2008-04-15_REVISION - M1980244 (362)

Home Browse Search

• Baseline Technical Report ARCADIS Report for Soils and Biological Resources, Cresson Mine Life Extension Project Area No underground surveys for bats were conducted during the 2007 site visit. There are no federally listed bat species in Teller County. 5.5 SPECIAL STATUS WILDLIFE SPECIES Threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species are identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (the Act). Under the Act, an endangered species is defined as any species which is in danger of becoming extinct throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A threatened species is defined as any species that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A proposed species is defined as any species for which the USFWS has published a proposal in the Federal Register to list the species as either threatened or endangered. A candidate species is defined as any species for which the USFWS has sufficient information on file to support a proposal for listing as either threatened or • endangered, but for which this action is precluded at present by other listing activity. ARCADIS personnel contacted the USFWS to determine which threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species are listed and may be present within Teller County, Colorado. A formal consultation response and species list was received from the USFWS in June 2007. The USFWS frequently reviews and updates species lists based on current scientific data, litigation results, and a variety of other factors. The list provided in the June letter for Teller County includes: bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), least tern (Sternula antillarum), piping plover (Charadrius melodus), whooping crane (Gros Americana), pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), Pawnee montane skipper (Hesperia leonardus montana), and Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei). The CDOW maintains a state list of threatened and endangered species. The definitions of state-listed threatened and endangered species are similar to those for federally listed species. Included in the CDOW list are the following species: bald eagle, Mexican spotted owl, least tern, piping plover, whooping crane, and Preble's meadow jumping mouse. In addition, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) maintains a list of special status species for the state. The grassy slope sedge (Carex oreocharis) is known to occur in the District, and was observed during prior surveys, mostly on south-facing, grassy slopes associated with the natural grassland and open conifer woodland communities. • CCV Final Technical Report (3-28-08).doc 16