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<br />Biological. The transfer route traverses a diversity of <br />vegetation types and associated wildlife habitats between Oes Arc, <br />Arkansas, and Floydada, Texas. Three major-vegetational divisions are <br />the Eastern Woodlands, North Central Plains, and the High Plains. Major <br />wildlife habitats and typical associated species are listed in Table 18, <br />along with relative importance of the habitat. Endangered species <br />potentially occurring along the route are displayed in Table 19 (Federal <br />Register, May 20, 1980). Table 20 identifies fish and wildlife national <br />resource priorities established by the USFWS for areas which may be <br />affected by transfer Alternative O. <br /> <br />The Eastern Woodlands consist of oak-hickory-pine mixed forest <br />associations alternating with mixtures of pine forest, pasture and <br />grassland, and various combinations of man-modified and native <br />vegetation. In the alluvial flood plain soils of major rivers in <br />southwestern Arkansas, and along the Red River in Texas, oak-gum-cypress <br />bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands occur typical of those in other <br />stream drainages throughout the southeastern United States. These <br />ecosystems are generally recognized to be of high value because of <br />their importance as wildlife habitats and are disappearing rapidly. <br />Southern Arkansas is in a transitional area between the Central and <br />Mississippi flyways and most of the major river drainages, including the <br />Red, Ouachita, and Arkansas, provide excellent resting and wintering <br />habitat for migrating waterfowl as well as breeding habitat for some <br />species. Resident species occupying the upland and bottomland wooded <br />habitats are austroriparian in nature, and include whitetail deer, grey <br />and fox squirrel, turkey, woodcock, waterfowl, and numerous non-game <br />birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Endangered species found in <br />the Eastern Woodlands of northeast Texas and southwestern Arkansas <br />include American alligator, red-cockaded woodpecker, Arctic peregrine <br />falcon, and bald eagle. Bachman's warbler and the Florida panther are <br />also possible in heavily wooded areas of southeast Arkansas. The fat <br />pocketbook pearly mussel is found in the White River and other drainages <br />in northeast Arkansas. <br /> <br /> <br />D40 <br />