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In .'.~ ~~ I I . Ih.• ~rneca Coal Compam contracted "thunderbird W'ildlit"c Consulting. Inc. <br />I ~1 ( t, formerly I'u\ulcr River Gugle Studies, to conduct +vildlife monitoring ^t the Srncca II <br />\liuc. titudics inchtdc~a: I 1 a ++inter aerial survey li,r big game, 2) monitoring two known <br />Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (I rnrpunrrchus plursiune!lrr.+ cohrnrhiurnr.c) Irks and searching ti+r <br />nevv ones. and 31 checking golden eaelc (:Igailu c•hr}tcuerrrs(nests. Field personnel also watchrd <br />ti,r sandhill crane lGnr., cunuderr.+'i,c1 activity in spring. Descriptions of the sutdy area. sunev <br />methods. and results arc prescnred t,eluvv. <br />(,luestions or comments shout this report should be directed to the attention of b1r. Roy <br />Kan,. I{nvironmental Coordinaax. Seneca Coal Company. I'.O. Box (170, I laydcn, CO 31619, <br />telephone (970) 27G-510. <br />Sfl 11' :\R1::\ <br />I he ~cncea II Mine i> appr,xinrtu•ly nine miles s,nnhrast of 1 Lrc,lrn. Ruutt ('nunt~. <br />('alorado; the mine permit area occupies about 5.5 mi'. I'riur to 199, the big gmne survey area <br />• included the permit area and none-mile perimeter (approximately 17.5 mi'1. In 1994, the survey <br />.uca was enlarged to gather additional data. the expanded area covered approxim:ely R~.S mi". <br />and included the Seneca Il. Yo:tst, and Seneca II-\V ~1ines. -that same area vvas suneyed in <br />199>. :1n additional one-mile strip was added along the northwest edge a(the area in 1996, thus <br />increasing the big game sun'ey area to approximately R9.5 mir (exhibit I ). That urea vvas <br />suneycd each yrar from I9+>7 through 2001. Surveys ti,r g:unc bird Ieks vrcrc limited to the <br />Seneca II pcnnit area and its one-milr pcrimctcr. Gulden eagle nest monitoring was restricted to <br />sites un or near the permit area. <br />I he big game sun ey area is in the brushy foothills of the Williams Purl: ~hnuttains. <br />south of the Yampa River. I•:Ievations over the area range Imm 6.100 feet in the north to over <br />R, +011 ti'ct in the south. Steep slopes and high ridges covered with mountain brush charaetcri~e <br />the [opography and vegetation of the expanilcd area. The mountain hntsh conununih is <br />dominated by Gmnhel's oak (~uercu.\ ~,umhelii) and surviccixrry (:Inta•&uu•hirr ulnilr,liu). <br />I ambling aspen (/'oprrlrrs trenuduick•sJ stands arc scattered thmughuut the area, but occur <br />• mainly along the upper reaches ofdrainages. Isc,lated stands of fir IAhir.e spp.l arc found at the <br />?tNn ~.na., II \Lu¢ \\~: i,llik Ttoaitot wl! <br />