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Peregrine eyeries have been found about 10 miles to the north and • <br />east and the mine permit area is included as a portion of its <br />hunting range. The habitat requirements are met along the meadows <br />and ponds south of the mine permit area and may be considered <br />hunting grounds. No areas suitable for nesting are within the mine <br />permit or adjacent areas; however, the cliffs approximately 10 <br />miles north and east of the site meet the nesting requirements for <br />this species. Whether the peregrine falcon would ever use or is <br />using the general area is not known. <br />Greater sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis tabidal. State Endangered <br />Sub-species. Nesting habitat for this bird consists primarily of <br />large marshes and willow-lined drainages of mountain meadows. Most <br />nests are below the 9500 foot elevation in mountainous areas and <br />staging areas are near water with abundant food supplies (usually <br />along river bottoms near agricultural wheat fields). The main <br />cause of their endangered status has been human activity. Histori- <br />cally, the birds were found throughout western Colorado with <br />verified nests in Moffat, Routt, Jackson, and the eastern portion <br />of Rio Blanco Counties. The mine site does not meet the require- <br />ments for nesting habitat; however, the meadow and stockponds south <br />of the mine permit area could be used as a migratory resting area. <br />This would be an unusual occurrence since the nearby White and <br />Yampa Rivers meet the requirements of both nesting and staging <br />areas and would serve as more suitable resting areas during <br />migrations. <br />Whooping Crane (Grus americana). State and Federal Endangered <br />Species. Currently the presence of these large cranes is due to <br />the experimental work with sandhill crane foster parents in Gray's <br />Lake, Idaho. The migratory flight pattern for the whooping crane <br />encompasses most of northwestern Colorado and they have recently <br />been observed using reservoirs in the Grand Junction/Montrose area. <br />Little is known about the essential habitat for this species; <br />however, what is essential for sandhill cranes is probably essen- • <br />tial for whoopers. Essential habitat has been identified in the <br />NCEC - Coal Ridge #1 3-92 ASC/1145/900301 <br />