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6.4.8 Exhibit H <br />Wildlife Information <br />Gunnison River Gravel Pits <br />Grand Junction Pipe and Supply, Inc. <br />Introduction <br />Five pit sites were visited on two occasions in February 2009 by Bill Clark, Biologist and Ed <br />Settle, Grand Junction Pipe. The purposes of the visits were to verify vegetation communities, <br />soils, make incidental wildlife observations, and observe landscape setting of the Gunnison River <br />Gravel Pits (GRGP) and surrounding vicinity, and to describe these resources as required by <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology regulations pertaining to the extraction of sand and <br />gravel. <br />Pits are located on the first terrace above the Gunnison River on the point bar side of meanders. <br />The river corridor and resulting riparian vegetation community is rather narrow in the canyon <br />setting. There is a railroad right-of-way and vertical escarpments 200-400 yards beyond the <br />railroad on the east or far side of the river. Beyond the west or left descending stream bank a <br />narrow and sometimes non-existent riparian zone is tightly contained by toe slopes of extremely <br />dry colluviums ranging in particle size from silt to large, sedimentary rock boulders originating <br />from the west canyon escarpment. <br />The objectives of this survey are to document wildlife resources and features in the vicinity of <br />Gunnison River Gravel Pits (GRGP): <br />• Identify areas of importance to resident and migratory game and non-game species: <br />• Identify areas where threatened, endangered, or sensitive wildlife occur; <br />• Locate raptor (bird of prey) nest sites and identify potential raptor habitat and use areas; <br />• Locate Birds of Conservation Concern (BOCC) nest sites or habitat; and, <br />• Identify areas of potential habitat for federally listed threatened and endangered wildlife <br />species. <br />Method <br />Information for this exhibit is based on two site visits in February 2009 and review of public <br />domain information from the US Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service <br />and Dept. of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and other public <br />domain sources. <br />Results <br />Weather for both visits was mild with mid-day air temperature around 40° F, slightly overcast <br />skies, and light wind. No other human activity was apparent during the visits. A half dozen <br />cows or more were browsing on remnant shrubs throughout the GRGP area. Heavy use by cattle <br />of the pit sites was evident from the amount and uniform distribution of feces, browsing of