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Threatened and Endangered Species <br />Four species of threatened and endangered fish can be expected to inhabit the <br />Colorado River in this area: the Colorado pikeminnow, the razorback sucker, the <br />humpback chub and the bonytail chub. United States Fish & Wildlife Service <br />(USFWS) issued a Biological Opinion accepting a Recovery Agreement with <br />Snowcap Coal Company as the appropriate mechanism to allow for a <br />determination that water depletions to the Colorado River would be offset, and <br />that the operation is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the <br />species and is not likely to destroy or adversely modify designated critical habitat. <br /> The Opinion and Agreement are incorporated into the permit as Appendix 11-1. <br /> <br />Appendix 11-1 also lists the bald eagle (T) (removed from T/E list in August <br />2007), Canada lynx (T) and yellow-billed cuckoo (C) as federally threatened and <br />candidate species of animals listed in Mesa County. In the Biological Opinion, <br />the USFWS accepted OSM’s determination that the operations would not affect <br />these species. Table 11-4 lists current Threatened and Endangered Species for <br />Snowcap Coal Company’s permit boundary. <br /> <br />A wildlife map depicting deer winter range and potential raptor and waterfowl <br />nesting areas with respect to mine surface facilities is provided in Exhibit 25. A <br />general location for one raptor nesting area is shown on the Exhibit, The most <br />likely location for additional sites are identified by the upper reaches of the steep <br />canyon walls which are highlighted on the map and steep canyon walls to the <br />south. The Colorado River and adjacent banks can be considered important <br />waterflow habitat for those species identified as nesting species in the wildlife <br />study contained in Table 11-2. <br /> <br /> <br />RN-08 11-4 Rev 09/22