The second impact to the white-tailed deer population inhab- 

 iting the Kootenai River valley was the construction of two roads 

 parallel to Lake Koocanusa. Highway 37 was constructed along the 

 east shore of the reservoir through a variety of habitat types and 

 big game seasonal ranges. Approximately 11.3 miles of the new 

 highway bisects white-tailed deer crucial winter range, resulting 

 in a loss of available habitat (302 acres). Additionally the 

 remaining portions of the highway altered habitats utilized by 

 white-tailed deer during the other seasons of the year. The Forest 

 Development Road, constructed along the west shore of the reser- 

 voir, bisected white- tailed deer crucial winter range for approxi- 

 mately 17.2 miles, resulting in a loss of 459 acres. 



Prior to inundation. Highway 37 paralleled along the west bank 

 of the Kootenai River, and impacted approximately 20.6 miles of 

 white-tailed deer winter range, as determined from a 1967 U. S. 

 Forest Service map (1:126,720). It was assumed the impacts created 

 by the construction of the Forest Development Road along the west 

 side of the reservoir - which probably disturbed more acres per 

 mile due to the type of terrain it traversed - were similar to 

 those already existing due to the original Highway 37. Therefore, 

 they were not considered in the analysis of the impacts to white- 

 tailed deer population. 



The third impact associated with the Libby Dam project was the 

 relocation of the Burlington Northern Railroad along the Fisher 

 River and Wolf Creek drainages. The 19.0 miles of relocated rail- 

 road grade eliminated approximately 725 acres of crucial winter 

 range for white-tailed deer. The impacts of this loss of habitat 

 were similar to those created by the inundation of the impoundment 

 area. The importance of the habitat lost is emphasized by the fact 

 the relocated grade is within the riparian zones. These zones are 

 of primary importance as crucial winter rcmge for white-tailed 

 deer. 



Prior to inundation the Burlington Northern (Great Northern) 

 railroad grade paralleled along the east side of the Kootenai 

 River. This grade passed through 22.4 miles (856 acres) of white- 

 tailed deer winter range - determined from a 1967 U.S. Forest 

 Service map (1:126,720) - thus producing a pre-project impact to 

 the white-tailed deer population. The extent of the original 

 habitat loss was greater than the loss created by relocating the 

 grade to its present location; however, the new grade passes 

 through a winter range supporting a greater density of wintering 

 white-tailed deer. Therefore, a net impact assessment considering 

 all the factors was determined. 



Firebaugh et al. (1975) conducted aji intensive study of the 

 impacts of the new railroad grade and concluded it had no measur- 

 able affect on the distribution of deer within the v;inter range; 

 however, there have been some deer mortalities due to collisions 

 with trains moving through the area. Flath (1973) reported the 

 segment of the relocated grade between mileposts 1296 and 1297 



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