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Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species Report ~; .,, RESULTS Within the study area, three dominant vegetative communities exist. These include 1) mountain ;~~ shrub dominated by Gambel's oak; 2) forest woodland dominated by aspen; and 3) riparian ~" corridors along valley bottoms. Other less common community types include meadows and (_,;;~ clearings dominated by sagebrush and upland grasses, and forested azeas dominated by Douglas- ~!L fir, white fir, blue spruce, and ponderosa pine. ,= The habitat on mesas, ridgetops, and ridge sides (excluding drainages) is generally characterized by Gambel's oak, Oregon grape, sagebrush, mountain mahogany, serviceberry, chokecherry, snowberry, and dense ground cover of grasses and forbs (Appendix B -Photo 1). j :E. _? A mix of aspen and Gambel's oak dominates vegetation on north-facing and sheltered slopes, with woody brush in most other areas. Small meadows dominated by sagebrush occur on mesas ~; and ridgetops with very little soil and in poorly drained areas along drainages (Appendix B - Photo 2). On north- and west-facing slopes, the trees and brush are often dense and nearly impassable. Aspen, snowberry, thimbleberry, chokecherry, and box elder generally characterize habitat in the drainages surveyed. Pockets of Dougtas-fir, blue spruce, ponderosa pine, and white fir are occasionally interspersed with the aspens. ~~; The dominant vegetative communities for the azeas surveyed aze shown in Figure 2. Much of I~I~'~ the drainage bottoms surveyed contained aspen and other deciduous trees. A distinction was t' made between aspen with drier understory (e.g., Oregon grape) and areas that contained bracken ferns and more lush understory vegetation more commonly associated with riparian areas. It is ~ r also important to note that although these areas may be considered riparian, only a very limited ~'-~ amount would be classified as "wetland" due to a lack of wetland vegetation and lack of adequate hydrology. ~.;., "~ Specific Habitat Features ~: Observations of specific habitat features (e.g., cavity nests in trees, seeps, and springs} that may ~~ provide specialized habitat for the TES species of eoncem were also noted. Nearly all of the study azeas were concentrated along drainage bottoms or high-elevation mesas that contained ~' intermittent channels. None of the channels observed contained flowing water, which is typical h;~ of these types of small drainages in the fall season. C„ Avery small pond (approximately 0.01 acre) was observed in a drainage tributary to Sylvester "= Gulch neaz the boundary between sections IS and 22 (Figure 3, Appendix B -Photo 3). This pond, although quite small, may provide aquatic habitat for tiger salamander and northern ~~ ~ leopard frog, both USFS sensitive species. fii ~.... ice. TESStvveyl Sthru24-RPT(210)Rev4/October 31, 2001 3 'i