APPENDIX D 



Circle West Dendritic Coulee Foot Routes 



Field Instructions 



Objectives 



This study would document seasonal wildlife diversity and use of the silver 

 buf faloberry/dendritic coulee habitat within the Permit Area, as well as the 

 extent of coulee-related habitat use by individual species. All vertebrate 

 species--amphibians , reptiles, birds, and mammals--would be investigated while 

 walking two survey routes, as shown in Figure 25. 



Materials Needed 



Materials needed for each month of field study would include: a 1:4,800 map 

 showing the two survey routes; a 7.5' field map; wildlife data sheets, and 

 waterfowl observation data sheets (on which to record big game, other mammals, 

 waterfowl, and raptor observations); two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Breeding 

 Bird Survey fBBS) field sheets (one for each route) on which the 11 data entry 

 columns have been reduced to four by drawing three heavy vertical lines between 

 columns 3 and 4, 6 and 7, and 9 and 10; one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service BBS 

 summary sheet; binoculars; a 20x spotting scope; a clipboard; indelible pens; 

 rain gear; field guides. 



Methods 



During each month of field study, the survey routes shown in Figure 25 

 should be walked once in a clockwise direction beginning at the MC05 dam at 

 local sunrise. Emphasis should be placed on assessing vertebrate use of tall 

 coulee shrub and other coulee habitats, although grassland and other noncoulee 

 habitats should be surveyed as well. The following should be recorded on each 

 field sheet at the beginning and end of the route: time, date, observer(s), 

 wind speed (Beaufort scale), sky conditions (°<, clouds), temperature, 

 precipitation type and rate, percentage of snow cover, and average snow depth 

 (in inches). Each individual vertebrate observed (seen or heard) should be 

 recorded by placing a hash mark in one of the four data entry columns on the BBS 

 field sheet (according to the habitat where first observed) as follows: 



Column 1 = using tall coulee shrubs directly, whether for perching, nesting, 

 feeding, cover, or shade. Includes birds first seen flying into or out of tall 

 coulee shrubs. 



Column 2 = using other coulee habitats (coulee walls, sagebrush, water, bare 

 earth, snowberry-rose) , but not using all shrub habitats. 



Column 3 = seen flying over or traveling across coulee, but not using coulee 

 habitats directly. 



Column 4 = seen or heard only on grassland or other habitats outside the 

 coulee system. 



Enter the hash mark according to the category in whicli the animal was first 

 seen or heard. For example, if an animal was first seen in grassland above a 



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