Laserfiche WebLink
The area to be mined does not provide suitable nesting habitat for <br />• most of the species mentioned. Most of the preferable nesting <br />habitat such as sandstone cliffs, rock outcropping, and trees are <br />found to the north in Axial Basin, to the west along Taylor and <br />Wilson Creeks, and to the east along Good Spring Creek. To date no <br />raptor nests have been found in the area to be mined, although <br />these areas and the reseeded areas provide excellent hunting areas <br />for raptors. <br />Raptor species that occur or are likely to occur in the permit area <br />are listed in Table 11, Wildlife Species that Occur Or Are Likely <br />To Occur In The Colowyo Permit Area. <br />Upland Game Birds <br />Observations of sage grouse have been common in the vicinity of the <br />mine for the last several years; the area is used heavily for <br />nesting and brood rearing from the nesting season through the fall <br />months. No strutting grounds have been found on or near the area <br />to be mined, but information contained in a July 23, 1980 letter <br />rand map from the CDOW noted that the general area immediately <br />• north of the Colowyo permit area and west of Milk Creek is a very <br />important sage grouse area as shown on the Wildlife Agency <br />Information Map (Map 14). The area supports a strutting nesting <br />complex, and there is a large sage grouse brood concentration area <br />north of the complex. During the summer of 1975, brood size <br />averaged 4.3 birds on the mine site. Observations during the <br />summer of 1980 averaged 3.7 birds. <br />Observations have been made of sage grouse use on the mine plan <br />area through seven winters beginning with the winter of 1974-1975. <br />It has been commonly observed in mountain shrub communities in <br />Northwest Colorado and in other areas that sage grouse move out of <br />these areas in winter due to high snow depths. Observations at <br />Colowyo support these generally accepted sage grouse use patterns. <br />The winters of 1976-1977 and 1980-1981 were extremely dry and mild <br />with very limited snow cover. Sage grouse were observed on the <br />mine plan area during the entire winter. The other five winters <br />beginning in 1974 were all normal or above normal winters with snow <br />depths ranging from 75-100 inches. No sage grouse use was observed <br />during the winter months of these years. Snow buildup from <br /> <br />2.04.11-39 <br />