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park -like areas with deeper soils and more gentle slopes while the more broken upland areas with <br />shallow coarse textured soils were occupied by the pinyon juniper woodlands. <br />In the vegetation baseline survey prepared for the proposed New Horizon North permit area, six <br />major vegetation types were found in the survey area including: reclamation, big sagebrush, <br />irrigated pasture, dry land pasture, intensely managed irrigated pasture and wetlands. The pre - <br />mine area was intensively developed for agricultural uses and also includes substantial acreage <br />of roads, residential /agricultural disturbances and livestock ponds. <br />Species - Specific Information <br />OSM queried the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Information, Planning, and Conservation <br />System (IPAC) web page for a list of potential federally - endangered, threatened, candidate <br />species and species of concern that may be found in Montrose County, Colorado and the project <br />area. The Gunnison sage - grouse (Centrocercus minimus), Mexican Spotted owl (Strix <br />occidentalis lucida), Yellow - Billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), Bonytail chub (Gila <br />elegans), Colorado pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus lucius), Greenback Cutthroat trout <br />(Oncorhynchus clarki stomias), Humpback chub (Gila cypha), Razorback sucker (Xyrauchen <br />texanus), clay - loving wild buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophilum), Colorado hookless Cactus <br />(Sclerocactus glaucus), Black- Footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), <br />Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), and the North American wolverine (Gulo gulo <br />luscus) were identified as potential species that may be affected by the New Horizon North <br />project proposal. <br />Mexican spotted owl <br />The Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida), is medium sized with dark eyes and no ear <br />tufts, brownish in color and heavily spotted with white or beige. Spotted owls are residents of <br />old- growth or mature forests that possess complex structural components (uneven aged stands, <br />high canopy closure, multi - storied levels, high tree density). The owl is frequently associated <br />with mature mixed - conifer (Douglas -fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii), white fir (Abies concolor), <br />limber pine (Pinus flexilis) or blue spruce (Picea pungens), pine -oak (ponderosa pine (Pinus <br />ponderosa) and Gambel oak (Quercus gambellii), and riparian forests (various species of <br />broadleaved deciduous trees and shrubs). <br />Canyons with riparian or conifer communities are also important components. Owls are also <br />found in canyon habitat dominated by vertical - walled rocky cliffs within complex watersheds, <br />including tributary side canyons. Rock walls with caves, ledges, and other areas provide <br />protected nest and roost sites. Canyon habitat may include small isolated patches or stringers of <br />forested vegetation including stands of mixed - conifer, ponderosa pine, pine -oak, pinyon juniper, <br />and/or riparian vegetation in which owls regularly roost and forage. Owls are usually found in <br />areas with some type of water source (i.e., perennial stream, creeks, and springs, ephemeral <br />water, small pools from runoff, reservoir emissions). Even small sources of water such as small <br />pools or puddles create humid conditions. <br />51t- a <br />