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Bald eagles nest, roost, and perch in large cottonwood trees adjacent and rivers. These types of suitable <br />habitat are found within the San Juan watershed and on -site, but most cottonwood trees will not be <br />removed or impacted by proposed operations. (An area of approximately 100 feet by 50 feet may be <br />cleared of cottonwoods for the construction of the access road.) The nearest known nest sites are located <br />well to the west of this site in Archuleta County, but this is considered within the winter range of the bird. <br />Mining will not have an effect on these habitat types. <br />Southwestern willow flycatchers utilize dense willow, cottonwood, and buffaloberry thickets (preferably a <br />layered system of all three) with surface water or saturated soil adjacent to or nearby the stand. Flycatcher <br />habitat is interspersed throughout the area along ditches and the perennial drainages such as the Rio <br />Blanco and San Juan River. No effect on possible flycatcher habitat is expected: the sole area which might <br />be suitable is in the riparian buffer zones, where the access road crosses the river and the Harris Ditch <br />(see above). <br />Colorado pikeminnow and Razorback sucker habitat is associated with the downstream riverine system <br />entering into and including the San Juan River. Such habitat exists but is within the buffer zones <br />established to protect the river, floodplain, and wetlands, and will not be affected by proposed mining. <br />Pagosa skyrocket is a flowering plant known to exist in a very limited area within Archuleta County with <br />Pagosa - Winifred soils derived from Mancos shale; these conditions are not present in the site. <br />Northern and Botta's pocket gophers use a variety of habitats including pasture land and agricultural <br />fields. Either species could occur in this part of Colorado. The mining could have an effect on pocket <br />gopher habitat if gopher burrows are intersected by earthmoving equipment, but such impact on habitat is <br />unlikely to have an impact on the species due to the limited area being disturbed. <br />Ferruginous hawks may use the watershed area for foraging and to meet other habitat needs. <br />Agricultural areas may be more important to these hawks in the winter. They may use cottonwoods and <br />other tall trees for perches. The value of these habitats for hawks should not be affected by the activities <br />proposed. <br />American peregrine falcons use cliffs and forested areas for breeding habitat. They also use riparian <br />forested areas, grasslands, and agricultural fields in the area for foraging. This site has cliffs, but these <br />cliffs will be mostly left intact by proposed activities. Although much of the forested area on the site will be <br />disturbed by mining, forested areas will be protected in buffer zones and progressive mining will be slow <br />enough to permit relocation by the birds. Mining progressively in small areas, and post- mining reclamation <br />to irrigated agricultural fields should not change the availability of prey species taken by falcons. The end <br />result is that falcon habitat will be maintained with the project. <br />Northern river otters use riparian habitats where fish and crustaceans are found. These habitats located <br />on site are within buffer zones and will not be disturbed by mining. <br />Gunnison's prairie dog is discussed above. No prairie dogs are known on -site. <br />3. Assessment of mining impact on wildlife: <br />Although past use of the land has been primarily grazing, the planned sequence of mining on <br />the site will have some potential impact on wildlife because of the removal of woody vegetation. <br />Although a relatively small area will disturbed at any one time, the mixed tree -shrub -grass <br />ecological site on the upper area will be replaced by mostly -open grassland, thus changing <br />suitability for some species. However, overall, short-term impact on wildlife will be beneficial, <br />since the site will be available for other species, and the reduction in mixed - vegetation habitat <br />will not be significant given the abundance of such habitat in the vicinity, and livestock will be <br />restricted from much of the site for safety reasons during mining operation. In the long term, <br />reclamation should improve the capability of the area to sustain wildlife, although this is not the <br />C &J Gravel Products, Inc. Page 38 01 JAN 2015 <br />Application for Permit: Two Rivers Pit M -2015- C &J- TRP -V5 -001 <br />