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animals or habitats that may be significantly affected by Lease develop- ment, or which are of state/federal concern will be discussed. Hule deer are the only big game species making appreciable use of the application area. Low density deer use is most prevalent during the spring, fall, and winter months. The few mature cottonwood trees which exist in the incised floodplain of Red Wash normally hosts a nesting pair of American kestrel, and in the past, red-tailed hawk. However, only two stunted cottonwoods are present on areas potentially affected by lease development. Typical nongame birds inhabiting Red Wash's wetland associ- ation include song sparrow, Loggerhead shrike, rufous-sided towhee, and Brewers blackbird. Kany of the furbearing game and nongame animals present in the area inhab- it subsurface burrows or dens for nesting, rearing of young or shelter. This group is represented by such species as burrowing owl, weasels, skunks, badger, prairie dogs, ground squirrels, kangaroo rats, lizards, and snakes. Burrowing owls, a migratory species of high federal interest, normally occupy prairie dog burrows in this area. Although prairie dogs do not currently inhabit areas potentially affected by lease development (see following section), prairie dogs do exist adjacent to this tract on WF-U's LlR1 area and the proposed Prairie Dog Lease Tract and represent suitable owl habitat. Threatened and Endangered Wildlife Prairie dog towns, as potential habitat for the black-footed ferret, are widely distributed throughout the Red Wash Basin, but none exist • on the proposed lease tract (inventoried in large part by BLM, 5-3-85 and 4-2-87). Prairie dog distribution in the immediate vicinity is Limited to a scattered group of inactive burrows about 750 feet north of the proposed lease tract and a small active colony approximately 1,000 feet northeast of the lease area. Bald Eagles inhabit the White River's riverine riparian habitats, immediately south of the tract, from October through April. Upland activities are relegated to opportunistic and dispersed foraging flights from roost and perch sites on the river. No concentrated or preferred use areas for eagles have been identified in Red Wash. Although peregrine falcons and whooping cranes regularly migrate through the Rangely area, no habitats available on the Lease tract are considered capable of attracting sustained use by these birds. Endemic threatened and endangered fishes inhabiting the upper Colorado River Basin, of which the White River is part, include the listed Colorado squawfish, bonytail and humpback chubs, and candidate razorback sucker. Each of these species have downstream populations in the Green River and Colorado River above Lake Powell. Only the Colorado squawfish is documented as occurring in the White River. Until recently, the squawfish inhabited the White River from its confluence with the Green River upstream to the mouth of Piceance Creek (RM 148.2). With the closing of Taylor Dcaw Dam in November 1984, squawfish distribution is generally confined downstream of the dam (RM 104.2), about 5 miles downstream of Red Wash. 12