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McClane Canyon Mine Expansion and Fruita Loadout Facility Biological Assessment
<br />greenback cutthroat trout were endangered under the ESA. Greenback cutthroat trout were
<br />thought to be extinct but several small populations were discovered in 1973 (FWS, 1998) and
<br />the subspecies was listed as threatened under the ESA in 1978 (FWS, 1978). At that time, the
<br />species' known distribution was restricted to headwaters of the Arkansas River and South Platte
<br />River in Colorado.
<br />Recent discoveries (Metcalf et al., 2007) indicate that greenback cutthroat trout occurs within
<br />some streams in Garfield and Mesa counties (FWS, 2010a), in the upper reaches of Roan
<br />Creek and Carr Creek, which are within the Upper Roan Creek/Clear Creek (HUC 1401000602)
<br />sub - watershed (BLM, 2009). Cutthroat trout habitat has not been mapped within the Colorado
<br />Headwaters - Plateau Hydrologic Unit, HUC 14010005, which includes East Salt Creek (CDOW,
<br />2005, COGCC, 2009) and cutthroat trout do not occur in the drainage. The Project would have
<br />no effect on greenback cutthroat trout.
<br />Colorado Hookless Cactus. Colorado hookless cactus is a federally - listed threatened plant
<br />(FWS, 1979, 2007a, and 2009b) that occurs on river benches, valley slopes, and rolling hills in
<br />Delta, Garfield, Mesa, and Montrose counties, Colorado (FWS, 1990a). Colorado hookless
<br />cactus generally grows on soils that are unusually coarse, gravelly river alluvium above river
<br />floodplains, and usually with Mancos shale with volcanic cobbles and pebbles as components
<br />on the surface (FWS, 2010b).
<br />There are two population centers in Colorado, one of which occupies alluvial river terraces of
<br />the Colorado River and in the Plateau of Roan Creek drainages in the vicinity of DeBeque,
<br />Colorado, and the other which is located on alluvial river terraces of the Gunnison River
<br />extending from Delta, Colorado to southern Mesa County, Colorado. The DeBeque population
<br />center is closest to the project area, located more than 20 miles southeast of the Mine, although
<br />there are occurrences of Colorado hookless cactus in the Colorado Natural Heritage Program
<br />(CNHP) database that are closer (approximately 17 miles to the south). Colorado hookless
<br />cactus was not found during biological surveys of the Mine Site conducted from April through
<br />June 2010 (Wildlife West, 2010), which included areas of potentially suitable habitat 100 meters
<br />(330 feet) beyond areas proposed for surface disturbance (Graham, 2011). The species is not
<br />expected to be present within the Mine Site or vicinity. The Project would have no effect on
<br />Colorado hookless cactus.
<br />Ute Ladies' tresses Orchid. Ute ladies'- tresses orchid was listed as threatened in 1992 (FWS,
<br />1992). Numerous populations occur in seasonally flooded riparian and subirrigated meadow
<br />habitats within Dinosaur National Monument in Moffat County (National Park Service, 2005). In
<br />2006, Ute ladies'- tresses orchid was found within the Roaring Fork River valley near
<br />Carbondale in Garfield County on seasonally sub - irrigated meadows that were dominated by
<br />herbaceous riparian species (DeYoung, 2009). OSM (2011) submitted a letter to FWS
<br />concluding that the McClane Canyon Mine could adversely affect Ute ladies'- tresses orchid
<br />because of possible suitable habitat on or near the McClane Canyon Mining area. However,
<br />there is no suitable habitat (as described above) that would be affected by the Proposed Action.
<br />Further, Ute ladies'- tresses orchid is not known to occur within the GJFO (Lincoln, 2011) and
<br />was not addressed in the GJFO Resource Management Plan Revision Final Analysis of the
<br />Management Situation (BLM, 2009). No suitable habitat for the species is present within the
<br />Mine Site and it is not expected to be present. The Project would have no effect on Ute ladies' -
<br />tresses orchid.
<br />DeBeque Phacelia. DeBeque phacelia was proposed for listing in 2010 (FWS, 2010c) and was
<br />listed as threatened on July 27, 2011 (FWS, 2011a). DeBeque phacelia is currently known to
<br />only occur in Garfield and Mesa counties (Ladyman, 2003). CNHP (Decker et al., 2005)
<br />modeled the potential distribution of DeBeque phacelia, which included an area along State
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