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Section 780,16 (a) Continued. <br />Revised 11/20/80 <br />Song Birds. The destruction of sagebrush as a consequence of the <br />proposed mining activities can be expected to result in a temporary <br />decline in densities of Brewer and Vesper sparrows (See: Urness <br />(1979); and the Institute for Land Rehabilitation (1978)). Because <br />of its rigid nesting requirements, the adverse impact on the Brewer <br />sparrow may be greater than on the Vesper sparrow.- In addition, <br />the sage thrasher and the sage sparrow also may be adversely im- <br />pacted through displacement (Brown, et al. (1976)). Whether the <br />displacement of these birds adversely affects the nesting and <br />foraging behavior is not currently known. <br />Song birds at the Kerr Tipple Area should not be affected since the <br />Tipple facility is fully operational and since no expansion is <br />scheduled. <br />i <br />Waterfowl. Anticipated impacts to waterfowl at the Kerr Mine Area <br />will be negligible because no aquatic habitat capable of supporting <br />migratory waterfowl will be disrupted. At the Kerr Tipple Area <br />anticipated impacts on waterfowl are not expected to be noticeable <br />since the tipple facility has been in operation since 1974 and no <br />additional expansion is expected. In the past six years, waterfowl <br />at the tipple seemingly have adjusted to the operation of those <br />facilities. Mr, Gene Patton, Manager of the Arapahoe National <br />Wildlife Refuge, has informed representatives of Kerr Coal that no <br />evidence is available to suggest that waterfowl have been adversely <br />affected by the operation of the tipple. <br />Specifically, in regard to the potential impact from fugitive dust <br />and runoff originating from the crushing facility, Mr. Gene Patton, <br />Manager of the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge informed Kent <br />Crofts, of Kerr Coal, in a meeting on April 22, 1980, in Sdalden <br />that no observable impacts of coal crushing operations at the Kerr <br />780-42 as <br />