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Wil lif <br />• Wildlife consists of species typical of mountain shrub zones. The tract is not in deer winter range. <br />Elk winter range exists within one-half mile to the east, but there is no critical winter range on the <br />tract. <br />Golden eagles use the review area as hunting habitat. Also, the potential exists for nesting to <br />occur. BLM inventories conducted from 1978 to 1980 and monitoring flights through 1985 did not <br />locate any nest or roost sites. No nest sites are known to be present at this time. <br />A number of other small birds, small mammals, reptiles, and raptors are dependent on the mountain <br />shrub and pinion-juniper habitat types on the review area. Blue grouse have been documented on <br />the area, but no specific portions of the area have been identified as highly important for this <br />species. <br />Riparian areas along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and up side canyons could be extremely <br />important for the following bird species of high federal interest: <br />Band-tailed pigeon Lewis' woodpecker Flammulated owl <br />Black swift Prairie falcon Williamson's sapsucker <br />Cooper's hawk Western bluebird Great blue heron <br />These bird species depend heavily on the riparian vegetation, particularly stands of cottonwoods <br />and aspens, for food, cover, and nesting habitat. Such stands provide islands in the surrounding <br />extensive stands of mountain shrub and pinion•juniper habitat type and are considered important to <br />these species. <br />• The portion of the North Fork of the Gunnison River in the vicinity of the review area is habitat for <br />the following species of fish: <br />Rainbow trout Bluehead sucker CO mottled sculpin <br />Brown trout CO speckled dace Western white sucker <br />Cutthroat trout Fathead minnow Flannelmouth sucker <br />Fish are not present in the secondary drainages on the review area due to the absence of perennial <br />waters. <br />G. Endangered Soecies <br />There is no designated critical habitat on the review area, and none off-site that would be affected <br />by this proposal. The following annotated list of Federal and State candidate and listed species <br />have the potential of occurring on the review area, or could be affected by a lease and subsequent <br />coal development. <br />Bald eagles, (Haliaeetus /eucocepha/usl, Federal & State Endangered species, are known to winter <br />in the region of the review area. BLM inventories conducted in 1978 through 1980, and <br />monitoring flights conducted through 1985, did not locate any roost or nest sites, or areas of <br />winter concentration on or near the review area. Use levels of the North Fork of the Gunnison <br />River in this region were low density, and only sporadic winter use occurred on the uplands. Tha <br />possibility exists for nesting to occur along the North Fork of the Gunnison River. <br />Peregrine falcon, IFa/co peregrinusl. Federal & State Endangered species, use has not been <br />• recorded on the review area. Some incidental use is likely, especially during migration. The North <br />Fork region, including the review area, has some potential as habitat. Peregrines are known to <br />successfully nest 20 miles to the southwest in the Black Canyon National Monument. Suitable <br />Page 6 <br />