2017-02-03_PERMIT FILE - C1980004 (22)

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APPENDIX P McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment Highway 139 in the vicinity of the McClane Mine entrance (see Figure 3 and Figure 6 in Decker et al., 2005). Surveys for the plant species were conducted along a proposed pipeline right-of- way in the vicinity of the McClane Mine entrance extending south, paralleling State Highway 139 during 2008 but no DeBeque phacelia was found (BLM, 2008). DeBeque phacelia 1s an annual species endemic to Colorado and is found exclusively on sparsely vegetated, steep slopes in brown or gray clay on Ah4ell Gulch and Shire members of the Wasatch 'Formation within a 20 -mile radius of DeBeque, Colorado ;(Lyon et al., 1996;. Ladyman, 2003). According to the Geologic Map of Colorado (Green, 1992), neither geologic formation is present along .State Highway 139 and neither formation is present at the Mine Site. Similarly, no suitable geologic substrate is present -at the Loadout Facility. The species' distribution is roughly centered on the Pyramid Rock Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in Mesa County, which -is approximately 28 miles southeast of the Mine and 29 miles northeast of the Loadout Facility. The closest proposed critical habitat for DeBeque phacelia (Unit 1) is near Sulphur Gulch (FWS, 2011b), west of Pyramid Rock in Mesa County approximately 25 miles southeast of the Mine Site and 26 miles northeast of the Loadout Facility. The species is not expected to be.present within the Mine Site or Loadout Facility. The Project would have no effect on DeBeque phacelia or proposed critical habitat. Parachute Beardtongue. Parachute beardtongue was proposed for listing in 2010 (FWS, 2010c) and was listed as threatened on July 27, 2011 (FWS, 2011a). This plant is found in isolated populations on. white shale talus -in the Mahogany Zone of the Parachute Creek Member of the -Green River Formation (Lyon et al., 2001) at elevations between 8,000 and 9,000 feet (FWS, 2007b). -According to the Geologic Map of Colorado (Green, 1992), neither the Parachute Creek Member nor the Green River Formation is present at the Mine Site. This species has an extremely limited range and -is known only to occur in shale talus slopes of the Roan Cliff from the Logan Mountain -Mount Callahan area east to the Anvil Points area, north of Interstate -70 near Rulison (Lyon et al., 2001). Mount Callahan is over 30 miles east of the project area: The closest proposed critical habitat for Parachute beardtongue (Unit 2) is near Cow Rid ge in Garfield County (FWS, 2011b), approximately .12 miles east of the Mine. The species is not expected to be present within the Mine Site or vicinity. The Project would have no effect on Parachute beardtongue or proposed critical habitat. 4.3 Determination of ,Effect to Endangered Colorado River Fishes The following five sections are included for each species'of endangered Colorado Rivee fish: 1. Species Account and Critical Habitat in which the current status'under the ESA"is identified, past threats that lead to listing and current threats to continued existence, recovery plan components if available, abbreviated species' life history, population estimates and/or trends, and critical habitat that has been designated or proposed; 2. Environmental Baseline in which the species' presence within the Action Area, species' habitat within the Action Area, and species' critical habitat present within the Action Area are described and "evaluated; 3. Effects I the Pt000sed Action in which direct, Indirect, and cumulative -effects to the species and critical habitats are evaluated within the Action Area; 4. Conservation Measures that have been proposed in addition to measures that were included in the Proposed Action; and 5. Determination of Effects in which the action agency evaluates how the Proposed Action would affect the species and critical habitat. 18 PR -02 10/12