2018-09-04_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 (19)

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the spruce -fir pockets. At progressively lower elevations there are pure stands of aspen and snowshoe tracks were rarely found in these areas. The use patterns of snowshoe hares in these areas is similar to what has been found by Monarch during studies in the general area, on Grand Mesa and in the Huntsman Ridge area. Winter habitat suitability for Canada lynx was checked during all years. This included evaluating spruce -fir and spruce -fir/ aspen vegetation as to its suitability to support snowshoe hares and lynx. Data was collected on snowshoe hare numbers in the area using track transects during the winter months. Because lynx are approximately 95 percent dependent on snowshoe hares during the winter, the numbers of hares gives an indication as to whether the area could support lynx. Lynx mortality is high in the winter in areas where an adequate prey base is lacking. Lynx do not occupy or spend much time in any area when an adequate prey base is lacking. The USFS has mapped all of the upper elevations in the LMA as primary lynx habitat. There are some areas at lower elevations where the habitat is mapped as Secondary lynx habitat. There are also some very small areas in the LMA at lower elevations that are not mapped as suitable habitat. These survey data do not totally support the USFS mapping. The data show that the area below the 9,400 foot contour, where most disturbance associated with exploration activities will occur, is at best secondary lynx habitat. In some cases it could probably be argued that some of the lower elevation areas could be non -lynx habitat. As vegetation conditions change in the area as a result of SAD and beetle kill, the potential for use of the area by lynx will probably be further reduced. During the winter surveys lynx tracks were never found in the LMA or surrounding areas. Ten years of CPW telemetry data showed that on rare occasions a lynx did move through the general area. However, during the years of 2007-2011 no lynx were located in or within miles of the LMA. Because no lynx are known to have been in the LMA, it is doubtful they would ever be an issue considering when and where the drilling operations will occur. Over the years there have been numerous instances where some have argued that roads and packed snowmobile trails have an impact on lynx. If lynx were to occur in the area any vehicle using the roads would be at very slow speeds and the chances of hitting a lynx near zero. As for packed snowmobile trails the argument has been that packed snow give other predators such as coyotes a competitive advantage over lynx in capturing prey. During studies, which have been conducted in the area over the years data collected shows that coyotes readily move through areas over unpacked snow. The same was the case with these surveys as coyotes tracks were the most commonly encountered tracks in the area. There was no evidence here or in other studies where the coyotes spent much effort in trying to prey upon snowshoe hares. Assuming that roads maintained in the winter would also give coyotes and advantage over lynx one has to believe that if the coyotes rarely follow snowmobile tracks for any distance the same would hold true for 12