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• 1983). Although preferred wintering areas are usually near open water where eagles feed on <br />fish or waterfowl, bald eagles also will hunt over open, upland areas if other food sources (e.g., <br />rabbits or deer carrion) are readily available (Green 1985). Trees along the North Fork <br />Gunnison River within line-of-sight of the proposed coal refuse facility and access roads are not <br />of the size and configuration to represent suitable perch sites for bald eagles. <br />The Oxbow project area represents potential, but not preferred, bald eagle winter foraging <br />habitat. Bald eagles wintering birds along the North Fork Gunnison River may occasionally <br />wander over the Oxbow project area, but development of the coal refuse facility is unlikely to <br />have any adverse effects on local bald eagle populations. There would be no indirect water <br />quality or quantity impacts to the North Fork Gunnison River from development of the coal <br />refuse facility. <br />Lvnx <br />The Canada lynx is most closely associated with spruce-fir and mixed aspen/conifer habitats in <br />• the southern Rocky Mountains. Other habitat types utilized include mixed conifer, aspen, willow <br />riparian, and upland mountain shrub communities in proximity to the primary habitat types <br />(Reudiger et al. 2000). Winter snow cover is an important aspect in reducing competition <br />between lynx and other mammalian predators such as coyote and bobcat (Ruediger et al. <br />2000). The lynx's long legs and large feet permit this species to hunt in areas of deeper and <br />softer snow than other potential competitors. Crusting or compaction of snow may reduce the <br />competitive advantage that lynx have in soft snow (Buskirk et al. 2000). <br />Advanced successional stages of forests and dense conifer stands often are preferred denning <br />habitats of Canada lynx, especially where areas of rock outcrop, large deadfall, or thickets are <br />present (McCord and Cardoza 1982). The common componeht of natal den sites appears to be <br />large woody debris, either down logs or root wads (Koehler 1990; Mowat et al. 2000; Squires <br />and Laurion 2000). These den sites may be located within older regenerating stands or in <br />mature conifer or mixed conifer-deciduous (typically spruce/fir or spruce/birch) forests (Koehler <br />1990). <br />Lynx distribution in North America is.closely tied with that of the snowshoe hare (McCord and <br />• Cardoza 1982). Snowshoe hares represent the principal prey of Canada lynx, Comprising 35 to <br />June, 2003 <br />