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