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A bald or golden eagle nest site on federal lands that is determined to be active and an appropriate buffer <br />zone of land around the nest site shall be considered unsuitable. Consideration of availability of habitat for <br />prey species and of terrain shall be included in the determination of buffer zones. Buffer zones shall be <br />determined in consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service. <br />1) Exceptions - A lease may be issued if (i) it can be conditioned in such a way, either in manner <br />or period of operation, that eagles will not be disturbed during the breeding season, or (ii) the surface <br />management agency, with the concurrence of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, determines that the <br />golden eagle nest(s) will be moved, or (iii) buffer zones may be decreased if the surface management <br />agency determines that the active eagle nests will not be adversely affected. <br />nal i <br />Presently, no bald or golden eagle nest sites exist on federal lands within the review area, nor on other lands <br />within a distance of 1/4 mile of its boundaries (BLM, various dates). A buffer zone of 1/4 mile radius around <br />golden eagle nest sites was suggested as adequate protection in the Uinta-Southwestern Utah Coal region EIS <br />(USDI-BLM, 1933, p. A3-7). Underground coal mining and nesting bald or golden eagles are compatible <br />on the same vact of land unless surface facilities or surface disturbances cause nest-site abandonment. With <br />respect to bald or golden eagle nests which may be established on the review area during the life of the <br />project, the following special stipulations shall be applied (USDI-BLM, 1983, p. A3-7): <br />1) No permanent surface facilities or disturbances, except subsidence, shall be located within a 1/4 <br />mile radius buffer zone around each bald or golden eagle nest site. <br />2) No surface activities will be allowed within a''/z mile radius buffer zone around each bald eagle <br />nest site from November 15 through July 30, and each golden eagle nest site from February 1 to July <br />15. <br />3) Any proposed activities in, or adjacent to, these buffer zones will require approval from the BLM, <br />on asite-specific basis, after consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. <br />Criterion 12 <br />Bald and golden eagle roost and concentration areas on federal lands used during migration and wintering <br />shall be considered unsuitable. <br />na i <br />No bald or golden eagle roost or concentration areas are known to exist on federal lands within the review <br />area. During extensive winter bald eagle inventories conducted by BLM in 1980 and 1981, bald eagle use <br />of the North Fork of the Gunnison River above Paonia was determined as light, and use of the uplands by <br />wintering eagles as sporadic. No new data has been received to indicate that bald eagle use of the area has <br />changed substantially from that found in the above inventories. The entire tract is, therefore, considered <br />suitable for leasing In the event that a communal roost is established on the lease modification vact, the <br />following stipulation will apply: <br />L) In the event that bald eagle roost or concentration areas are established on the vact, no surface <br />activity, except subsidence, shall occur within one-half mile of the winter roost between November <br />15 and March 15. Visits into the buffer zone should be limited to the hours of 10:00 a..m. and 2:00 <br />p. m. <br />-~- <br />