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J.E. Stover & Associates, Inc December 5, 2007 Page 4 montane shrublands interspersed with pinyon - juniper woodlands. The north half of the main permit boundary area features stands of aspen interspersed with mixed montane shrublands and a few isolated conifer (Douglas -fir) stringers. A few small irrigated meadows and patches of sagebrush shrublands are also present in the high country, as well as several springs, ponds, and seasonal drainages. Stretches of East Roatcap Creek and Stevens Gulch and their narrow riparian corridors traverse the mine permit area from north to south (Figure 2). Impact Evaluations The following is an impact evaluation for five species potentially occurring within the mine permit boundary (bald eagle, western yellow - billed cuckoo, Canada lynx, northern river otter, and boreal toad) and four endangered fish species whose downstream critical habitat is affected by water depletions in the North Fork River drainage (bonytail, humpback chub, razorback sucker, and Colorado pikeminnow). Other species listed in Table 1 but not evaluated here were eliminated based on lack of suitable habitat within the mine permit boundary or because their known ranges are documented to lie well outside the mine boundary or its immediate vicinity. Bald eacle The bald eagle was listed as endangered in the conterminous U.S. by USFWS in 1967. Loss of habitat, shooting for feathers, and widespread use of the pesticide DDT are all thought to have contributed to the decline of this species; only 417 pairs were surveyed in the conterminous U.S. in 1963, down from several hundred thousand before the arrival of Europeans on this continent. Since domestic use of DDT was banned in 1972, bald eagle populations have increased dramatically, nearly doubling every 8 years. Approximately 6,500 pairs of bald eagles were recorded in the conterminous U.S. in 2000. In 2001, 45 resident pairs were recorded in Colorado, up from 11 pairs in 1990. The bald eagle was down - listed to threatened in 1995 at Federal Register 60(133):35999- 36010. On July 9, 2007, the USFWS de- listed the bald eagle at Federal Register 72(130):37345- 37346, indicating that the species is considered recovered. No critical habitat was designated for bald eagles. This inventory considers impacts to bald eagle because the USFWS will continue to monitor the recovery of the bald eagle for a minimum of five years from the date of de- listing. Bald eagles prefer coastal areas, rivers, or lakeshores with tall diurnal perches. In Colorado, bald eagles are rare summer breeders and common winter residents primarily in mountain parks and western river valleys. During the night, wintering bald eagles roost in tall trees, or occasionally, cliffs, up to 20 miles from foraging areas .13 Bald eagles may select night roosts that offer protection from winter winds and where thermoclines provide warmer temperatures than foraging areas. 13,12 In daytime, eagles make foraging flights from night roosts, alighting on the ground to capture prey or feed on carrion and frequently resting in tall trees or, less commonly, on manmade structures. Fidelity to night roosts is low. 10 USFWS. 2006. Population data for the bald eagle. Available at hftp: / /midwest.fws.gov /eagle /. Accessed March 3. 11 Andrews, R. and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado Birds. Denver: Denver Museum of Natural History. 442 pp. 12 Buehler, D. A. 2000. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). In The Birds of North America, No. 506 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and the American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. 13 Moynahan, Brendan (BLM Grand Junction Field Office Wildlife Biologist). 2006. Personal communication with Dawn Reeder (Rare Earth Science, LLC), March 8. 0 RARE EARTh SCIENCE, LLC