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WILDLIFE RESOURCES ASSESSMENT <br /> MORTON LAKES PROPERTY <br /> WELD COUNTY,COLORADO <br /> 36454 [July 6, 1999]). On August 8, 2007,the bald eagle was removed from the list of <br /> threatened and endangered species protected under the ESA (72 FR 37346). Although <br /> the bald eagle will no longer be protected under the ESA, bald eagles are still protected <br /> by two other major federal laws: the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA) <br /> and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act(MBTA). The Colorado Field Office of the Service <br /> recommends adhering to CDOW's"Recommended Buffer Zones and Seasonal <br /> Restrictions for Colorado Raptors" (2008)to avoid and minimize the likelihood of <br /> violating the BGEPA or the MBTA. <br /> The bald eagle is primarily a winter resident in Colorado, although nesting along <br /> rivers and the Colorado Front Range has increased in recent years. A total of 74 active <br /> nests were mapped throughout Colorado in 2005, with 22 active nests along the Front <br /> Range(NDIS 2008). Most nesting in Colorado occurs near lakes or reservoirs or along <br /> rivers. Typical bald eagle nesting habitat consists of forests or wooded areas that contain <br /> tall, aged, dying, and dead trees(Martell 1992). Bald eagles seek aquatic habitat for <br /> foraging and typically prefer fish, although they also feed on birds, mammals, and <br /> carrion, particularly in winter(Buehler 2000; Sharps and Uresk 1990). Prairie dogs <br /> provide a major food resource for bald eagles wintering along the Colorado Front Range <br /> (ESE 1988). <br /> Potential Habitat and Possible Effects <br /> The South Platte River, located east of the project area, provides bald eagle winter <br /> foraging and winter concentration habitat within the project area, as well as summer <br /> foraging habitat. Eagles foraging along the South Platte River may occasionally forage <br /> near Big Dry Creek,which provides mature cottonwood stands for perching while <br /> searching for prey. The Colorado NDIS database (CNDIS 2008) does not identify any <br /> known eagle nest sites or wintering areas on the project area. Furthermore, no potential <br /> eagle nests were observed during the 2008 site visit. The nearest known nest sites are <br /> approximately 2 miles southwest of the project area near Wattenberg, and more than 3 <br /> miles northwest near Firestone. A communal roost supporting more than 20 wintering <br /> eagles is located approximately 1.5 miles south of the project area. Because the project <br /> ERO <br /> 12 Resources <br /> forporalion <br />