2008-06-09_REVISION - C1980007 (3)

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• CJ Fish and Wildlife Table 3-10 Management Indicator Species for the GMUG National Forests (May 2005} Habitat Association as described by Habitat or Species T Com~uon 1\ame Scientific Name Cover Type Present in the Project Analysis Area. Early succession spruce-fir, Douglas- Species and habitat Rocky Mountain elk Cervus elephus fir, lodgepole, aspen, mountain shrub. present Also MIS for travel management. Pinyon juniper, Gambel oak, Merriam's wild Meleagi•is mountain shrub, and lower elevation Species and habitat turkey gallopovo ponderosa pine habitats. Highly present merriami dependent on healthy Gambel oak acorn crop and pinyon pine nut crop. Brewers sparrow Spizella brewe~~i Sagebrush shrubland habitats No Aspen and highly dependent upon Syplay~•apicus infected aspen over 10 inches dbh. Species and Habitat Red-naped sapsucker nuchalis Species observed adjacent to project present area during field surveys (Ward and Monarch 2005). Abert's squirrel Sciurus aberti Late-succession ponderosa pine No American marten Martes ame~•icana Late-succession spruce-fir, lodgepole Habitat present pine Northern goshawk Accipiter geiztillis Late-succession aspen, aspen/mixed conifer Habitat present Common trout (cutthroat, brook, lnstream and riparian habitats No rainbow and brown trout) project will not affect pine marten; therefore, this species will not be discussed further. MIS Species Potentially to Occur in the project area Rocky Mountain Elk A life history, biology, and habitat requirements for elk can be found in the Forest MIS Assessment (USDA FS 2001b). Elk are typically associated with semi-open forests and forest edge habitat adjacent to parks, meadows, and alpine tundra. Elk will both graze and browse, with grass and shrubs being heavily utilized in the waiter and fortis becoming important for the spring and summer. Elk tend to migrate to high elevations in the summer and lower elevations for the winter. The Deer Creek area has been identified as elk overall, summer and winter range by the Colorado Department of Wildlife (CDOW) (see project file). Essentially all habitat types on the GMUG are suitable elk habitat (total suitable habitat is 3,433,217 acres). There are approximately 6,000 acres of habitat suitable to elk in the project area or 0.2 percent of the habitat Forest- wide. Approximately 2,600 acres of the suitable elk habitat in the project area is elk winter range. The winter range is located within the northern and northwestern portions of the project area. This habitat is primarily composed of aspen, Gambel oak, and mountain meadows and receives moderate use (Madariaga 2007b). Elk typically use the winter range in the project area during mild to Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seain Methane Drainage Wells FEIS 93