2012-09-06_REVISION - C1981019 (2)

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under story of dense willow (Salix spp.) or tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) at elevations of less than 6,500 feet above mean sea level. North American wolverine The North American wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus), is the largest terrestrial member of the family Mustelidae, with adult males weighing 26 to 40 pounds and adult females weighing 17 to 26 pounds. The North American wolverine resembles a small bear with a bushy tail. It has a round, broad head; short, rounded ears; and small eyes. There are five toes on each foot, with curved and semiretractile claws used for digging and climbing. Wolverines do not appear to specialize on specific vegetation or geological habitat aspects, but instead select areas that are cold and receive enough winter precipitation to reliably maintain deep persistent snow late into the warm season. The requirement of cold, snowy conditions means that, in the southern portion of the species' range where ambient temperatures are warmest, wolverine distribution is restricted to high elevations, while at more northerly latitudes; wolverines are present at lower elevations and even at sea level in the far north. Deep, persistent, and reliable spring snow cover (April 15 to May 14) is the best overall predictor of wolverine occurrence in the contiguous United States. White River beardtongue The White River beardtongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis), is a shrubby, perennial plant with showy lavender flowers. It grows up to 20 inches tall, with multiple clusters of upright stems. It has long, narrow, green leaves. The flower petals are fused into a characteristic, two - parted flower with an upper and lower lip and a distinct sterile stamen (male floral part, or "staminode ") that is 0.35 -0.39 inches long. The dry, multi -parted fruit is 0.31 -0.43 inches long and contains 10 to 20 seeds. Blooming occurs from May into early June, with seeds produced by late June. The White River beardtongue is restricted to calcareous (containing calcium carbonate) soils derived from oil shale barrens of the Green River Formation in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah and adjacent Colorado. Its habitat is a series of knolls and slopes of raw oil shale derived from the Green River geologic formation. These soils are often white or infrequently red, fine- textured, shallow, and usually mixed with fragmented shale. These very dry substrates occur in lower elevations of the Uinta Basin; between 5,000 and 6,680 feet. White River beardtongue is found in semi - barren areas associated with shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus), rice grass (Stipa hymenoides), Salina ryegrass (Elymus salinus), Barneby's thistle (Cirsium barnebyi), ephedra wild buckwheat (Eriogonum ephedroides), pinon pine (Pinus edulis), and juniper ( Juniperus osteosperma). Proposed Mitigation Strategies • Coloywo will be required to establish a minimum of 350 acres of sagebrush steppe on the reclaimed surface within the Collom Expansion Area. Colorado Division of Wildlife Page 10