Laserfiche WebLink
COLORADO <br />Parks and Wildlife <br />M Department of Natural Resources <br />Hot Sulphur Springs Service Center <br />PO BOX 216 1 346 Grand County Road 362 <br />Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado 80451 <br />P 970.725.6200 1 F 970.725.6217 <br />March 19, 2015 <br />�(D Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />Attn: Peter Hays <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />RECEIVED <br />4t1AR 1 b 2015 <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION <br />MINING AND SAFETY <br />Re: Notice of Special 111 Construction Materials Reclamation Permit Application Consideration <br />Kirkland Construction, L.L.L.P., Blue Valley Pit, File No. M- 2015 -008 <br />Dear Mr. Hays, <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed project by Kirkland Construction for <br />gravel extraction, crushing, and processing aggregates, mixing of asphaltic concrete, mixing of <br />Portland cement concrete, roadway embankment material, and general construction staging on <br />Blue Valley Ranch Property for the State Highway 9 Project. Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) <br />has a statutory responsibility to manage all wildlife species in Colorado; this responsibility is <br />embraced and fulfilled through CPW's mission to protect, preserve, enhance, and manage the <br />wildlife of Colorado for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the people of the State and its visitors. <br />CPW has reviewed the proposal and would like to offer the following comments. <br />Wildlife Biologist Michelle Cowardin and I visited the site on January 26, 2015, and we have <br />reviewed all documents provided by Kirkland Construction. <br />Currently the parcel is used for agricultural rangeland and wildlife habitat. The parcel sits on a <br />terrace above the Blue River adjacent to State Highway 9. The landscape is covered with grasses, <br />forbs, and sagebrush. This area has high wildlife values and serves as summer range for mule deer, <br />pronghorn, and is within winter range for deer and elk. Every effort should be made to reestablish <br />the habitat values upon completion of the Highway 9 Project and reclamation of the pit. <br />The entire parcel lies within 0.6 miles of an established greater sage - grouse breeding area (lek) <br />that is located on the east side of Highway 9. Leks are specific locations where males and females <br />gather to breed from the middle of March through the middle of May. The natural topography <br />between the proposed parcel for the pit and the Lek appears to shield the Lek from line -of -sight <br />disturbance and will provide some noise protection for the lek. The project is proposed to occur <br />over two breeding seasons, so this short duration of the project in conjunction with the natural <br />topographic shielding of the lek from disturbances should lessen the potential impacts to the sage - <br />grouse Lek from the activities of the pit. <br />To mitigate impacts to greater sage - grouse, CPW recommends the following activities take place <br />away from the southern extent of the parcel to maximize the topographic interference between <br />the pit and the lek: crushing, screening, washing, Hot Mix Asphaltic Concrete "Hot" Plant, Ready <br />Bob D. Broscheid, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife • Parks and Wildlife Commission: Robert W. Bray, Chair • Chris Castilian, Vice Chair�r <br />Jeanne Home, Secretary • John Howard, Jr. • Bill Kane • Dale Pizel • James Pribyl • James Vigil • Dean Wingfield • Michelle Zimmerman • Alex Zip <br />��ft76 <br />