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<br />4,_, <br /> <br />o <br />o <br />00 <br />C,J1 <br /> <br />seasons identified the flycatcher along the Gunnison River below the project area. <br />approximately 4 miles downstream from the Uncompahgre River confluence. Current <br />direction is that any willow flycatcher found in western Colorado under 8,500 feet in <br />elevation will be considered the southwestern subspecies (FWS, 1995b). Surveys in the <br />project area have not been completed. Therefore, we don't know if the flycatcher uses <br />potential habitat along the rivers, or if use extends to the wetland and prism habitat along the <br />laterals. <br /> <br />Reasons for the decline of the subspecies are thought to include loss of nesting habitat, <br />parasitism by cowbirds, and loss of winter habitat through tropical deforestation. Guidelines <br />for assessing impacts of projects are: <br /> <br />... within the range in Colorado, activities in occupied habitat occurring under 8,500 <br />feet elevation, on streams with.4 percent gradients or less, and within riparian shrub <br />vegetation at least 30 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 5 feet high will be considered as <br />potentially impacting the southwestern willow flycatcher (FWS, 1995b). <br /> <br />Installation of pipelines in winter (non-irrigation season) should avoid disturbance to breeding <br />pairs since the migratory birds arrive to nest in the spring. However, drying up seepage- <br />dependent wetlands and destroying prism habitat could eliminate potential habitat (Miller, <br />1995). Development activities at replacement areas should include measures to <br />increase/enhance potential southwestern willow flycatcher habitat, and their occurrence <br />should be monitored at these areas. <br /> <br />Consultation with the FWS for the flycathcer should occur as designs for specific proposals <br />are prepared and if the willow flycatcher is found along laterals to be piped (Miller, 1995). <br />Review of the wetland inventory data shows there about 35 sites of shrub-scrub wetlands <br />larger than I acre (see Attachment B). These site should be screened to detennine if they <br />meet FWS criteria for potential habitat, i.e., 1-2 acre thickets of trees and shrubs, near open <br />water or saturated soils (FWS, 1995a). Most of these sites are along the South and Selig <br />systems. Potential habitat sites should be surveyed during the spring nesting season before <br />construction is scheduled. If found, Reclamation would reinitiate consultation with the FWS <br />to decide appropriate protection measures. <br /> <br />Socio-Economic Factors <br /> <br />The FR/FES for the 1984 Plan projected a 7-year construction schedule with peak <br />employment increases of 260 jobs directly related to construction. Prior to passage of the <br />recent amendment to the Salinity Control Act, Reclamation thought the UVWUA would <br />construct the entire project over 10 years. 'This would reduce the number of construction <br />jobs, with jobs filled locally and not causing an influx of workers with related housing, <br />school or public services problems. Under the new process for selecting and funding <br />projects, smaller increments would be proposed. 'This may cause the amount of work to <br />decrease, but work still would be completed by local residents. <br /> <br />23 <br />