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Water necessary for drilling associated with the Deer Creek Vent Shaft is not expected to <br />require more than one acre foot of water. This water will be withdrawn from Minnesota <br />Creek. The amount of water to be withdrawn will be minor and the location minimizes <br />the chances of any sedimentation entering the stream. This further reduces the chances of <br />affecting any of these species offish or their habitat. <br />Clay-loving wild buckwheat: The clay-loving wild buckwheat grows in allcaline clay <br />soils, locally refereed to as adobes, on sparsely vegetated badlands of Mancos shale <br />(USES 1984). The only known population of this plant is restricted to an adobe hills area <br />located between Montrose and Delta (Ellen Mayo, per. comm.). There aze no records of <br />this plant being found in the North Fork Valley. This species is not expected to occur in <br />the Deer Creek Shaft project area due to habitat constrictions. Long-term and cumulative <br />effects on clay-loving wild buckwheat based on the knowledge that: <br />• Potential suitable habitat for clay-loving wild buckwheat does not exist with the <br />Deer Creek Shaft project azea. <br />• The project will not affect any known azeas that could possibly support clay- <br />loving wild buckwheat. <br />• No new permanent roads will be constructed as part of project activities. The <br />temporary road to be constructed will be obliterated after use. The access road <br />does not run through habitat capable of supporting clay-loving wild buckwheat. <br />• Cumulative adverse effects on clay-loving wild buckwheat by proposed actions <br />will not occur. <br />• The limited scope and scale of the proposed action means that clay-loving wild <br />buckwheat habitat is not at risk, and population viability is not at risk. <br />Based on current information, the project will have No Effect on clay-loving wild <br />buckwheat. <br />Uinta Basln Aookless Cactus: To date no Uinta Basin Hookless Cactus plants have <br />been located during surveys in this portion of the Gunnison Forest (Bradford USES and <br />Ferguson BLM, per. comm.). The neazest known plants were observed North-northwest <br />of Paonia along the foot of Grand Mesa (Ferguson, per comm.). The species is found at <br />an elevational range of 4,500 to 5,900 feet within the desert shrub vegetation community. <br />Habitat for this plant consists of gravelly or rocky surfaces on river teaace deposits and <br />lower mesa slopes. The species occurs on varying exposures, but is more abundant on <br />south-facing exposures, with slopes to about 30 percent grade and where terrace deposits <br />break from level tops to steeper side slopes. <br />Based upon habitat descriptions provided, suitable Uinta Basin hookless cactus habitat <br />does not occur in or neaz the proposed project azea. <br />Potential suitable habitat for Uinta basin hookless cactus does not exist within the <br />Deer Creek Shaft Project azea. <br />The proposed project will not affect any known azeas that could possibly support <br />