2014-06-20_REVISION - M1981207 (10)

Home Browse Search

Blue Pit 112 Permit Amendment forage and lack of security cover may be the reason CDOW does not include this site in its winter range mapping. If subdivision development becomes denser to the north and associated daily human activity levels increase, the site will become less attractive to elk. Bald Eagle: This species was selected because it is listed as a State Threatened species and because they select relatively quiet, undisturbed riparian sites for nesting, and they require healthy aquatic ecosystems to provide adequate food resources. As such, they are an excellent indicator of the relative health and viability of many other species in the area. There are no Bald eagle nests known to occur on the Property, and the nearest active nest site is over 30 air -miles away from the Property on the Colorado River itself. There are two known winter roost sites bald eagles frequent along the Roaring Fork River just southwest of the Catherine Store. Employees of the Company also indicated that they have seen bald eagles flying in the vicinity during winter months, which would be expected due to the relative proximity of the Roaring Fork corridor and much of the valley being mapped as winter foraging habitat for the species. However, there are no critical habitat parameters for this species on the Property. The scarcity of mature cottonwoods or other tall tree species suitable for eagle nest sites, the abundance of roads and human activity already taking place in the area and the distance from the Roaring Fork River makes this a very unattractive location for nesting or roosting. The plethora of mature cottonwoods present along many miles of the Roaring Fork river corridor provide numerous adequate perches for hunting or roosting as well as nest sites along the river, which supplies far more productive habitat for this species than anything found on the Property. Potential Effects of the Proposed Project The proposed project will result in significant surface disturbance of the relatively level hayfields on the Property. Gravel extraction requires removal and stockpiling of topsoil and overburden subsoils, and the mining itself removes aggregate Aggregates, Inc. permanently, changing the contours of the site in perpetuity. The direct physical effects to existing habitat are clear: open space, forage production and overall habitat availability will be significantly decreased on the Property during mining operations. Indirect effects include dust and particulate emissions, noise pollution and potential traffic collisions with wildlife. However, the effect of this habitat impact may be limited to the temporal effects of the mining activity, which is already occurring. Reclamation plans include restoring the Property to agricultural production at the conclusion of mining operations, which obviously limits these impacts to the lifespan of mining activities. For the purposes of this report, it is true that the Property will experience a loss of habitat value for deer and elk, though less so for bald eagles, during the productive lifespan of the pit. It should be noted, however, that both the direct and indirect impacts discussed above will occur in phases on a 98 -acre parcel of marginal, open habitat. Such an impact will clearly be minor when viewed in a regional habitat context. Blue Pit May 2014 H -4