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<br />CHAPTERTHREE Affecteld Enuironmem , <br /> <br />or wildlife habitat, poison wildlife and livestock, decrease biodiversity, diminis}i aesthetics, and <br /> <br />imparr wetland habitat as well as many other detrimental effects. Once established, noxious , <br />weeds can be very difficult to eradicate. <br />Federal, state, and county regulations require the control of weeds to reduce or eliminate species <br />identified as "noxious" for a particular area. Under the Colorado Weed Management Act of <br />1990, each county or city/town is required to set up an advisory commission and. develop <br />integrated management plans for designated undesirable plants. The BLM has cooperative <br />agreements with the Rio Blanco and Garfield County Weed Boazds to control noxious weeds. <br />Table 3.7-2 lists noxious weeds identified for Rio Blanco and Garfield counties. This table also <br />lists Secondary Undesirable Plants that, at this time, aze not formally listed as noxious, but they <br />are currently a problem in Garfield County and could be listed as noxious in the future. <br /> , <br />3.8 WILDLIFE <br />Approximately 80 species of mammals, 260 species of birds, and 30 species of n°ptiles and <br />amphibians may occur in the Piceance Basin and Parachute Creek Drainage, either seasonally or <br />year-round. The study azea for wildlife includes the project facilities, a one mile buffer zone, and <br />downstream aquatic habitats. The following discussion of baseline conditions focuses on key <br />species, including big game, raptors, upland game, and waterfowl. Special statu<. species _ <br />(threatened, endangered, raze, sensitive) aze discussed in Section 3.10. <br /> <br />3.8.1 Big Game <br />M <br />l <br />D <br />u <br />e <br />eer <br />The Piceance Basin has historically supported one of the largest migratory mule deer populations <br />in North America (BLM 1986a), which has been called the largest migratory deet• herd in the <br />world (CDOW 1998). Thousands of deer migrate off the Flat Tops area in the fall, cross <br />Colorado State Highway 13, and move into the Piceance Creek Basin. Deer populations can and <br />have fluctuated greatly in the basin, with approximate maximum population sizes being as great <br />as 85,000. Currently the base population is reported to be approximately 28,000 to 30,000, less <br />than the Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) population goal of 40,000 animals (Prenzlow <br />1998). <br />Deer inhabiting the study azea seasonally use a variety of habitats ranging from sage-dominated ' <br />communities to conifer-dominated forests. During summer months, the majority of the deer can <br />be found in the mountain shrub community, aspen stands, and Douglas Fir forests. After the fall <br />migration from summer range, deer in the winter concentrate in pinyon-juniper and sagebrush <br />ranges below 7,400 feet, where snow depth and temperatures aze more moderate (BLM 1986a). <br />Important habitats within the study area include winter range, severe winter range,. and winter <br />concentration areas (Figure 3.8-1). Winter range is defined as that part of the overall range , <br />where 90 percent of the individuals are located during the average five winters out often from <br />the first heavy snowfall to spring green-up (December 1 to Apri130) (CDOW 1996). Severe <br />winter range is that part of the overall range where 90 percent of the individuals are located when <br />3-32 Vegetation <br />