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Page 3 <br /> • <br /> protection under the Endangered Species Act (Act), it is within the spirit of <br /> the Act to consider project impacts to potentially sensitive candidate <br /> species. Additionally, we wish to make you aware of the presence of Federal <br /> candidates should any. be proposed or listed prior to the time that all Federal <br /> actions related to the project are completed. <br /> Federal Candidate Species <br /> Ferruginous hawk Buteo reaalis <br /> Loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus <br /> Columbian sharptailed grouse Tvmoanuchus phasianellus <br /> columbianus <br /> Roundtail chub Gila robusta <br /> Penstemon mensarum Grand Mesa penstemon <br /> The ferruginous hawk is the largest buteo in North America and is a category 2 <br /> listing candidate. It is a common summer resident of grasslands in Rio Blanco <br /> County, occasionally nests in pinon-juniper woodlands, and feeds on small <br /> mammals such as prairie dogs and rabbits. Human disturbance near active nest <br /> sites can result in nesting failure. A petition to list the ferruginous hawk <br /> was recently determined unwarranted by the Fish and Wildlife Service. <br /> However, there is a need to continue monitoring the status of this candidate <br /> • species. <br /> The loggerhead shrike is a category two listing candidate species. ' The shrike <br /> may be found in a variety of habitats below 6,000 feet elevation, including <br /> riparian areas and pinyon-juniper woodlands. The shrike is a fairly common <br /> summer resident and spring and fall migrant in Colorado. The loggerhead <br /> shrike may feed on large insects, small birds, or mice. The loggerhead shrike <br /> has shown significant population declines over much of its range. It has been <br /> extirpated from some areas in eastern Colorado, but appears stable in western <br /> Colorado. It is a rare to uncommon winter resident in western valleys north <br /> to Mesa County and on the southeastern plains north to the southern El Paso <br /> County. The loggerhead shrike has also been identified by the Partners in <br /> Flight international joint venture as a neotropical migrant worthy of <br /> attention. <br /> The columbian sharptailed grouse is a category two listing candidate. It is a <br /> local resident in Routt and eastern Moffat counties, with smaller populations <br /> south to Montezuma county. The grouse is associated with shrublands and <br /> cultivated fields between 6,000 and 7,500 feet elevation. Populations have <br /> declined due to impacts to habitat. This grouse has declined in numbers and <br /> distribution throughout its range, and has been extirpated from California, <br /> Nevada, and Oregon. Its remaining stronghold is in western Colorado. Grouse <br /> are entirely insectivorous. For additional information on the species biology <br /> and distribution, contact Clait Braun with the Colorado Division of Wildlife <br /> in Fort Collins (303-484-2836). <br /> • The roundtail chub is a category 2 listing candidate. It is a native of the <br /> Colorado River basin and may reach 18 inches in length and weigh up to two <br />