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. Site IP 2001-23 and Access Road Wildlife Survey <br />Threatened & Endangered or Species of Concern <br />Along both the road corridor and at the drill site wildlife observed was similar to that observed at <br />other locations in the study azea. Again, suitable habitat was generally lacking for nearly all <br />species of concern listed in the EIS. There is a chance that loggerhead shr>7ces and raptors could <br />forage in the area but no other listed bird species, other than a by chance, would be expected to <br />occur in this area. This is a very dry site with no neazby water thereby eliminating the possibility <br />of amplu'bians. Potential impacts to fisheries would not be a concern at this site. <br />Raptors <br />There were a few aspens to the north of this site on private land within the 1/2 mde radius of the <br />drill site. However, the trees were scattered and provided little in the way of suitable nesting <br />habitat for raptors. There aze some small cliffs in the Alder-Creek drainage, but no evidence of <br />raptor activity was observed on any of the outcrops. Also, tall Gambel oak around this site would <br />create a visual buffer even %f birds were using the cliffs or aspens for nesting. <br />Drill Site IP 2001-24 and Access Road Habitat Survey <br />Access to this dn71 site is from private property to the north There is approximately 7000 feet of <br />road on National Forest land. Most of the road corridor is dominated by old age Gambel oak <br />= with a lmmted amount of serviceberry, .chokecherry and snowberry on the ridge top. Also, along <br />the ridge top conditions are very dry and except for a few instances both grasses and forts are <br />limited. On either side of the ridge there is an increase in both density and diversity of all these <br />species. Nearer the site there are some pockets of aspen on either side of the ridge. Li1ce that <br />which occurs at other sites surveyed the aspens are old age, 70+ feet tall, and have a very open <br />canopy with no regeneration.' The dominant shrub species in these areas are chokecherry and <br />snowberry. <br />Approximately the last 1/2 mile ofproposed road corridor is in a Douglas fir stand on a steep <br />west facing slope. There is some understory of serviceberry, but grasses and forts aze generally <br />lacking. <br />As the road moves back onto the ridgetop near the drill site Gambel oak and serviceberry again <br />dominate. There are some scattered Ponderosa pines and Junipers neaz the ridge top. Again, <br />grasses and forts aze generally lacking. <br />There are cliff's in both the Hubbard and Alder Creek drainages within 1/2 mile of the road and <br />site that have suitable sites for raptor nests. <br />5 <br />