(DSL) . The magnitude of the mine development prompted the 

 KNF and DSL to prepare an environmental impact statement 

 (EIS) on the project. The EIS would be the first ever pre- 

 pared on a hard rock mine development in Montana and only 

 the fourth in the United States. The Montana Department of 

 Fish, Wildlife and Parks was enlisted by the DSL to survey 

 and inventory wildlife species of the mine development area 

 pursuant to requirement of the Montana Environmental Policy 

 Act. 



Objectives of the study were to: 



1. Determine the density, relative abundance and 

 occurrence of wildlife utilizing the area to be 

 influenced by mining activities; 



2. Identify species which would have particular 

 vulnerabilities to the project; 



3. Predict impacts to all wildlife species from the 

 development; 



4. Provide immediate recommendations to alleviate, 

 avoid or reduce impacts pursuant to data collected 

 during the baseline study and available litera- 

 ture; and 



5. Obtain the necessary background information to 

 develop long-term wildlife monitoring programs 

 which would establish cause-effect relationships 

 between wildlife responses and mine-related 

 activities . 



The final objective would ultimately provide resource managers 

 with the opportunity to implement recommendations which would 

 have long-term beneficial consequences for wildlife in this 

 particular mine area and for mines slated for other parts of 

 Montana or the nation. 



DESCRIPTION OF AREA 



Location 



The West Cabinet Mountains study area encompassed ap- 

 proximately 416 square km (160 square mi) in northwest Mon- 

 tana about 2 4 km (15 mi) south of Troy in Lincoln County. 

 The study area boundaries were roughly defined by the 

 Lincoln-Sanders County line and the Montana-Idaho state line 

 on the south and west, while the northern boundary followed 

 the separation between Townships 30 and 31 and the eastern 

 boundary followed Highway 202 (recently renumbered to 56) 

 (Figure 1) . About 2 percent of the study area is under 



