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Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive (TESJ Specier' Habimt Assessment Survey The Colorado River cutthroat trout is the only salmonid native to the upper Colorado River basin, A news release issued by USFWS on April 20, 2004, declared that the petition to list the Colorado River cutthroat trout as threatened or endangered under the ESA does not provide enough biological information to warrant listing at this time (U'~SFWS, 2004d). Development and operation of this project will not affect water level or qualirr for any critical habitat for this species. No effects to this species are anticipated as a result of this project. Crandall's rockcress, with less than 10 known occurrences, is known to occur within the Gunnison Basin. Suitable habitat for Crandall's rockcress consists of rocky shale soils on steep slopes in Utah juniper/mountain mahogany vegetative communities (USFS, 2002). No suitable habitat occurs within the Project Area. No effects to this specie:; aze anticipated as a result of this project. Gunnison milkvetch is known to occur in southern Gunnison County. It occupies dry gravelly flats and hillsides in sandy clay soils overlying granitic bedrock, usually among or under low sagebrush at an elevtion of 7,500 to 8,500 feet (CNFIP, 2004x). The Project Area is below the expected elevation for Gunnison milkvetch, and no low sagebrush communities were observed during the survey. No effects to this species aze anticipated as a result of this project. Skiff milkvetch is known to occur in southern Gunnison and northwestern Saguache counties. Suitable habitat consists of open sagebrush or juniper-sagebrush communities on moderately steep to steep slopes. It is found in rocky azeas with a variety of soil conditions from clay to cobbles, gray to reddish in color, at an elevation range of 7,600 to 8,400 feet (CNHP, 2004b). The Project Area is below the expected elevation for skiff milkvetch, and no sagebrush communities were observed during the survey. No effects to this species are anticipated as a result of this project. Colorado wild buckwheat is known to occur north of Crested B utte in northern Gunnison County. Suitable habitat consists of subalpine or alpine slopes with gravelly or sandy soil at an elevation of 8,500 to 12,500 feet (CNHP, 2004c). The Project Area is below the expected elevation for Colorado wild buckwheat. No effects to this species are anticipated as a result of this project. Northern twayblade is known to occur in many locations throughout the central mountains of Colorado. It occupies moist, shady spruce forests at an elevation of 8,700 to 10,800 feet (CNHP, 2004d). The Project Area is below the expected elevation for northeru twayblade. No effects to this species are anticipated as a result of this project. No federal TES species, or corresponding suitable habitat, were identified in the vicinity of the Project Area. No raptor nests were detected within 0.5 miles of'the proposed GVB pads or access road. The only incidental wildlife sighting noted during the survey was one blue grouse found roosting in a Douglas-fir tree. Blue grouse are considered a game species in Colorado and are not included among any federal sensitive species lists. 4.0 CONCLUSIONS No impacts to federal TES species are anticipated as a result of this project due to the absence of listed species or corresponding habitat. Development of the project is not expected to impact any raptor species. Finally, no springs or seeps were identified within 0.5 mile of the Project Area. 1835-Oxbow TES Survey_(I0.25.04).doc