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mouth. The White River in Colorado is not known to support any spawning activity (no larval or <br />young -of -year) and appears to be inhabited strictly by adult and subadult fish. The river also <br />supports a number of sensitive fish, including bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker and <br />roundtail chub. Since the closure of Taylor Draw Dam in 1984, the reservoir pool and White <br />River below the dam has shifted from a native - dominated fishery (97 percent, primarily bluehead <br />sucker and speckled dace) to one dominated (90 plus percent) by non - native fish, especially <br />fathead minnows and red shiner. Flannelmouth sucker and roundtail chub continue to comprise <br />10 -20 percent of the fishery, but bluehead suckers are relatively scarce (less than 1 percent). <br />White - Tailed Prairie Dogs <br />White- tailed prairie dogs, a BLM- sensitive species, and their burrow systems provide important <br />habitat for several BLM- sensitive species, including burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, and <br />represents potential habitat for reintroduced populations of black - footed ferret. <br />White- tailed prairie dog colonies in the lower Red Wash watershed are confined almost <br />exclusively to alluvial bottomlands and are relatively small, isolated, and typically support low <br />animal densities. The lease tract and the area within 1 mile of its perimeter respectively <br />encompass about 130 and 300 acres that show past or current evidence of prairie dog occupation. <br />This acreage is distributed across at least 9 discrete parcels and represents 3 -4 percent of those <br />respective landscapes. Typically, 10 -20 percent of this acreage is occupied at any given time <br />(Wolf Creek Work Group, 2001). Lower prairie dog densities and town occupancy in Red Wash <br />south of Coal Ridge is likely attributable to habitat quality. The utility of prairie dog habitats <br />composed of relatively tall and dense bottomland sagebrush /greasewood communities is inferior <br />to low stature /low density shrublands, such as those salt desert shrublands found north of Coal <br />Ridge (0.5 -1 mile north of lease tract). White- tailed prairie dogs begin their reproductive period <br />by early April and give birth from late April through early May. Pups emerge from natal burrows <br />from early to mid -June at 5 -7 weeks of age. Sport shooting of prairie dogs is allowed beginning <br />in mid -June. <br />Black- Footed Ferret <br />Under the auspices of a Non - essential, Experimental Population Rule ( Federal Register Vol. 63, <br />No. 190, Oct. 1, 1998) black - footed ferrets have been released annually in the Coyote Basin (-13 <br />miles southwest of the Red Wash lease tract) and Wolf Creek ( -3.5 miles east of the lease tract) <br />Management Areas from 1999 through 2009. A plague epizootic first recognized in 2010 <br />significantly reduced prairie dog populations in the Wolf Creek Management Area and is <br />believed to have directly or indirectly killed its entire ferret population. <br />The Experimental Population Rule applies to any ferrets that may occupy or eventually be <br />released in northwest Colorado and northeast Utah. Ferrets are wholly reliant on prairie dogs for <br />food and shelter. Ferret breeding activities begin in early March, with birthing beginning in early <br />May. Young ferrets generally begin to emerge by mid -July. Prairie dog towns within and near <br />the lease tract are considered poorly suited for sustained occupation or reproductive use by <br />black - footed ferret (e.g., isolated, small, low prey abundance). There have been no verified <br />sightings of ferrets, nor any known reproduction occurring within roughly 15 miles of the project <br />area. <br />DOI- BLM -CO- 110- 2012- 0023 -EA 45 <br />