Horse Heaven project: approved preconstruction wildlife plans and pronghorn collaring update

Amy Moon provided the Horse Heaven project update, saying FSEC staff reviewed and approved facilitator preconstruction survey plans and a pronghorn capture and handling protocol. Moon said the certificate holder submitted plans for species including striped whipsnake, sagebrush lizard, burrowing owl, prairie falcon, several jackrabbit species and Townsend's ground squirrel, plus a bat monitoring plan. She said staff are working with the certificate holder to refine land- and shoreline-use, livestock management and other required plans.

Moon said staff are evaluating a recent request to remove three black walnut trees at the intersection of Bethel Road and County Well Road to site a substation and point of interconnection; two of the trees are in poor condition and one was confirmed dead last year. She said tree removal would be mitigated by replacement in kind and details will be included in the revised wildlife and habitat mitigation plan.

Moon also reported the certificate holder conducted two pronghorn collaring events (Feb. 27 and March 13) and "A total of 17 pronghorn have been collared and are being tracked by GPS, including 14 females and 3 males." Council members had no further questions during the meeting.