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_ WILDLIFE <br /> <br />y' <br />^~ . 1.0 Intraductior. <br /> The Williams Fork Mountains of northwest Colorado <br /> create a diverse environmental setting which provides <br /> wildlife habitat for complex animal cor.Qaunities of <br /> mammals, birds and other vertebrate and invertebrate <br />~~ animal species. Environmental factors such as soils, <br />• climatic regime, topographic aspect, altitude, and <br />~ <br />- vegetation, influence faunal distribution, species com- <br />~ position, and population dynamics within the Williams <br />'•• Fork region. Certain animal species have restrictive <br /> ~ environmental tolerances and may be closely associated <br />~ ', with a particular plant community or habitat. Some <br />; animals may be only seasonally restricted to certain <br /> habitats (especially for breeding recuirements), while <br /> other animal species are distributed aver many habitat <br />,_ types. <br /> <br />- To assess the wildlife species composition and <br /> habitat use of the proposed Hayden Gulch mine site, a <br />" biological inventory was undertaken in the fall of 1976. <br /> This inventory combine3 quantitative field sampling <br />i techniques, direct and indirect field. observations, a <br />-• comprehensive literature review, and consultations with <br />(", Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) personnel and other <br /> individuals knowledgeable of the area's ecology. The <br />J~ detailed results of this inventory are contained in the <br /> "Baseline Inventory for the Proposed Hayden Gulch Mine, <br />+~' Routt County, Colorado," prepared for W.R. Grace 5 Co.* <br /> This summary presents the major findings of that inventory <br /> report regarding species composition and habitat use of <br /> the proposed Hayden Gulch Mire site. ' <br /> 2.0 Major Vertebrate Groups <br />I <br />~ <br />The most visible and significant wildlife of the <br /> study site are terrestrial bird and mammal species: <br /> Tables H-1 and H-2 list those bird and maR+*++~1 species, <br /> respectively, which were observed on the site, are known <br /> to occur on the site, or which have a high potential of <br /> occurring on the site based on distributional records, <br /> ecological requirements and available habitats on the <br />--r site. Habitat use and ,season of occurrence are also <br /> summarized in the tables. The following sections briefly <br /> discuss the vertebrate species that are found on the site <br /> and their relationship to the surrounding environment. <br />*Sunoorcing references and a complete biblioaranhy are <br />- contained in the Baseline Inventory Report. <br />~~ <br />-1- <br />