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Threatened and Endangered Species <br />Four species of threatened and endangered fish can be expected to inhabit the <br />Colorado River in this area: the Colorado pikeminnow, the razorback sucker, the <br />humpback chub and the bonytail. United States Fish & Wildlife Service <br />(USFWS) issued a Biological Opinion accepting a Recovery Agreement with <br />Snowcap Coal Company as the appropriate mechanism to allow for a <br />determination that water depletions to the Colorado River would be offset, and <br />that the operation is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the <br />species and is not likely to destroy or adversely modify designated critical <br />habitat. The Opinion and Agreement are incorporated into the permit as <br />Appendix 11-1. <br />Appendix 11-1 also lists the bald eagle (T), Canada lynx (T) and yellow-billed <br />cuckoo (C) as federally threatened and candidate species of animals currently <br />listed in Mesa County. In the.6iological Opinion, the USFWS accepted OSM's <br />determination that the operations would not affect these species. <br />A wildlife map depicting deer winter range and potential raptor and waterfowl <br />nesting areas with respect to mine surface facilities is provided in Exhibit 25. A <br />general location for one raptor nesting area is shown on the Exhibit, The most <br />likely location for additional sites are identified by the upper reaches of the steep <br />canyon walls which are highlighted on the map and steep canyon walls to the <br />south. The Colorado River and adjacent banks can be considered important <br />waterflow habitat for those species identified as nesting species in the wildlife <br />study contained in Table 11-2. <br />11-4 (Rev. 09/07) <br />