1988-04-11_PERMIT FILE - C1981008A (29)

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indicate no notable concentrations in the study area at that time. Elk winter in the San Miguel River Valley, having descended from adjacent plateaus and mountains. Elk are occasionally seen in the Nucla area (R. Arant pers. comm.). No elk or elk sign was observed in the Nucla East study area during the course of conducting baseline studies. The muskrat, raccoon, striped skunk, and coyote are the furbearing mammals that were confirmed in the Nucla East study area. The red fox and the long-tailed weasel were reported at the Nucla Mine in 1980 (Tab 11, Wildlife Baseline Report - Nucla Mine). The occurrence of these species was not quantified but observations indicate that striped skunks and muskrats are numerous in the study area. The bobcat, gray fox, and ring-tailed cat also occur in the San Miguel River Valley (R. Arant pers. comm.), but none were observed during the course of conducting baseline studies. Other medium-sized mammalian species confirmed in or near the study area include the desert cottontail, rock squirrel, and Gunnison's prairie dog. The cottontail showed a pronounced affinity for the rangeland habitat especially where stands of sagebrush were well developed. Nearly 94 percent (32 of 34) of the cottontail observations recorded during this study were made in or near stands of sagebrush within the rangeland habitat. Rock squirrels were commonly observed on rocky bluffs along Calamity and Tuttle Draws and on spoil piles at the Nucla Mine. None were seen in the study area itself. Gunnison's prairie dogs were a common and conspicuous element of the mammalian fauna in the study area. Prairie dog occurrence and distribution is quantified in detail in Attachment 11-2. Most of the 43 prairie dog colonies in this survey were situated in dryland pasture or hay meadows. Birds. A list of the bird species of confirmed or potential occurrence in the Nucla East study area is presented along with their habitat preferences and relative seasonal abundances in Table 5. During the course of field studies, 133 species of birds were identified in the study area. These species are taxonomically aligned in 33 families belonging to 14 orders. Well represented families include the Anatidae, Accipitridae, Picidae, Tyrannidae, Hirundinidae, Corudae, Muscapidae, and Emberizidae. The road cruise frequency results are presented in Table 6. In the spring, 43 species were observed. Thirty-eight species were recorded in the fall. Species detected on at 11-2-16 Revised 04/11/88