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includes the high boreal forest in the eastern portion of the region. It <br />• is possible that lynx and, to a lesser extent, wolverines still occur in <br />the region. Presently the DOW has not identified any occupied range for <br />these species within the region. <br />A total of 15 river otters were reintroduced into the Gunnison River in <br />the fall of 1976 and 1977. Essential habitat is now considered the Gunnison <br />River downstream from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument to <br />Highway 92 and five miles up all tributaries. This does not include the <br />permit area. <br />Birds <br />There are seven members of the orders Gaviiformes (loons), Podicipedi- <br />formes (grebes), and Procellariiformes (tubenoses) that can be found at <br />• least occasionally within the region. All are closely associated with <br />water, and their limited occurrence is primarily a result of the limited <br />amount of suitable habitat in the region. <br />Fifty species from the three orders Ciconiiformes (herons), Gruiformes <br />(cranes), and Charadriiformes (shorebirds) occur within the region. Members <br />of these orders are heavily dependent on aquatic environments, although <br />some members do make substantial use of upland areas or croplands for <br />feeding and nesting. Many of these species are only present during spring <br />and fall migrations and are closely associated with the major rivers. <br />The greatest concentration of Anseriformes (waterfowl} occurs in the <br />region during the spring migration period, when virtually all bodies of <br />water are used to some degree for resting and feeding. Only 3 of the 29 <br />• <br />2.04-57 <br />