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Potential Mexican Spotted Owl Habitat and Use for the Hitch Rack Ranch Project <br /> potential MSO breeding habitat are shown on Figure 12. The six potential MSO breeding habitat <br /> locations are shown in Figures 13 through 18. <br /> Table 1 Potentially Suitable MSO Breeding Habitat within Three Miles of the Project Area <br /> Distance from Project Area <br /> Potential MSO Habitat Quadrangle (miles) <br /> 1 Mount Big Chief 2.5 <br /> 2 Mount Big Chief 1.5 <br /> 3 Mount Big Chief 1.6 <br /> 4 Mount Big Chief 0.4 <br /> 5 Mount Big Chief 1.8 <br /> 6 Mount Big Chief 1.5 <br /> Discussion <br /> The habitat model in this report was developed as a tool to identify potential breeding habitat for MSOs <br /> within 3 miles of the Project area. Based on the results of this model, six areas were identified as having <br /> the habitat characteristics necessary to support breeding MSOs(Figure 12). The most distinct and <br /> highest quality habitat within the study area is site 2, located approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the <br /> Project area. The other five sites have the primary characteristics of breeding MSO habitat, but these <br /> sites are not as extensive as site 2. Nevertheless, without additional field verification, these sites appear <br /> to provide the habitat characteristics to support breeding MSOs. No MSO breeding habitat was identified <br /> within the Project area. <br /> Surveys for MSOs were conducted within the Project area in 2015, 2016, and 2017. No MSOs were <br /> observed in the Project area during these surveys (Bio-Logic 2017). Additionally, MSO surveys were <br /> conducted during the summer months along Little Turkey Creek in 1993, 1994, and 1995 (BLM 1995, <br /> 1994, 1993). No MSOs were recorded during those surveys. <br /> As indicated in Table 1, the closest potential MSO breeding habitat(site 4) occurs approximately 0.4 mile <br /> west of the Project area (Aiken Canyon). MSO surveys were conducted during the summer months in <br /> 1994 (BLM 1994). No MSOs were observed at Aiken Canyon during the survey. <br /> Following the development of the habitat model, a site visit was conducted on September 6, 2017, to <br /> ground-truth habitat conditions within the Project area for breeding habitat. Based on the site visit, it was <br /> confirmed that the Project area does not contain suitable MSO breeding habitat based on the lack of <br /> narrow, steep-walled rocky canyons typical of MSO breeding habitat in the Colorado (Johnson 1997). <br /> Although Bio-Logic previously identified potential MSO habitat in the northwest portion of the Project <br /> area (Bio-Logic 2015), this area lacks the habitat characteristics for breeding MSOs. However, the <br /> Project area more likely contains suitable winter habitat for MSOs as evidenced by inter-seasonal MSO <br /> activity near the Project area (see Habitat Use Near the Project Area). However, as discussed above, <br /> no analyses were performed regarding MSO winter habitat preference including roosting habitat <br /> characteristics, movements, and MSO winter diets in Colorado(see Inter-Seasonal Movement and <br /> Winter Habitat). <br /> Based on the results of the model, only 6 potential MSO breeding habitat sites were identified near the <br /> Project area, suggesting that suitable breeding for MSO's habitat may be a limiting factor within the <br /> Project region. Most of the habitat within the study area consists of relatively shallow, southerly trending <br /> forested canyons or drainages that are not suitable for breeding MSOs, but may provide suitable habitat <br /> for transient, dispersing, or wintering individual MSOs. <br /> September 2017 5 <br />