2016-12-23_PERMIT FILE - C1982056A (8)

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south, and southeastern exposures with slopes of less than 10 percent. Beck's (1975) study also indicated that seasonal movements to winter range vary with topography, vegetative cover, and the severity of winter weather. • In the permit area, south- facing slopes and wind -swept ridge tops are the most likely places to remain snow free. Sagebrush communities in these areas are limited as a result of cultivation, and only a few south - facing slopes still support small stands of low sagebrush. Monthly aerial surveys (1980 -84) by the Applicant's biologists indicate that sagebrush communities in Twentymile Park are completely snow covered by mid- winter, except during the mildest winters. Based on these qualitative observations and the small extent of potentially snow -free sagebrush habitat, it is assumed that, during most winters, sage grouse populations in Twentymile Park move out of the park to more suitable habitat in adjacent areas. In summary, sagebrush communities in the permit area provide suitable breeding, nesting, brood - rearing, and feeding habitats for sage grouse. Sage grouse are likely to occur in the permit area from early spring through early winter but normally move out of the permit area to winter, except during mild winters when sufficient sagebrush habitat is exposed above snow cover. Sandhill Crane Nesting Survey The greater sandhill crane occurs in northwest Colorado as a breeding species and a migrant. The breeding population is classified as an endangered State subspecies. Northwest Colorado greater sandhill cranes are part of the Rocky Mountain population of greater sandhill cranes. Breeding range of the Rocky Mountain population includes parts of northwest Colorado and extends northward along the Utah - Wyoming and Idaho - Wyoming borders to northwest Montana (Drewien and Bizeau 1974). The permit area lies within the region designated as nesting range for the northwest Colorado breeding population (Torres et al. 1978). Major staging and roosting areas for the Colorado subpopulation occur to the northwest of the permit area along the Yampa River and near the Hayden Station powerplant. • Throughout most of its breeding range the greater sandhill crane nests primarily near the edge of water in marshland adjacent to meadow or cropland feeding areas. Nests are typically constructed in stands of burreed, bulrush, cattail, and /or sedges (Drewien 1973, Littlefield 1968). Within its northwest Colorado nesting range, essential nesting habitat is described by Torres et al. (1978) as areas below 9,500 ft (2,900 m) in elevation, that are within 0.25 mi (400 m) of willow lined drainages that carry water through June, are in relatively open mountain situations, and are not heavily disturbed by human activity. Studies conducted by Bieniasz (1978) in Routt County found that crane nests were always within 1 m (3.2 ft) of slow moving water and were surrounded by dense cover, generally willow. Blake's (1974) studies in Colorado found that crane nest sites were often associated with old, grassy beaver dams. Sandhill cranes are commonly observed in Twentymile park from spring through summer, and limited nesting in the park has been documented by CDOW, the Applicant, and Pittsburg and Midway Coal Mining company wildlife personnel. Locations of historic nest sites in Twentymile park (with year of activity noted) are plotted on Map 21, Locations of Sandhill Crane Nests and Nesting Habitat and Raptor Cliff - nesting Habitat. In the Twentymile park permit area, willow -lined drainages or ponds are generally nonexistent except along a short segment of Fish Creek in the southwest corner of the permit area (Sec. 24, TSN, R87W). Nests (2) located by Grant (1983) in Twentymile park were constructed in bulrush and cattail in the tailwaters of stockponds. In early May, 1984, one nest and one likely nest site were located in Twentymile Park by John Monarch of Pittsburg and Midway Coal Company (pers. comm. to Terrell Johnson, May 10, 1984). The one confirmed active nest contained one egg and was located at one of the stockpond sites (NE 1/4, Sec. 4, TSN, R86W) that was active in 1983. The other potential nest site (based on crane activity in the area) occurred at the other site (NW 1/4, Sec. 33, T6N, R86W) active in 1983. • Results of a 1984 CDOW helicopter nest survey and a 1983 nest survey (Grant 1983) were reviewed and nesting surveys were conducted by CCA biologists in or near the permit area on June 4 and June 20, 1984. Nesting surveys consisted of biologists walking along all drainages and the perimeter of stock ponds where suitable cover was RN08 -05 2.04 -66 03/12/10