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Re-establishment of Sharp-Tailed Grouse Habitat on Reclaimed
Minelands at the Rosebud Mine
1976
Monitoring
of Sharp-tailed grouse ongoing
Location: The Rosebud Mine, owned and operated by
Western Energy Company (WECo), is located in Colstrip, Montana
in Rosebud County (Southeastern Montana). This reclamation
project was conducted in under Permit Nos. SMP 86003A, SMP
84003B, SMP 85003C, SMP 81003E, and SMP 85003P. |
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| Sharp-tailed
grouse dancing on reclaimed minelands |
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Project Specialists:
Bruce Waage, Senior Scientific Specialist (Wildlife)
Peter Martin, Senior Scientific Specialist (Vegetation)
History of Mine: Western Energy Company (WECo) has operated
a surface coal mine in Southeastern Montana since 1968. Located
in Rosebud County near the town of Colstrip, WECo�s mine produces
approximately 10 million tons annually. The mine typically disturbs
and reclaims approximately 350 acres per year. The coal seam is
flat lying, uniformly 24 foot thick and the coal is located from
50 to 200 feet below the land surface.
Sharp-tailed Grouse Behavior Narrative: Prior to large-scale
mining activities, wildlife surveys conducted at Colstrip documented
the area to be excellent sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
habitat (ECON 1973). An important game bird in Montana, the
sharp-tailed grouse is a wide-ranging species which occupies the
state east of the Rocky Mountain front. This grouse is also of interest
because of its unique "communal" courtship display, which
is very unique in nature. Typically, the dancing ground is on a
slightly elevated knoll giving the birds a stage to attract the
attention of females. One dancing ground documented by WECO has
been active for 26 years on the same knoll. Male sharp-tailed grouse
gather at these very specific sites to display "dance"
each spring in order to earn the right to breed.
When displaying, the male grouse appear like wind up toys, whirling
in full and half circles with wings outspread, heads lowered and
tails pointed up. They stomp their feet in rapid succession and
seem to dance with their rivals. According to Johnson (1964), the
dancing ground behavior of the grouse was mimicked in Indian ceremonies.
Specific Problem: Dancing grounds and the habitat needs
of grouse were an important permitting issue for WECo in the mid-
1970's. At the time, there was no information to predict the
impacts of large-scale coal development on local grouse populations.
There were questions about the effect of mining through a dancing
ground and whether dancing grounds could be re-established on reclaimed
mined land. Studies had been conducted on Sage grouse (Centrocercus
urophasianus) to determine the birds response to a relocated
dancing ground (Eng and Pitcher 1979), (Tate 1979). These studies
documented some success. During this period, no studies on Sharp-tailed
grouse had begun and there had been no attempt to relocate birds
onto reclaimed lands.
Reestablishment Methods of Sharp-tailed Grouse: Efforts
to re-establish Sharp-tailed grouse on reclaimed mine lands at WECo
have used the following three components; luring, habitat re-establishment,
and rangeland management.
Luring - In 1975, a professional quality tape recording
of Sharp-tailed grouse display vocalizations from a dancing ground
was acquired. This tape was the basis of an innovative approach
to acoustically lure the Sharp-tailed grouse to a predetermined
reclamation site or "dancing ground" (Waage 1989). Styrofoam
decoys depicting displaying male Sharp-tailed grouse were used to
provide additional stimuli at the dancing ground.
On a typical morning, decoys were placed on the reclamation site
along with speakers with 50' of cord connected to a cassette tape
player in a vehicle. The tapes were played from one hour before
sunrise to two hours after sunrise. After 1978, an automatic timer
system was developed in which the tape was activated by a 12-volt
car battery left in the field.
This system was successful in establishing the first reclamation
dancing ground. This ground has been active every year since 1982
(17 years). It holds the highest male attendance for a single year
(34 males recorded in 1989) from a total of 45 native grounds monitored
from 1973 through 1998. There have been nine separate sites in WECo�s
reclamation areas where attempts to lure sharp-tailed grouse have
been conducted. Six sites had positive results.
The luring technique is not used by WECo for Sharp-tailed grouse
dancing ground re-establishment today. It was a learning process
for all concerned about grouse re-establishment. Experience has
repeatedly demonstrated that if habitat is replaced, the birds will
return on their own. This is happening today. In recent years, dancing
grounds have been spontaneously established in reclamation areas
indicating that the proper grouse habitat has been established.
The grouse luring technique developed by the surface mining industry
has been a positive innovation for the management of grouse in other
wide ranging applications. For example, the Colorado Division of
Wildlife contacted WECo regarding this method to move grouse from
a dancing ground that was encroached upon by a neighborhood development.
The State of Missouri's Department of Wildlife had a problem with
prairie chickens, a closely related grouse species. These birds
were displaying on the tarmac of the airport runway of a large U.S.
military airfield, and were in danger of getting sucked up into
the jet engines as they displayed. Western Energy Company (WECo)
sent them the system to assist in relocating the grouse off the
runway. The most significant contribution this method had made is
with The Nature Conservancy's work on the Columbian Sharp-tailed
grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus). This species is listed
by the State of Montana as a species of special concern. The Nature
Conservancy utilized WECo�s system in their attempt to augment dancing
grounds in the former range of this Northwestern Montana grouse
species. The Nature Conservancy presented WECo with a Certificate
of Appreciation for the outstanding cooperation in the conservation
of the Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse on the Montana's Tobacco Plains
and at the Montana Nature Conservancy's Dancing Prairie Preserve.
Theses are all examples of an innovative method developed by the
coal mining industry that has transferred positive value to other
agencies with public benefits as well.
Habitat Reestablishment - WECo has reclaimed nearly 6,000
acres of rangeland. This reclamation is composed of the following
major vegetation types: upland grassland, Big sagebrush /grassland,
Silver sagebrush/grassland, Skunkbush sumac/grassland and Ponderosa
pine. Western Energy Company (WECo) direct hauls soils whenever
possible to improve volunteer plant growth. This contributes to
postmine vegetative diversity because many plants remain viable
in the fresh soil. Western Energy Company (WECo) plants approximately
20,000 shrub and tree tubelings each year. Survival rates for Silver
and Big sagebrush, which are important plants that provide cover
for grouse, approach 95 percent.
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| A
diverse mixture of native grass, forbs and shrubs is required
for grouse |
Grouse have responded positively to these reclaimed habitats by
the spontaneous establishment of dancing grounds (6) on the reclaimed
lands. Western Energy Company (WECo) had a high point of five grounds
on reclaimed land during a single spring. This translated to 1.9
dancing grounds per square mile on reclaimed lands. Native dancing
ground densities reported for the region have been 0.12 per square
mile in Colstrip (Schwarzkoph 1980), 0.22 per square mile for Otter
Creek drainage (Martin 1980a), and 0.09 per square mile in the Sarpy
Creek drainage (Martin 1980b). Male grouse attendance at reclamation
grounds has been above the average when compared to native grounds
(Chart
1)
WECo�s use of both warm and cool season grasses has improved the
reclamation for grouse by providing a diversity of grasses that
respond differently to climatic variations. For example, during
a dry spring, the cool season grasses may not provide much cover
for grouse because of reduced growth. If moisture comes later in
the season when the warm season grasses are just becoming active,
the warm season grasses then can provide the required cover. This
phenomenon was observed in 1998 due to low rainfall in the spring
of 1998. However, good cover conditions developed later in the summer
as the warm season component of the reclamation responded to favorable
moisture conditions. Similar effects have been seen with cattle
grazing. When a pasture is grazed early in the year, the cool season
grasses are actively growing and the cattle will select them. After
cattle are moved from an early grazing pasture, the warm season
grasses have been observed to initiate growth, providing the cover
that may not have been there in a less diverse plant community.
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| Reclaimed
grasslands showing positive effects of grassland diversity -
red grasses are warm season grasses that grew after cattle had
grazed cool season grasses |
In a paper presented at the twentieth Western States Sage and Columbian
Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop, it was noted: "As the reclamation
proceeds, it appears that Sharp-tailed grouse populations return
to levels approximating those in adjacent native habitats, thus
meeting one of the wildlife objectives for bond release (Yde and
Waage 1996)". Yde went on to note that "if reclaimed vegetation
is not designed to provide complete Sharp-tailed grouse habitat
(i.e., a good mixture of grass, forbs, and shrubs and trees), additional
impacts to the Sharp-tailed grouse population may result".
Rangeland Management - Once a diverse mixture of vegetation
has been established, proper management is critical to maintain
and improve good habitat components. Proper management benefits
both Sharp-tailed grouse and wildlife in general. Western Energy
Company's (WECo) most important management tool is a well planned
and implemented grazing plan. Grazing is important because it removes,
at regular intervals, the accumulated standing litter which would
eventually reduce diversity by choking out plants that are not adapted
to the thatched conditions. This condition can also favor a limited
number of plants that are adapted to these conditions, further reducing
vegetative diversity.
Western Energy Company (WECo) grazes approximately 600 head of
cattle each year, utilizing a modified rest-rotation grazing system.
Pastures are generally grazed two years out of three and rested
the third year. Timing of grazing varies from early-mid growing
season one year to mid-late the next year. The rotation of early
graze - late rest is varied for some pastures depending on management
needs. Western Energy Company (WECo) currently has 37 fenced grazing
pastures. A conservative 50% utilization (50% of plant cover is
grazed) on reclaimed pastures is used. This practice leaves adequate
cover for nesting grouse.
Eleven Sharp-tailed grouse nests have been documented within reclaimed
areas (WECo 1985). In 1985, WECo had radio collared four females
captured on a reclamation dancing ground to acquire nesting information.
Two of the hens were later found to nest at native sites and two
nested within reclaimed areas (WECo 1985). This is a good indication
that reclaimed lands are readily used by grouse for nesting. The
reclaimed area was a small percent of the total available nesting
habitat in an area surrounded by suitable native habitat.
Western Energy Company (WECo) is not suggesting that all of the
reclamation concerns for grouse are known, but rather that great
strides have been made by using innovative on-the-ground-approaches.
To that end, WECo is committed to increasing knowledge and improving
reclamation. Western Energy Company (WECo) has attended the National
Prairie Grouse Technical Council (PGTC) Meetings from 1977 to the
present. In 1991, WECO Chaired the Executive Board of PGTC (1990-1991)
and hosted the bi-annual symposium for the first time in the State
of Montana. One of the reasons for having the meeting in Montana
was to tour the Rosebud Mine and discuss the successful grouse management
programs on WECo�s reclaimed mine lands.
In 1998, the Western States and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Workshop
(a professional group of government agencies) toured the Rosebud
Mine to see WECo�s grouse management successes.
Supplemental Narrative: Western Energy Company (WECo) has
involved the local public in the appreciation of the "reclamation"
resource during the spring of 1998 by announcing in the local newspaper
that it would provide a bird watching tour van and interpreter to
observe the courtship display of the grouse on reclaimed mine lands.
This was very well received with a full van and people coming as
far as 120 miles away before sunrise. For some, it was the first
time they had seen grouse display on a dancing ground.
Western Energy Company (WECo) is committed to protecting Montana�s
Sharp-tailed grouse population by returning them to reclaimed land.
This effort will ensure that Sharp-tailed grouse will remain a part
of Montana�s natural heritage for the community and future generations.
Western Energy Company's (WECo) early Sharp-tailed grouse reestablishment
efforts paved the way to where we are today. It has had positive
results for other governmental agencies and a private conservation
group. While their are still areas to improve, preliminary data
indicates outstanding on-the-ground results for Sharp-tailed grouse
reestablishment on reclaimed mine lands.
(Supplement
1)
Submitted by:
Robert Montgomery
Environmental Supervisor
Area C Office, Castle Rock Road
Colstrip, MT 59323
Phone: (406) 748-5186
Email: rmontgom@ mtpower.com
Date: May 17, 2001
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