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Criterion 14 • <br />Federal lands which are high priority habitat for migratory bird species of high federal interest on a <br />regional or national basis, as determined jointly by the surface management agency and the Fish <br />and Wildlife Service, shall be considered unsuitable. <br />1. Exception. A lease may be issued where the surface management agency, after <br />consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service, determines that all or certain stipulated <br />methods of coal mining will not adversely affect the migratory bird habitat during the periods <br />when such habitat is used by the species. <br />Analysis <br />The following list of migratory bird species of high federal interest are known to, or considered <br />likely, to breed within the review area: <br />Band-tailed pigeon <br />Black swift <br />Cooper's hawk <br />Flammulated owl <br />Golden eagle <br />Great blue heron <br />Lewis' woodpecker <br />Peregrine falcon <br />Prairie falcon <br />Western bluebird <br />Williamson's sapsucker <br />Underground coal mining would not impact these species unless surface disturbing activities, other <br />than subsidence, result from the mining activities. Previous applications of this criteria in the North <br />Fork area have focused on the protection of riparian zones as a habitat type that is limited in <br />availability and essential to migratory species of high federal interest. No riparian zones exist on <br />this proposed lease tract. The majority of the habitat present on the tract is the common mountain <br />shrub community that would not be considered high priority habitat for the species listed. The <br />entire lease tract would be considered suitable for coal leasing. <br />Criterion 15 <br />Federal lands which the surface management agency and the state jointly agree are habitat for <br />resident species of fish, wildlife and plants of high interest to the state and which are essential for <br />maintaining these priority wildlife and plant species shall be considered unsuitable. Examples of <br />such lands which serve a critical function for the species involved include: (i) active dancing and <br />strutting grounds for sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie chicken, (ii) winter ranges <br />crucial for deer, antelope, and elk, (iii) migration corridor for elk, and (iv) extremes of range for <br />plant species. <br />1. Exception. A lease may be issued if, after consultation with the state, the surface <br />management agency determines that all or certain stipulated methods of coal mining will not <br />have a significant long-term impact on the species being protected. <br /> <br />