Identifying and Evaluating Impacts - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 430

boundaries of the project 'footprint', and that many of the threatened or endangered spe-
cies are particularly vulnerable in this regard. There is usually little evidence to support or
refute such claims, and it is difi cult to obtain such evidence during the course of an EIA
study. However, there are occasions where relevant observations can be made as illustrated
in Case 9.6 . In the authors' experience, mobile forms of wildlife as distinct from domesti-
cated animals (and including both terrestrial and marine species) are capable of recognizing
and avoiding danger. For example, birds do not l y through plumes of smoke issuing from
chimney stacks. In addition, as evidenced by the case study, many species adapt readily to
changed circumstances. Of course this is not true for all species; however, it does appear that
indirect effects on wildlife are commonly exaggerated, even by biologists.
Assessing impacts on biodiversity requires a two-part approach. Firstly, a list of rare,
threatened and vulnerable species is compiled and the effects on each are assessed consid-
ering their local status, habitats affected and the ranges occupied by the subject species, and
the degree of protection afforded by conservation reserves, if any. Secondly, to evaluate the
potential for loss of biodiversity at a less species-specii c level, the areas of each habitat that
will be destroyed, damaged or signii cantly altered as a result of the project are calculated,
and compared with the unaffected areas of each habitat in the surrounding areas. It fol-
lows from this that baseline information on habitat distribution is required for a region
extending well beyond the immediate project footprint.

Mobile forms of wildlife as distinct
from domesticated animals (and
including both terrestrial and
marine species) are capable of
recognizing and avoiding danger.

Indirect effects on wildlife are
commonly exaggerated, even by
biologists.

9.7 CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES AND MINE DEVELOPMENT

Cultural heritage sites can be dei ned as a human work or place that gives evidence of human
activity or has spiritual, cultural, or historic value (CEAA 1996). Evaluating the signii cance
of cultural heritage sites and predicting how mine development may impact such sites, poses
particular difi culties. The challenges are threefold: (1) What makes a site a cultural herit-
age site? (2) How to dei ne its signii cance? (3) How to objectively judge project impacts?
Relevant legislation and guidelines from the host country or, if unavailable, from other juris-
dictions help to answer these questions (CEAA 1996).

What makes a Site a Cultural Heritage Site?

Cultural heritage sites hold tangible and intangible attributes. They are distinguished from
other resources by virtue of the historic value placed on them through their association

CASE 9.6
Bighorn Sheep near a Proposed Mine in Idaho, USA

In the early 1970s one of the authors was involved in EIA
studies for an underground mine at the site of a historic
silver mine at Bayhorse, in the Salmon River watershed in
Idaho. State authorities identifi ed the proposed mining area
as being along the migration route for a herd of Rocky
Mountain Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis).
Rightly or wrongly, the Bighorn Sheep is recognized as a
species that is sensitive to intrusion. As a result of these

considerations, a 12-month study was implemented using
radio transmitters to identify the areas where the sheep
travelled. This expensive study contributed little apart from
confi rming what was already known, that the herd did
pass through the proposed mining area. Coincidentally, the
author was working on another project while the Bighorn
Sheep tracking study was underway. This project was for
the expansion of a limestone quarry and crushing plant

on the front range of the Rocky Mountains near the city
of Colorado Springs in Colorado. During fi eldwork for this
project, a herd of Bighorn Sheep was observed on several
occasions in the vicinity of the mine and on one occasion,
the herd was observed grazing around the foundations
of the Crushing and Screening Plant, during
operations . So much for sensitivity.