2008-06-09_REVISION - C1980007 (3)

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• Fish and Wildlife Red-naped Sapsuckers Red-naped sapsuckers are associated with aspen forests or conifer forests mixed with aspen. However, they are most strongly associated with mature aspen. Aspen is important for successful reproduction and foraging, especially in close proximity to small openings and riparian zones. They will preferentially nest in aspen, even when conifer snags are available. Red-naped sapsuckers construct new cavities each year, frequently in the wine tree. Nest trees are either green with heart rot, or dead. Their territory size is 5 to 12 acres. In Colorado, nest trees average 9.2 inches diameter and 3 to 35 feet in height (CPIF 2005f). Orientation of nest cavities is generally southward. Their diet consists of insects, tree sap from sap wells, and some fruits; they also hawk flying insects. Abandoned nest cavities are important to many secondary cavity nesters. Population trends of this species are not adequately monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey in Colorado, but populations appear to be stable or slightly increasing at the continental scale. They were present on an average of 49.86 percent of the survey routes in Physiographic Area 62 in Colorado, 1988- 1998, at an average abundance of 1.11 individuals per route (CPIF 2000e). Physiographic Area 62 covers much of the central region of Colorado. This physiographic area encompasses the majority of the forested lands in Colorado. This species is monitored by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory - Monitoring Colorado Birds with point transects. Northern Goshawk Northern goshawks are associated with mature forests and can use a variety of forests such as coniferous, deciduous, or mixed forests. On the GMUG, goshawks are strongly associated with mature aspen stands, although they also use mature ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine and spruce/fir stands (USDA FS 2001b). There are 730,525 acres of suitable goshawk nesting habitat on the GMUG (USDA FS 2001b) and 1,753 acres in the project area (0.2 percent of Forest-wide). This habitat is primarily composed of aspen. Northern goshawks appear to be well distributed throughout the GMUG, based on the current available information (USDA FS 2001b) and goshawk populations are stable, and ample suitable habitat is available to support a viable population (USDA FS 2001b). Goshawks are known and documented to occur and nest in the Paonia District. Although nest sites have not been. documented in the project area, suitable habitat is present. A total of 110 active, alternative, and suspected goshawk nests have been found across the Forest. A total of 57 known active goshawk nests have been found between 1992 and 2003; over 90 percent of the nests built and occupied by goshawks are in aspen trees. Between 1992 and 2003 there have been 28 designated goshawk territories reported (LeFevre 2004). These territories are known to have been occupied by goshawks for one year or more. A minimum of 10 pairs of breeding birds has been provided as an estimate of a local viable goshawk population on the GMUG (USDA FS 2001b). Based on monitoring since 1984, there is a high probability that there are more than 10 goshawk pairs that have been surviving and reproducing on the GMUG. Migratory Birds Executive Order (EO 13186) enacted in 2001 requires federal agencies to consider the effect of projects on migratory birds, particularly those species for which there may be conservation concern. Migratory bird species of concern, for which project-level conservation opportunities may be applicable, are identified by the Endangered Species Act, the Regional Forester's sensitive species list, the Forest's MIS list, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Birds of Conservation Concern list (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002). This portion of the analysis is focused on reviewing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Birds of Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS 95