West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

3.3.6.5 Golden EagleLife History: This species uses rugged and remote mountain ranges for nesting;foraging over open desert in a range approaching 100 square miles.Population Status in the Planning Area: Golden eagle is widespread in mountainousareas of the planning area. The Argus Mountains, El Paso Mountains, Newberry Mountains, RedMountain and the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains contain several golden eagle nest sites.Within the China Lake NAWS Mojave B Range, the Eagle Crags provide outstanding habitat forgolden eagle. The Great Falls Basin area contains several nest sites.Where development has encroached on historical nesting sites, golden eagles sometimesmake new nests on electrical transmission lines, as in Adelanto.Regulatory Status: California: Fully Protected, Species of Special ConcernThreats Affecting the Golden Eagle: The three main threats to the Golden Eagle are: 1)shooting; 2) electrocution from electrical distribution and transmission lines; and 3) leadpoisoning from eating carrion with bullet fragments. Disturbance from vehicles or humanactivities at nest sites is a minor threat. Golden Eagle numbers are limited within the planningarea by the availability of nest sites. Protection of known nest sites is therefore the mosteffective method of preserving Golden Eagles in the planning area.3.3.6.6 Gray VireoLife History: This species is found on arid slopes dominated by short, densely branched,stiff-twigged shrubs. It is migratory, occurring in the western Mojave Desert from early Apriluntil mid-August.Population Status in the Planning Area: Gray vireos breed in small numbers at a fewsites on the southwest margin of the West Mojave planning area. In Los Angeles County onesinging bird was present in summer 1997 just west of the junction of Pallett Creek and Big RockCreek (elevation = 3800 ft.) near Valyermo. This is approximately 8 mi. (5 km) west of Bob'sGap (elevation = 4200 ft.), which was occupied by 1-3 pairs from 1981 to 1992. In 1985 anadditional territorial bird was found along Largo Vista Road, southeast of Pearblossom; this isapproximately 8 mi. (5 km) east of Bob's Gap.In San Bernardino County, gray vireos have bred consistently in the Round Valley/RoseMine area of the eastern San Bernardino Mountains (elevation = 6890-7870 ft.), and likely breedlocally in similar habitat elsewhere in those mountains. Territorial males were located in theupper Crystal Creek drainage, west of Cushenbury Canyon, in 1988; this is only 1-2 mi. (1.5-3km) south of the West Mojave Plan boundary. They formerly bred in chamise-dominatedchaparral in Cajon Pass. Egg sets were taken south of Hesperia, at the southern edge of theWest Mojave Plan area, in 1937 and 1949. There were recorded breeding gray vireos at BlackRock Spring, Quail Spring, and Smithwater Canyon, all in the northern portion of Joshua TreeChapter 3 3-175