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<br /> <br />WILDLIFE <br />The East Ridgen site has been linked with the Flatiron Baumgartner <br />site to the east for purposes of wildlife investigation. The <br />one-mile area surrounding Section 28 has also been included; <br />primarily for evaluation of bird populations. <br />Initial studies show that the agricultural sections of the proposed <br />mine site provide habitat conditions typical of the surrounding <br />area. The lack of floristic diversity contributes to the lack <br />of faunal diversity since vegetation is an important factor in <br />determining numbers and varieties of birds and mammals. The <br />cornfields are not particularly rich wildlife habitat. <br />The most important wildlife habitat is the riparian woodland <br />bordering the Cache la Poudre River. Of the fifteen species of <br />birds and three species of mammals identified in the study area, <br />most show strong affinities for riparian sites. (See Figure 9 <br />for species list.) <br />The most noteworthy bird sighted was the bald eagle, presently <br />classified as a federally endangered species. Four eagles were <br />sighted during one day's inventory of the area. It is well <br />known that bald eagles commonly occur in the nearby vicinity of <br />the study area during the winter period. They normally occur <br />only during winter, however, and nesting in this region has not <br />been reported. The preferred wintering habitat of bald eagles <br />in this region tends to be cottonwood groves in close association <br />H-1 <br />