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• CMLRH -Exhibit H <br />Wildlife information <br />Pege 2 <br />issue associated with the project. Holistic Resource Management (1987) located <br />3,142 active prairie dog burrows on approximately 869 acres in 1987 and prairie <br />dogs have expanded their distribution in recent years. This colony is important <br />to relatively large numbers of bald eagles (a state and federal endangered species) <br />and femginous hawks (a federal candidate species) that winter in and azound <br />Dowe Flats. Other terrestrial and avian predators also exploit this prey base. <br />Associated with this issue are the eagle and hawk roost/hunting perch sites in <br />cottonwoods flanking irrigation ditches. <br />2. Big game, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, and elk, are seasonally present <br />in and around the project area. Mule deer are of greatest concern, since they <br />utilize Dowe Flats to a greater extent than the other big game species. Mule deer <br />use Dowe Flats as an east-west movement corridor and, to a limited extent, as <br />winter range. <br />Other sensitive wildlife-related issues associated with the project area include the riparian <br />• corridor and nongame values along the St. Vrain River, potential destruction of raptor nest trees, <br />and general loss of wildlife habitat. <br />(b) Seasonal wildlife use of the area <br />The greatest wildlife value of Dowe Flats is that of winter habitat (November through March) <br />for a relatively large number of raptors, including bald eagles, golden eagles, ferruginous hawks, <br />red-tailed hawks, rough-legged hawks, northern harriers, prairie falcons, and American kestrels. <br />The first three species are particularly abundant and are attracted to the area by the large number <br />of prairie dogs. <br />Mule deer use Dowe Flats for winter range to a limited extent. Elk winter range overlaps the <br />western and northern portions of the permit area, but these areas of intensively utilized pasture <br />and rotated agricultural fields are generally fallow in winter and are not used by elk during most <br />years. White-tailed deer in the vicinity of the permit area are generally associated with the <br />riparian habitats flanking the irrigation ditches to the south of the permit area. Accordingly, the <br />basic bie eame mitigation assumption is that if the seasonal needs of mule deer can be met on <br />and through the permit area, those of elk and white-tails will also be protected. <br />r ~ <br />U <br />