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<br />' EXHIBIT H - WILDLIFE <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />H.1 Existing Wildlife Resources <br />H.1.1 Site Conditions <br />iii iiiiiiiiiiiii iii <br />~~ <br />\`,~ <br />The project area is located in the western foothills of <br />the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. The project area lies in <br />a fairly broad transitional zone where sagebrush covered flats <br />and alluvial fans meet the coniferous forests of the foothills <br />and mountain slopes. The area is crossed by the Rito Seco, a <br />perennial stream that flows from east to west. ~fhe Rito Seco <br />has a narrow riparian zone along the drainage. Human activities <br />in the area include hunting, fishing, mining, wood cutting, <br />some present light cattle grazing, and previous heavy domestic <br />animal grazing. Areas to the north, south, and east of the <br />project area have been recently subdivided into large housing <br />plots and an extensive road system has been constructed to <br />access these plots. <br />' Wildlife species present are typical of the foothills <br />and mountain slope habitats in the Colorado Rockies. A <br />' diversity of wildlife species occurs in the project vicinity <br />as a result of the varying habitats present in this <br />transitional zone. <br />H.1.2 Habitat Tvpes <br />' The habitat types on or adjacent to the project area <br />include sagebrush flats, open pinyon juniper forest, montane <br />coniferous forest, and riparian habitat. A71 habitats examined, <br />' except the riparian habitat, tend to grade into one another <br />with broad transitional zones. The riparian habitat is a <br />discrete, narrow zone which is present only along the Rito <br />' Seco. <br /> <br />H-1 <br /> <br />