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Environmental Scientists and Engineers. LLC <br />Raptors <br />Cliffs and sandstone outcrops provide nesting habitat for raptors. Hunting habitat would <br />include bottomland, sagebrush, and mountain shrub vegetation. Raptors that are <br />suspected to nest or hunt in the area include golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), red - tailed <br />hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), prairie falcon (Falco <br />mexicanus), northern goshawk (Accipiter gentillis), Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii), <br />sharp - shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), northern <br />harrier (Circus cyaneus), and turkey vulture (Cathartes aura). <br />Game Birds <br />Several species of game birds occur, or potentially occur, on the proposed lease area <br />including Columbian sharp - tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), greater sage - <br />grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), and mourning dove (Zenaida macroura). The <br />important game birds are Columbian sharp - tailed grouse and greater sage - grouse. Both <br />birds would be expected to inhabit the area during all seasons. Grassland and sagebrush <br />plant communities could provide suitable habitat for nesting and foraging. However, <br />herbaceous forage may be limited within sagebrush vegetation because of high shrub <br />densities. Mourning doves are summer residents in the proposed lease area inhabiting <br />grasslands, sagebrush stands, and agricultural fields. <br />Migratory Birds <br />The proposed lease area supports seven different plant communities (Table 6), which <br />differ in plant composition and structure. These plant communities provide foraging and <br />nesting habitat for approximately 70 migratory birds (Kingery and Dillon 1987). <br />3.8.2 Aquatic <br />Habitat for fish and other aquatic vertebrates is extremely limited due to the lack of <br />perennial streams. Stock ponds, springs and seeps may provide suitable habitat for <br />amphibians. <br />3.9 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species <br />Two sources of information were searched to identify sensitive species that may be <br />associated with the proposed lease area. The USFWS Federally Listed Endangered <br />Species for Colorado (http: // mountain- prairie.fws.gov /endspp /CountyLists <br />/COLORADO.htm) and Colorado Natural Heritage Program's Species Tracking Lists <br />( http:// www .cnhp.colostate.edu/list.html). Table 7 lists federal, Colorado state, and BLM <br />sensitive species that are recorded for Moffat County. The list will be further refined with <br />projections of species that may occur on the proposed lease area in support of the state <br />permit to mine coal. <br />P:`.PROJECTS Cokm■o b !SS FA Final 111.N1-% -E:\ Codlnm (5 ul fM Ji■ <br />36 <br />