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planting native plant species including skunkbush, coyote willow, cattails and cottonwood trees. <br />Encouraging wetland plants such as coyote willow and cattail would provide additional cover <br />and otter prey species such as frogs. If livestock grazing were part of the plan for the project <br />area, development of a livestock management plan would help improve riparian habitat. <br />5.1.2.2 Canada Lynx: No mitigation is necessary. <br />5.1.2.3 Coyote, Raccoon, and Red Fox: Mitigation for predatory mammals revolves around <br />protection of habitat and maintenance of an adequate prey base within the animals' territory. <br />Habitat protection, maintenance, and enhancement will benefit predatory mammals. <br />5.1.3 Small Mammals <br />5.1.3.1 Rodents and Lagomorphs: Mitigation is the upland area along the rail spur would <br />center on control of noxious weeds. Portions of Reed Wash are infested with whitetop and other <br />weed species. The habitat in the riparian area would benefit from noxious weed control. <br />Seeding of grass species that are compatible with the alkaline soils may have potential to <br />increase cover, reproductive habitat, and forage. <br />5.2 BIRDS <br />5.2.1 Neo- tropical/Passerine Birds: Impacts to migratory species, which nest in the <br />vegetative types in the project area, can be minimized if surface disturbing construction activities <br />take place outside the nesting season. This project will not result in the loss of signifiant <br />potential nesting sites when greasewood shrublands are removed during construction. This <br />vegetation type is generally abundant in the Grand Valley area and the loss due to this project <br />will represent a small portion of the habitat suitable for these birds. <br />Potential impacts to nesting avian species would be mitigated if brush clearing were <br />accomplished during the time when migratory birds were not establishing territories, breeding <br />and nesting. After mid- to late -July, most fledging has occurred and brush clearing impacts would <br />be minimized. <br />5.2.2 Raptors: Since raptor use of the loadout project area is primarily foraging habitat, <br />maintenance of the riparian and upland habitat would provide the greatest benefit to these <br />species. Similar to other wildlife species, mitigation should target control of noxious weeds and <br />maintenance or improvement of existing upland and riparian habitat. <br />Mitigation for raptors is usually designed to protect occupied nest sites. Some raptors are <br />sensitive to human activities and nest abandonment can occur because of human disturbance too <br />close to nest sites. Raptors that nest in the presence of existing human disturbance have likely <br />habituated to the activities. However, if occupied nests are found prior to project construction <br />during surveys, resource agencies have developed guidelines for species protection (Table 10). <br />Recommended temporal and spatial restriction guidelines for human - related activities near active <br />nests have been established and are based on BLM stipulations (BLM 1987), Colorado Division <br />of Wildlife (CDOW) recommendations (Craig 2002, Klute 2008) and literature review of nesting <br />25 <br />