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Coal Mcthane Dminayc Project - PaneG 1G-24 Weft Elk Mime • Pape 3-15 .POTENTIALLY AFFEbTEI) SENSITIVE SPECIES WITHIN THE ANALYSIS AREA ,_ Common Name Scientific Name Statusl Potential Habitai in Anal sis Area Birds Northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis FS Mature spruce-fir, aspen, Dou las-fir forests Olive-sided fl catcher Contopus borealis FS Spruce-fir forests Lewis' woodpecker Malanerpes lewis FS Open ponderosa pine forests, cottonwood riparian, pinyon juni er woodlands Purple martin Progne subis FS Aspen, spruce-fir forested areas, sna s with existing cavities Amphibians Ti er Salamander Amb stoma ti rinum FS Wetlands, onds Northern leo and fro Rana pipiens FS Wetlands, ponds, Stillwater areas Mammals Spotted bat Euderma maculatum FS Rocky cliffs near riparian areas Townsend's big-eared bat Plecotus townsendii FS Natural caves, abandoned mine adits Notes: 7 Status: FS =Classified as "sensitive" by the Regional Forester when occurring on lands managed by the USFS 15/6/941. Southwestern willow flycatchers are highly associated with willow riparian plant communities with slow moving or standing water within and adjacent to the stand. By USFWS definition, this type of habitat in Colorado must occur at or below 8,500 feet elevation to potentially support the endangered subspecies of southwestern willow flycatcher. There is approximately 48 acres of willow riparian habitat along the Dry Fork Minnesota Creek within the project area. Surveys completed to determine species presence within this potential habitat have not located any populations to date. Bald eagles occur primarily as wintering birds in Colorado. Wintering populations aze known to reside along the major river systems in the state. Bald eagles are winter residents in the North Fotk of the Gunnison River drainage. The CDOW designates the drainage and adjacent habitats as a winter concentration area and winter range. Suitable winter habitat consists of secure diurnal perches, winter nighttime roosts protected from severe weather conditions, and foraging aeeas usually assouated with large lakes, reservoirs or rivers. Although preferred wintering areas are usually neaz open water where eagles feed on fish or waterfowl, bald eagles will also hunt over open, upland areas if other food sources (e.g., rabbits, or deer and elk camon) are readily available. Any use of the project and adjacent aeeas would be limited to occasional opportunistic hunting. Goshawks can be found in any of the forested ecosystems in the analysis azea. Preferred cover habitat is in the mature and old-growth structural stages. Goshawks nest primarily in dense, old- growth conifers but may also use mixed conifer-aspen stands or aspen stands closely associated with conifers. The majority of known nest trees on the Forest are in aspen trees. This species is intolerant of human presence during nesting and will often defend an area up to 200 yazds from the nest site. Nest sites may be reused in successive yeazs. Goshawks aze beheved to occur in the Sunset Trail area, but then presence in the project azea is unlikely. The olive-sided flycatcher seeks out tall, exposed perches such as snags or high conspicuous dead branches. It prefers forests of tall spmces, firs, balsams, and pines; taiga; sub-alpine coniferous forests; mixed woodlands neaz edges and clearings, and neaz wooded streams and bogs. It also prefers stands with low percentage of canopy cover. In-migration occurs in all types of wooded habitat. The project azea contains suitable habitat for this species, however, no surveys have been conducted to verify their presence or absence. EnvironmenlalAnefrment 'uP/xL.uu, C~/G/Ew/OnJ J/g0]EI U3Ff VJIn? tr