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<br />Ditch Maintenance Guidance <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />(4) the disposition of silt, debris, and vegetative material from cleaning, mowing, and other <br />maintenance activities. <br /> <br />This Guidance applies to irrigation ditch maintenance in the following counties in Colorado: <br />Arapahoe. Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, Elbert, EI Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld, <br />Ditch maintenance activities in all other counties within the state of Colorado will have no <br />impacts on the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, <br /> <br />NOTE: This Guidance applies to all ditches that may support Preble's meadow jumping mice <br />within the above identified counties. This Guidance is unrelated to the Proposed 4( d) Special <br />Rule for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, which is currently not finalized. <br /> <br />Ditch maintenance activity should avoid, to the maximum extent practicable, impacts to shrub <br />vegetation. For example, if it is possible to access the ditch for maintenance or repair activities <br />from an area containing no shrubs, adjacent shrub vegetation must be avoided. At no time shall <br />the activities identified herein, when taken cumulatively, exceed impacts to more than the <br />maximum allowable disturbance area (as defined in this Guidance) during this Calendar Year. <br /> <br />The Service considers the following activities to be of no effect or not likely to adversely <br />affect the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (see Appendix A for dermitions) if all suggested <br />Best Management Practices (BMPs) (Appendix B) are followed: . <br /> <br />ACTIVITIES THAT CAN OCCUR BETWEEN NOW AND MAY I, 1999 <br /> <br />I. All necessary maintenance activities in areas of ditches that remove no shrub vegetation <br />(for placement of spoil/debris/vegetative cuttings, see BMPs in Appendix B). <br /> <br />2. Mowing or cutting of shrub vegetation (including willow) that impacts less than the <br />maximum allowable disturbance area, is 6 inches or more from the ground surface, and <br />has no direct disturbance of the ground surface (for placement of spoiVdebris/vegetative <br />cuttings, see BMPs in Appendix B), <br /> <br />3. Burning: Except as defined in 4 below, all burning must occur prior to May 1 and effects <br />will be defined by the type of habitat being addressed: <br />a. For shrub habitat, no more than the maximum allowable disturbance area (530 <br />square feet) should be impacted (unless the patch can be described as unsuitable <br />, habitat as defined in Appendix A). <br />b. For non-shrub vegetation, burning will not be limited by maximum allowable <br />disturbance area. <br /> <br />. <br />