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POTENTIAL TO OCCUR IN THE <br />SPECIES HABITAT DESCRIPTION ANALYSIS AREA <br /> height. <br />Williamson's sapsucker Conifer forests; often mixed with No mixed conifer forest or aspens in the <br />(Sphyrapicus thyroideus) aspen from 7,000-10,700 feet; aspen analysis area. <br /> is an essential element. <br />Yellow-billed cuckoo Riparian; gallery cottonwoods with No riparian gallery forests area in the <br />(Coccyzus americanus) dense understory. I area. <br />Source: USFWS 2002. <br />The project area consists of pinon juniper woodland. The BLM and CDOW joined forces to <br />treat vegetation in the area in 1999. The goal was to remove potential fuel for wildland fires <br />(dead and dying pinon due to pine beetle infestation) and to improve big game habitat. <br />Vegetation now consists primarily of shrub habitat with scattered small pinon and juniper trees. <br />The thinning treatments have created a more open stand with a less-developed understory. These <br />conditions limit the suitability of the project area as breeding habitat for a number of avian <br />species including BCC species such as Virginia's warbler and black-throated gray warbler. The <br />open stand conditions are considered to be marginal foraging habitat for raptors, including BCC <br />species such as golden eagle and peregrine falcon. Known peregrine falcon nesting occurs at <br />Perrin's Peak, approximately 5 miles northwest of the project area (CDOW unpublished). <br />Known nesting for golden eagle occurs at Carbon Mountain approximately 1.5 miles away <br />(Bureau of Reclamation, unpublished data). The continued intensive noise and human activity <br />associated with the adjacent active mining pit reduces the usefulness of the already marginal <br />analysis area for raptor foraging. <br />Environmental Consequences <br />The Proposed Action would remove approximately 15 acres of pinon juniper woodland that <br />could be utilized by the five BCC bird species listed above. Vegetation removal would result in <br />a minor long-term bird habitat loss and fragmentation. Direct impacts to these five species <br />would be minimized by limiting vegetation clearing activities to outside the period of May 15 <br />through July 15 when most nesting would occur. Because project construction would utilize <br />existing access roads, no additional edge habitat would be created, and fragmentation would be <br />minimized. Since the project area does not contain any potential nesting habitat for BCC raptors, <br />including golden eagle and peregrine falcon, impacts to these species are expected to be low. <br />Mitigations <br />10. Vegetation clearing activities will not occur from May 15 through July 15, annually, to <br />avoid direct impacts to nesting pinon jays. If vegetation clearing cannot avoid this 60- <br />day period, surveys for pinon jay nesting activity will be conducted by a qualified <br />biologist prior to any vegetation clearing activities. If the project area does not contain <br />any nesting pinon jays, vegetation clearing activities may be authorized by the <br />Authorized Officer for the remainder of the closure period. <br />2.3.5 Threatened or Endangered Species <br />Following the guidelines of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended, a search <br />was made for federally threatened, endangered, proposed or candidate fauna with potential to <br />Grandview Gravel Pit Expansion Environmental Assessment 23