BP SDEIS App F-3 WEST Survey Reports Cape Vincent

8/7/2019 BP SDEIS App F-3 WEST Survey Reports Cape Vincent

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Environmental Resources Management Southwest, Inc.206 East 9th Street, Suite 1700

Austin, Texas 78701

(512) 459-4700

WEST Survey ReportsAppendix F-3

February 2011

Project No. 0092352


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Report on Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) Sampling at TenSites on the Proposed Location of the Cape Vincent Wind Farm

Jefferson County, New York

June, 2008

Sampling by:

0B0BSanders Environmental Inc.322 Borealis Way

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823HHUU [email protected] UU

814-364-8776

Undertaken for:

WEST, Inc.2003 Central Avenue

Cheyenne, Wyoming, 82001

&

Cape Vincent Wind PowerCape Vincent, NY
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Table of Contents

Section 1.0: Executive Summary

Section 2.0: Methods2.1: Site SelectionSection 3.0: Results

3.1: Capture Summary

1B1BList of Tables

Table 3-1: Summer 2008 Bat Capture Summary

2B2BList of Appendices

Appendix A: Mist Net Site Location MapsAppendix B: Completed Field DatasheetsAppendix C: Select Site and Bat Photos


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Section 1.0: Executive SummaryIn June 2008, ten mist net sites were sampled on the proposed location of theCape Vincent Wind Farm, located near Cape Vincent NY, Jefferson county NY.These sites were run in an effort to assess the distribution of the federally

endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) and to provide subjects for radiotelemetry tracking.

At the ten mist net sites (Appendix A), one hundred and twenty bats of fivespecies were captured, including four Indiana bats. The total consists of 73 littlebrown (Myotis lucifugus), 20 northern long-eared (Myotis septentrionalis), 22 bigbrown (Eptesicus fuscus), and1 red (Lasiurus borealis) bats. Capture ratesaveraged 12.0 bats per mist net site.

Indiana bats were captured at sites 1, 2, and 6. Sites one and two are locatednear the north wester border of the project and site 6 is near the south eastern

project border.

No previously banded bats were captured at any of these sites.

Section 2.0: MethodsBats were captured using mist nets; a minimum of two separate net sets wererun per site. Each site was run for two nights over a period of five hours startingat dusk. Nets were checked for bats every fifteen minutes. Net set heightsranged from single high (2.6M) to triple high (7.8M). The sampling techniquesfollowed USFWS sampling protocol as set by the Indiana bat recovery team inthe agency draft Indiana bat recovery plan.

Radio telemetry was performed on two adult female Indiana bats. Telemetrydata, roost tree data, and emergence count results are provided in separatereports detailing those activities.

2.1: Mist Net Site SelectionMist net sites were selected by Sanders Environmental, focusing on the woodedhabitat and ecotones associated with the larger forest areas. The sites wereselected based on suitability for netting, nearby habitat, distribution across theproject area in relation to disturbance, the overall topography/geography/habitat,and its ability to funnel or direct bats to the netting locations. Sites were alsoselected based on data obtained from the 2007 mist netting & telemetry studies.

Individual net sets were placed in three basic configurations: blocking trails,roads, or flyways, over water, or jutting from the edge of a block of forest into anopen area. Many mist net sites allowed for the placement of individual net sets inat least two of these basic configurations.

Trail and flyway net sets are placed to give optimum coverage in the selectedflyway. The ends of the nets are set back into the woods, making it difficult for


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bats to fly around the nets. A net of appropriate height is used to reach as highinto the canopy as possible.

Net sets over water are set to catch bats either coming in for a drink, using astream as a flyway, or foraging over the water. Still pools are selected on

streams and nets are strategically placed against vegetation to prevent bats fromevading them. Nets over water are sometimes placed in V, N, or even W shapesto obstruct bats access to the water.

Section 3.0 ResultsNetting at ten sites resulted in an average of 12.0 bats being captured per mistnet site.

Four Indiana bats were captured at three different sites. Two of the sites werelocated within the woodlot on the north west side of the project that containingthe maternity site identified during the 2007 telemetry survey. The other site was

located adjacent to a large swamp on the south eastern project border which alsocontained roost trees occupied by radio tagged bats in both 2007 and 2008.

3.1: Capture summaryCapture results for the project are summarized in Table 3-1. It provides acomplete breakdown of captures by species and sex.

No previously banded bats were captured at any of these sites.


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3 0 1 0 2 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0

2 0 1 0 1 0

0 0 0 0 0

Table 3-1: Bat Capture SummaryLittle Brown Northern Long-eared Indiana Big Brown Red

Total for all species M. lucifugus M. septentrionalis M. Sodalis E. Fuscus L. borealis

Project TotalTotal 120 73 20 4 22 1

Male/Female 39 78 26 47 5 14 1 3 7 13 0 1

Project Averages per Site

Total 12.0 7.3 2.0 0.4 2.2 0.1

Site 1

Total 11 9 0 2 0 0Male/Female 0 11 0 9 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0

Site 2


Site 3


Site 4

Total 14 6 3 0 5 0Male/Female 6 8 2 4 1 2 0 0 3 2 0 0Site 5


Site 6Total 25 20 2 1 2 0

Male/Female 17 8 12 8 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 0Site 7





KeyTotal Total bats of species

Male/Female Males Females ?


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Appendix A: Mist Net Site Location Map


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Appendix B: Completed Field Datasheets


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Documents

BP SDEIS App F-3 WEST Survey Reports Cape Vincent