2018-08-08_PERMIT FILE - C1982056A (11)

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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 non-existent except along a short segment of Fish Creek in the southwest corner of the permit area (Sec. 24, TSN, R87W) and on Foidel Creek at the discharge from Pond A. Nests (2) located by Grant (1983) in Twentymile Park were constructed in bulrush and cattail in the tailwaters of stock ponds and a pair of Sandhill cranes has been observed below Pond A. 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. Nesting surveys conducted by CCA biologists in or near the permit area in June 1984, did not locate any active nests even at those sites that were documented as active in early May. Several pairs and a few observations of bachelor groups of birds were recorded, however. A total of seven distinct pairs of cranes were observed on or near the permit area. Locations of observations of pairs and bachelor groups that were assumed to be of distinctly different birds are plotted on Map 21, Locations of Sandhill Crane Nests and Nesting Habitat and Raptor Cliff- nesting Habitat. Locations of birds observed by John Monarch during his early May, 1984, survey are also plotted on this map. In addition to nest searches, a subjective evaluation, regarding the suitability of permit area stockponds and drainages as crane nesting habitat, was made. This evaluation was based on a review of pertinent literature and a knowledge of nests sites preferred by cranes in northwest Colorado. Areas that were judged most suitable for crane nesting activity are noted on Map 21, Locations of Sandhill Crane Nests and Nesting habitat and Raptor Cliff- nesting Habitat. The fact that no observations of individual birds were made during the June, 1984, survey would tend to indicate that the pairs observed were either non-breeding pairs, or laying of eggs and incubation had not been initiated. During the 1984 surveys no single birds were flushed from the drainages or from around stockponds, and no birds were observed with young. In addition, none were observed performing a distraction display which is usually indicative of an active nest nearby (Littlefield 1968, Bieniasz 1978). Blake (1974) reported that most eggs in RN 17-07 2.04-74 02/15/18