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Topaz Mine Permit Expansion: Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species Evaluation <br />5.0 POTENTIAL IMPACTS <br />This section describes the potential impacts of the proposed project on special status species <br />Federally Listed Species <br />Mexican spotted owl is not known to occur at the site, and breeding pairs of this species have <br />never been documented in San Miguel County. No suitable habitat exists within one mile of the <br />site. The project would not affect Mexican spotted owls. <br />Bald eagle. Wintering bald eagles may occasionally visit the project area but do not <br />congregate at or near the site. Project construction would not cause any direct mortality of bald <br />eagles. There is a slight chance that noise and human presence for a brief time during <br />construction could deter bald eagles from foraging in the area. However, the site affords little <br />habitat value and is seldom used by bald eagles, so the possible occasional disturbance of bald <br />eagles is unlikely to substantially affect bald eagle foraging or use of the region as a whole. The <br />project may affect bald eagles, but is unlikely to adversely affect bald eagles because of <br />discountable effects. <br />Colorado River endangered fish and USFWS-designated critical habitat for the four fish <br />species exist downstream of the project area in the Colorado River. According to IUC geologist <br />Jon Showalter, the project would not result in water depletions to the Colorado River system, or <br />changes to water quality in the Colorado River. Therefore, the project would not adversely <br />affect Colorado River endangered fish. <br />BLM Sensitive Species <br />Gunnison sage-grouse require expanses of sagebrush-dominated vegetation and associated <br />wet meadows. Suitable habitat does not exist in or near the project area. The nearest occupied <br />habitat and leks are several miles north of the site in Dry Creek Basin. Noise or other potential <br />off-site impacts are not likely to cause disturbance to Gunnison sage-grouse. The project would <br />not impact Gunnison sage-grouse. <br />Bats-all of the 6 species of sensitive bat species listed in Table 1 could occur at the project <br />site. Just south of the project site are cliffs that could support potential roosting habitat (Photo <br />4). However, the project would not likely result in direct mortality of bats, and impacts to existing <br />foraging habitat for bats would be negligible. The project would not likely impact any sensitive <br />bat species. <br />Midget faded rattlesnake may occur at the site, although the subspecies present in western <br />San Miguel County is in question and is most likely not the midget faded rattlesnake <br />(Hammerson 1999). There is a chance that construction on the expanded permit area could <br />cause inadvertent mortality of a few individual rattlesnakes, and rattlesnakes may be <br />occasionally killed by workers at the site when they are encountered. Indirect impacts to habitat <br />would be negligible. Because the taxon is widespread and relatively common, any project <br />impacts to a few individual snakes would not likely impact regional populations or distribution of <br />the midget faded rattlesnake. <br />810-Logic Environmental 10 <br />March 27, 2007 <br />