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• grouse and greater sandhill crane (Grus canadensis)--regularly fre- <br />quented the permit area or immediate vicinity. Both species are <br />considered endangered by the state of Colorado; the Columbian sharp- <br />tailed grouse is also a candidate (FC2) for federal listing. Sharp- <br />tailed grouse occurrence in the Yoast area is discussed in detail in <br />the Game Btrd section, above. <br />Greater sandhill Crane <br />The proposed Yoast permit area and haul road corridor lie within <br />the overall range of the greater sandhill crane (WRIS, CDOW 1993). <br />Northwest of the haul road is a greater sandhill crane nesting area <br />associated with the Sage Creek drainage. However, at its nearest <br />point, the haul road is one mile from the nesting area. The permit <br />area itself is over 1.5 miles north of another greater sandhill crane <br />• nesting area in the vicinity of Dunckley Park and Fish Creek. <br />In mid-April 1993, over a dozen greater sandhill cranes were <br />observed loafing and feeding in agricultural fields and improved <br />pasture along the haul road corridor. By the first of May, only two <br />cranes were observed in the Yoast area. This was a pair of birds that <br />remained in the vicinity of a large pond (NOfstger Zeigler Reservoir) <br />0.25 miles east of the proposed permit area in NW/4 NW/4, Section 9. <br />These birds were sighted repeatedly from April until the end of June, <br />frequenting the pond and the small native drainage below it. In May <br />and June some time was spent observing the birds from a distance, but <br />no nest was found and no young were ever observed with the pair. The <br />area where the cranes were seen would be considered marginal nesting <br />• habitat at best. The only cover around the pond is a stand of trees <br />51 <br />