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BIG GAME <br />When evaluating potential effects on big game habitat use from proposed development activities <br />two things must be considered; (1) numbers of animals that might use the area for winter range <br />and (2) total amount of habitat available both within and adjacent to the project area. <br />Elk: Elk were discussed in the Management Indicator Species section. <br />Mule Deer: Mule deer typically do not winter in the area (Diamond 2007). He has found that <br />deer do not winter in the area. When deer leave the area in any given winter is affected by snow <br />depth. The lack of deer observations during this study further support the observation that this <br />area is not used by wintering deer. <br />Based on observations made during these studies wintering deer move out of the area. In the <br />winter most animals are found below where development activity will occur. Considering the <br />fact that all deer move out of the project area from late fall through early spring there would be <br />little or no effect on wintering deer activity. <br />RAPTORS <br />Raptors observed during the winter wildlife surveys included Northern goshawk, red-tailed hawk <br />and golden eagle. A northern goshawk was observed taking a snowshoe hare mountain shrub <br />habitat in the Lick Creek drainage. Red-tailed hawks were observed in late February and by <br />March were observed more frequently. This was not unexpected as several pairs of red-tails <br />were observed nesting in the area in 2007 and prior years. Golden eagles were rarely observed <br />and all observations were at the edges of the study area along the North Fork of the Gunnison <br />valley. <br />NEOTROPICAL BIRDS <br />Birds observed, other than listed species and raptors, were what would be expected during the <br />winter in the various habitat types found in the project area. A total of 16 species were observed <br />while conducting transects or as opportunistic observations - Table 5. These were all <br />opportunistic observations made while conducting the track surveys. No intensive bird surveys <br />were conducted which accounts for the low number of species observed. <br />SUMMARY <br />During wildlife surveys conducted in from December 2007 through April 2008, no federally <br />listed Threatened or Endangered wildlife species were observed. <br />Suitable habitat for wintering lynx is generally lacking in the area. Areas where there is suitable <br />cover and prey base are, with a few minor exceptions, found away from proposed disturbance <br />areas. These are limited to narrow corridors along Deep Creek, Lick Creek and the Dry Fork of <br />Minnesota Creek. There is a lack of connectivity between these areas. <br />22