2008-05-01_REVISION - M1973007SG (5)

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WILDLIFE Exhibit H - AMENDMENT Wildlife Information Wildlife resources on the site is highly limited by the surrounding development in the form of both industrial and residential areas. Nevertheless, wildlife is often seen on the site. This includes mule deer in the wooded areas of the Little Johnson Reservoir area(not to be affected), as well as squirrels, racoon, and small rodents. In the open grassland areas the primary wildlife, other than insects, includes small mammals, mainly mice, and a small array of birds. Probably the birds and small mammals are the most significant wildlife resource on the lands that will be affected by the operation. Various raptors are often seen hunting in the grassland areas or sitting in the large trees along the irrigation ditch. These primarily include American Kestrel and Red-tailed Hawk, but once in awhile Northern Harrier is seen hunting over this area. Undoubtedly, owls also frequent the area, but are rarely seen during the day. A number of songbirds, primarily sparrows and finches inhabit the grasslands. In winter, Horned Lark can be found here in very small numbers, but are rarely seen in the summer. As tree cover is very limited, warblers, flycatchers and other species that prefer tree dominated habitats are also very limited and usually transient. The only exception to this are the Kingbirds that often hunt from the tall cottonwoods along the irrigation ditch and probably have nests there as well. But because of the limited tree cover, their numbers are very small. The operation will impact the wildlife habitats by removing the large cottonwoods along the irrigation ditch as well as the grassland habitats. However, this will be mitigated by replacement of the grasslands using a diverse mixture of grasses, many of which are native to the site. As a result of reclamation of the two sediment basins, approximately 43 acres of thick forest and shrub habitat will be created. This habitat which provides excellent cover for songbirds as well as small mammals and even some medium to large mammals, will be an addition that has never been present on the site in the last half century. Before there was any development, cottonwood forest probably occupied part of the processing plant site, but that disappeared ages ago. Since then, other than around and in portions of the Little Johnson Reservoir site, forest habitat has been extremely limited and mostly composed of a small number of large cottonwood trees along the irrigation ditch. The addition of the forest will be a marked improvement in the wildlife habitat resources on the site. This area, although fractured into two parts, will provide a place for animals to take up residency that currently are rare or non-existent on the site. Daniels Sand Pit#2 Amendment (2008) Exhibit H Page 1 of 1