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the great hlue heron (Ardea herodiasl. A heron cc+mmunal moken o(ah~rosimatcly 25 ne,t. <br />was h+cated in large cottonwoods on the southern hank of the ('olortdo Ricer. just west ul~the <br />project site. :1lthough the herons had migr<ued away from the rcxrken by September. the site <br />is apparently active and produced several ~aung in ?00~. Uuring the site reconnaissance <br />a+nductcd in t)etubcr 3001. red-wing black hints tAgrlaius phoniceusl were the only species <br />seen utilising cattail dominated wetland, along the ('ulurado Ri~cr. <br />timall (;anu• and Func~:rrcrs <br />I he only small game species likeh to occur on the pmlecl site is the Nuttal's cottontail <br />(Syhilagus nuttullii). This species can occur in all hahitats on the project sites but is most <br />common in shrubM vegetation and ~+ithin the Iloudphrin riparian hahiun. I he \uttal's <br />couuntail. along with nuntrruus mdcnt and ground syuirrcl species arc pulcnliul prey ti+r <br />numerous raptors and a caricq ut• terrestrial predators espected to occur un ur near dte site. <br />Predators and other furhwrers likely to occur on site include: ;~merican beaver IQrstor <br />canadcnsisl. muskrat (Undatra zihethicusl, tnink (~tustela visonl. emtine I\q.ermineal. hadger <br />I Ia~idca taws), raccoon Iprocyon luu+r 1. red ti+s (Vulpcs vulpesl and coyote (C'anis latransl. <br />No small furlx;trers ~srrc ohxn'ed on the site during the site reconnaissance eonducted in <br />Uctuher 301FN. ('uyotc tracks and scat were ubserc cd. <br />1'hrcatcncd :urd F:ndan~cn'<I Spc•cics <br />I he pnrjcct site could have {xxenti;tlh pnrvidal habitat for a nuntbcr of i hrealened or <br />I`ncL•mgered Species ITR:G Sprciesr in the past. f luaever, hecause the existing site is degradeJ. <br />has been continuously grazed artd altered h} human actiein. is outside the range uC many <br />slncies listed, or species h;rvc been historically eradicated front the area, the 13a1d t:aglc is <br />likely the only species that could utilise elder cctttunwoods and rilx~riun-~~rthutd hubitut along <br />Ilte ('ulorado River. <br />I:rtcr d+ I able I I-3, which provides a list of I ± potentially occurring 1 hreatened and <br />I.ndangered Species listed by the lt.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (I;SFN'SI for (iarlield <br />(Runty. <br />~ummarv <br />Since the North Bank propem cxcurs on the north hank of the Colortdo Itivcr. contains fe~~ <br />mature cuttom~ucxl ur other large trees, and is cast ol• the most sensitive hahitat areas located <br />on the southern bank of the Colorado River, the project is not likely to have any signitir:utt <br />impact or interaction with sensitive. threatened or endangered uildlitc hahitat. Additionally. <br />the mining limits will he otlset I(10 Icet liom the river, thus prcxrcing must of the riparian. <br />scctland, aquatic and other habitat along the ricer corridor That may Ek utilized by T~l'•1_ <br />Species. Sequential mining and reclamation ~~ill reduce the impact to any potentially <br />occurring species at any given time during the Bourse of the project. Mine reclamation ~~ill <br />pars idc higher quality upland and additional open aster and wetland hahitat than currently <br />ceists on site. ' <br />