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• Exhibit H- Henderson Mine and Mill Permit Amendment WILDLIFE Introduction As part of the USFS EA process, wildlife species and habitats were assessed during summer 1997 along the conveyor route and in the wider region of the upper Williams Fork Valley. Additional and significantly more detailed information can be found in the original Henderson Mine and Mill Permit application (September 1977) and in the USFS EA (Henderson Overland Surface Conveyor Environmental Assessment. Sulphur Ranger District, Arapaho National Forest) which was required for the conveyor project as part of the NEPA process. The major vegetation types along the conveyor route and in the surrounding upper Williams Fork River valley include lodgepole pine, aspen, mixed conifer communities, • spruce-fir, riparian willow/meadow complexes, open rock, and alpine meadow away from the route at higher elevations. These vegetation types provide habitats that support a diverse complement of wildlife species. Habitat is the spatial and temporal arrangement of food, cover, and water required to meet the biological needs of one or more species individuals or guilds. These habitats support an estimated 168 wildlife species (114 species of birds, 44 species of mammals, 10 species of herptiles). Management Indicator Species and the Conveyor The following discussion has been rewritten and excerpted from the USFS EA with added perspective. The analysis of impacts of the Henderson Mill conveyor in this EA focused upon Management Indicator Species (MIS) which occur or potentially occur in the area of the conveyor route or could utilize portions of the route during some period in the their life cycles. The additional affected land along the conveyor route lies primarily in vegetation communities consisting of lodgepole pine, aspen, and mixed conifers. Affected wetland • communities (as discussed in Exhibit G) are located along the northern portion of the