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• <br />2.1 Fish, Amphibians, and Reptiles <br /> <br />~~~ No permanent strez.•ns or impoundments occur on the <br /> study site. This eliminates fish populations from the <br /> site and decreases the habitat potential for hernetofauna <br />~' (amphibians and reptiles) restricted to aquatic habitats <br /> or requiring water or moist habitats for certain biological <br /> activities. Nearby stock ponds on Hayden and Dowden Gulches <br />~.; probzbly do not sustain permanent fish populations since <br />-• they are shallow and would be subject winter kill (due to <br /> heavy ice cover and ox-35ea depletion. However, these ponds <br /> <br />~ and the intermittent drainages provide habitats for certain <br />. amphibian and reptile species restricted to aquatic enviror.- <br /> meats: Tiger salmander, Aa:bpstorra tigrixurr; boreal toad, <br />~ <br />~ Bufo boreas; chorous frog, Pseudacris triseriata; leopard <br /> frog, Rana pipers; znd smooth green snake, Opheod^gs verrzalis. <br /> Additionally, the study site provides terrestrial habitat <br /> suitable for two lizard and two snake species: sagebrush <br />~! lizard, Sceloporus grcciosus; eastern fence lizard, S. <br />'- uxduZatus; garter snake, Pkaaxophis eZegars; and •destern <br />~~ <br />I rattlesnake, CrotaZus viridis. <br /> 2.2 Birds <br />~j <br />~iLi P_ number of raptorial, falcon-1i:te birds occur in <br />` <br />-~. <br />' the Williams Fork Diountains and may occasionally hunt on <br /> the study site; lack of tall trees, rock Cliffs or o tier <br />~•~ suitable nesting habitats prevent these birds from breeding <br /> on the study site. Raptors most likely to forage over the <br /> area frequently include Cooper's hawk, rough-legged hawk, <br />red-tailed hawk, golden eagle and American kestral. Two <br /> other raptorial birds, the screech owl and great horned <br /> owl, also use the study site as a hunting ground. <br />~~~~',, <br />$J. Three species of grouse (sane grouse, blue grouse, and <br />. •sharp-tailed grouse) occur in the Williams Fork :?ountains <br /> and use the habitats of the study site to varying degrees. <br />-i Sage grouse reach their highest densities in open stands <br />'"~ of sagebrush with a dense chid-grass cover in the openings. . <br /> <br />~~ The dense, closed sagebrush stands on the study site <br />furnishes marginal sage grouse habitat, which is reflected <br /> in the current CDOW distribution map of sage grouse in <br />- --- Routt County (Figure A-1). Ore sage grouse was observed _ <br /> on the study site and others may occasionally use tae <br /> surrounding area for fend and cover. The study site pro- <br /> vides eseellent blue grouse habitat. Overall densities <br /> may range from 2.5 to 25 b i:ds per square mile, denendirg <br /> on climate, predation or ottzer:.environmental conditions. <br />-' Hlue grouse use of the study site is limited to stunner and <br /> fall, since the birds migrate to higher elevations in winter. <br /> overall blue grouse distribution in Routt-Cou:.ty is shown <br /> in Figure H-2. Sharp-tailed grouse populations reach their <br /> -4- <br />