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OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING T & E, SENSITIVE AND MANAGEMENT INDICATOR SPECIES In reviewing the list of Threatened, Endangered, Sensitive (TES), or Management Indicator Species and their habitat requirements provided by the USFS the conclusion can be drawn that habitat for most of these species is lacking or of poor quality at, and azound, the proposed road and pad. Given the habitat requirements of those species listed, the possibility of affecting any habitat important to them is minimal It is known that some of the listed species occur in the general area. However, no habitat considered to be critical to nearly all these species will be affected. Also, there aze lazge expanses of the different habitat types found in the azea and the loss of a minor amount of habitat over the short term should have negligible affect on any of these species should they occur. T&E Species In the project area, suitable habitat is lacking for the only ground dwelling Federal and State listed T&E species. The project is located in an area that has been mapped as no lynx habitat, with exception of a small isolated pocked of Douglas fir mapped as suitable denning habitat and a small area of riparian habitat mapped as suitable winter habitat. These are two small isolated pockets that are found several miles from other larger expanses of suitable habitat. The lack of connectivity with other larger areas of suitable habitat precludes these areas from being used by lynx. There is no suitable lynx denning or wintering habitat that will be disturbed by construction of proposed access roads or drill sites. Canada Lynx could possibly move through the area, but it is doubtful any would remain. There is no suitable habitat for black-footed ferrets in the area. This species is dependent upon the presence of prairie dog colonies that are both large in area and where prairie dog numbers are high. The neazest known black-footed ferrets are reintroduced animals in western Rio Blanco County. There aze no federally listed endangered or threatened plant species known to occur in the project azea. The Uinta Basin hookless cactus (Sclerocactus glaucus), which is listed as Threatened, is known to occur northwest of Paonia in the North Fork Valley (Ferguson BLM). The project area is found at an elevation higher than this species is known to occur and soils where this species is found do not occur in the project area. None were observed during habitat and wildlife surveys in the project area. Sensitive Species The only sensitive wildlife species observed in the study area was the olive-sided flycatcher. This bird was always observed at the same location indicating that a pair was probably nesting in the area. This location was several hundred yards south along the Deer Creek drainage from the proposed vent shaft area. This area will not be disturbed by the proposed development.