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COLORADO Parks and Wildlife M Department of Natural Resources Durango Service Center 151 E. 16t' St. Durango, CO 81301 P 970.249.0855 1 F 970.382.6672 Ms. Marcia Talvitie Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety 1313 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80203 Room # 215 November 19, 2014 RE: Carbon Junction Mine (Permit No. C- 1992 -080) Permit Revision Application Post Mining Landuse and Final Reclamation, La Plata County, CO Dear Ms. Talvitie, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has received the notice by Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety that Oakridge Energy is proposing to revise the post - mining lnduse for the Carbon Junction Mine frorn Industrial/Commercial, Recreational, and Residential to Dryland Pasture. The mining location is located approximately two miles southeast of Durango, Colorado, in portions of Section 4, Township 34 North, Range 9 West, Section 33, Township 34 1/z North, Range 9 West and section 33, Township 35 North Range 9 West. Native vegetation of the mine site is pinion - juniper forest interspersed with mountain shrub, sagebrush, and oak habitat. These habitat types are very import to several species of wildlife throughout the year, but especially for mule deer and elk during the winter. As such, this area prior to mining activities was mapped and functioned as mule deer and elk severe winter range and as a winter concentration area. CPW considers crucial winter habitats and migratory corridors as the limiting factor on big game populations in western Colorado and other high mountain areas of the western United States (Bishop et al. 2009, Bartman et al. 1992). These habitats are becoming even more valuable with the encroachment of urban areas and increased energy development. As these important habitats are lost mule deer populations continue to decline. When considering wildlife, we support this area being restored and returned to a similar condition that it was in prior to raining activities. Areas dominated by grasses do not provide the necessary habitat requirements (food or cover) for mule deer and elk use or survival. Shrubs are an important component of their diet and may compose up to 60% of their winter diet. Also, shrubs remain accessible for browsing as the snow accumulates and makes grasses unavailable. Our review of the proposed seed rnix used in reclamation does not include an adequate forb component and includes no shrubs, and therefore has Little value to wildlife. CPW has developed of co�o� Bob D. Broscheid, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife . Parks and Wildlife Commission: Robert W. Bray . Chris Castilian, Secretary . Jeanne Horne I i Al Bill Kane, Chair, • Gaspar Perricone • Dale Pizet -James Pn • James Vigil • Dean Wingfield • Micheite Zimmerman • Alex Zipp lBT6.i"