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WILDLIFE RESOURCES ASSESSMENT <br />DUCRWORTH PIT, WELD COUNTY, COLORADO <br />corner of the property. Several cavities suitable for nesting flickers, woodpeckers, <br />American kestrels, and chickadees were also found in this grove. Elms suttounding the <br />farmstead on CR 20 '/z provide nesting habitat for robins, starlings and rock dove. The <br />farmstead trees will not be removed during the proposed project; a maximum of three <br />trees may be removed from the balsam/elm grove <br />Raptors such as red-tailed hawks and Swainson's hawks nest in Weld County. No <br />raptors or their nests were observed during the site visit. Raptors are unlikely to nest at <br />the site due the lack of suitable trees to provide nesting sites. Raptors may occasionally <br />forage at the site, but the site is unlikely to be significantly used for hunting due to the <br />relative lack of habitat for small mammals, other than a small prairie dog town. <br />Wildlife Corridors <br />The project site contains no wildlife migration comdors identified by the CDOW <br />(NDIS 2004). Wildlife, particulazly rodents and carnivores such as coyotes and raccoons, <br />likely travels along Idaho Creek. The project will preserve existing wildlife travel <br />corridors on the property by completely avoiding Idaho Creek and it associated wetlands. <br />Conclusions and Discussion <br />The project site lacks any potential breeding or critical winter habitat for any federally <br />listed threatened or endangered species. Wintering bald eagles may occasionally forage <br />on the property, however, better habitat and foraging opportunities are available along <br />Boulder and Saint Vrain Creeks. The project site contains potential habitat for several <br />state listed species including, burrowing owl, northern leopard frog and winter foraging <br />habitat for ferruginous hawk. The project site does not contain potential habitat for <br />mountain plover, long-billed curlew, swift fox or common garter snake. <br />The site contains about 7.75 acres of prairie dogs, a federal candidate and state <br />species of concern that will be severely impacted by the project. The current status of the <br />black-tailed prairie dog as a candidate species does not federally protect the species under <br />the ESA and state regulations primarily addresses relocation issues. Currently, Weld <br />County has no prairie dog regulations. <br />ERO <br />Resources <br />(orpomtion <br />