:'.i~r ..'t e';'e rl .C.M.Whi,te in 1963 tpair .with I~__/{.,,\I \\\i 1960!s~··b~'t,H.Spn:g r one younk in 1963;n9 data ,",,>:ai:-~~i.'t··f.::'~-:-ts·t.'.'.2'4 •j\\dOEl9 not ~etJlll!m era th I \19"&4-l96t.i incfetive 1970-PJl75;",~1 .,'1.111.410 ..',\\.1 •:l"C.~.•.:."..'(\7.::.:'::::--.:'.",:/"..'incident)l ',)no data 976-1981;inactive ,II ,~~:\.'\~.:!.~:!~\.:.-;::;,.,'.!'-...:..[Survey·Ill,'Jun 1984].1982;notldata 1983;inactive . ........111"~....'.._\,....\'\.....'....N.nenaMuniclft.lt..-I"'"\..f ....·.........1984)[..J "I----.~-:'".:-:~~~'\':\,"'.;i'i;;;,--A;;POrI-"'---l(-'--~-------,-.~"----y,-~---_.._----.I"S rvey ll-June -1984].1c,.·r···.:·~·1 i ::..f.~~:.t.../'\i "'-"I 1"..:Tran missio~Route .'j I ',.....,..I 'I I ..J'l;".:....y J l[\'~~./(2/~3 Li enst Application}(~I •2..,f';.r.'.:i2':/2&;l .25 ~M --'<..--SOL'i6J""......./.,-i.11~~:.)r.C H'rI'.r ~'i'Ls i.2 ;~o---r~~~E+';7 e2".'::'-=--t .'lO*~'IJ.MUS I .: ~/,.7-~:'~""I--;:'::.----;--.---il....----..tl.-~ELEI:£U3 H --~ l',.:.J"'./I '''c...I...,CONTOUR INT[RVALIOO rEET I !".1,I lor......:",.;i 0011[0 ll~{S _{._UINT 50 rOOT CO~IOU~S ~ f:1':"e\.-i .....J:~::'.\I \i \~IU"ISMU~SUlMl ~••\~ .('I ,,~•.•.J I'I •'-r',........--.-.--·---·33··--,---1',-'-"02 --,_.."--~,.'~./.._Jl,.:..-','..'.I...1\...:-;;11_.1 •.,'_'_3,_.l _""_._..-L."'~_..J._..3o __.,.:1.\ Figure 1.Information on peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus),nesting habitat in the vicinity of the proposed Susitna Hydroelectric Project Healy-to-Fairbanks transmission route crossing of the Tanana River.[1963 data are from C.M.White.pers.comm.13 June 1984;1970-1975 data are from Haugh,J.R.1976.Tanana River of Alaska.Pp.254-256 in R.W.Fyfe.S.A.Temple and T.J.Cade.The 1975 North American peregrine falcon survey.Can.Field-Nat.90:228-273: 1982 data are from Amaral,M.J.1982.Peregrine falcon survey of the lower Tanana River, Fairbanks to Nenana,Alaska.1982.Unpubl.rep.by Div.Endangered Species,U.S.Fish Wildl. Serv.,Anchorage;1984 data are from an LGL Alaska Research Associates.Inc.survey for Harza- Ebasco Susitna Joint Venture.11 June 1984).