In the event that Dreyer Brother, Inc. decides to proceed with the proposal, 

 the baseline studies will be integrated into the complete evaluation re- 

 quired by the Major Facility Siting Act, the Montana Environmental Policy 

 Act and other applicable statutes. It should be noted that, at this time, 

 only the vegetation, wildlife and a portion of the aquatic resources studies 

 have been completed. 



In order to meet the statutory mandates and fulfill the contract with 

 Dreyer Brother, Inc., DNRC designed the overall baseline study to: 



1. Develop and conduct a cross-disciplinary baseline study comprised 

 of various study components, which is harmonious with the Montana Major 

 Facility Siting Act and the Montana Environmental Policy Act, and will 

 permit initiation of impact evaluations if a facility application is 

 received; and 



2. Obtain baseline data that are suitable for assessment of the action 

 under applicable statutes, and acceptable to those local, state, and federal 

 agencies involved in the proposed project. 



STUDY AREA 



Initially, the study area--which is properly the focus of impact studies- 

 was defined as the area encompassing the biotic, abiotic, and cultural char- 

 acteristics that a mine and coal-conversion facility, located in McCone County 

 near either the Fort Peck Reservoir of the Missouri River, may influence. 

 Once Dreyer Brothers, Inc. provides a better description of plant design and 

 DNRC understands the area's meteonDlogical characteristics better, the lo- 

 cation of the study area can be refined. If Dreyer Brothers, Inc. changes 

 the location of the proposed conversion facility indicated in the current 

 long range plan, DNRC will make the necessary adjustments in the definition 

 of the study area. 



Proposed Mining Area 



In March of 1977, Dreyer Brothers, Inc. defined an eleven and one half 

 square mile (29.8 km^) area encompassing the anticipated twenty-year strip 

 mining activity. This area, termed the proposed mining area, became the 

 primary focus of field study after its definition and contains all exper- 

 imental study plots for the wildlife study. At the time the remaining 

 study components are initiated, much of the monitoring equipment and study 

 plots involved will likewise be sited in this area. 



Mine Study Area 



The mine study area, which surrounds the proposed mining area, was 

 studied in nearly as much detail as the proposed mining area. The size of 

 the area somewhat varied depending upon the study component involved. The 

 wildlife study encompassed a ninety-nine square mile (174.3 km^) area; the 

 vegetation evaluation was focused upon a seventy-five square mile (132.0 km^) 

 area. The mine study area contains all control study plots, and most aerial 

 surveys covered this area; it corresponds to the 7.5' field maps used to 

 record data. 



