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<br />been reclaimed. No new surface disturbance or significant changes to the mine site are proposed <br />as a part of RN-5. <br />Description of Permit Areas <br />The Blue Ribbon contains a 0.6-mile reach of Hubbard Creek and the flanks of steeply sloping <br />foothills rising to the east and west. A U.S. Forest Service road (407) open to the public crosses <br />the mine roughly parallel to the west of Hubbard Creek. Elevations at the mine range from <br />approximately 6,300 feet above mean sea level at Hubbard Creek to approximately 7,880 feet at <br />a knob in the eastern portion of the permit area. The mine's surface disturbances and reclaimed <br />area is at elevations that are below 6,600 feet in the historic floodplain of Hubbard Creek at the <br />base of steep slopes to the east. <br />Bald eagle <br />The bald eagle, (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), is a bird of aquatic ecosystems, frequenting <br />estuaries, large lakes, reservoirs, major rivers, and some seacoast habitats. Prey during the <br />breeding season primarily consists of fish, but waterfowl, seagulls, and carrion are also eaten. <br />The species may also use prairies if adequate food is available. Bald eagles usually nest in trees <br />near water, but are known to nest on cliffs and (rarely) on the ground. Nest sites are usually in <br />large trees along shorelines in relatively remote areas that'are free of disturbance. The trees <br />must be sturdy and open to support a nest that is often 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep. Adults tend to <br />use the same breeding areas year after year, and often the same nest, though a breeding area may <br />include one or more alternate nests. The major components of habitat in wintering grounds <br />include an adequate food source and suitable trees for diurnal perching and nocturnal roosting. <br />The Blue Ribbon mine is approximately 0.75 miles north of a bald eagle winter foraging range <br />and approximately 1.5 miles north of a winter concentration area mapped by the Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife (CDOW) on the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The mine's permit area <br />does contain rim rock ledges and several tall cottonwoods that may provide hunting roosts for <br />bald eagles. Considering the higher quality habitat available to bald eagles along the North Fork <br />of the Gunnison River it is likely that bald eagles only infrequently occur within the Blue Ribbon <br />mine's permit area. Since no new surface disturbances are proposed in RN-5 and that the <br />disturbed area has been nearly all reclaimed, OSM has determined that RN-5 will have no effect <br />on the continued existence of the bald eagle. <br />Canada lynx <br />The Canada lynx (Lynx Canadensis), is a medium-sized cat with long legs, well furred paws, <br />long tufts on the ears, and a short black tipped tail. Adult males average twenty-two (22) pounds <br />and thirty-three (33) inches in length head to tail. Adult females average nineteen (19) pounds <br />and measure thirty-two inches in length. Suitable habitat includes primary habitat of coniferous <br />forests of spruce and fir or lodgepole pine, and secondary habitat of aspen or Douglas-fir mixed <br />with the primary habitat at elevations between 8,000 and 11,500 feet. Lynx also periodically <br />traverse other forested and non-forested habitats including lower elevation woodlands and <br />shrublands.