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Twentymile Coal, LLC (TC) <br />Narrative <br />Lease by Modification Application Wolf Creek Reserve — April 2014 <br />grouse) species, specific protective measures are in-place (avoidance of leks and buffer areas <br />or seasonal timing restrictions on disturbance activities), and TC has a cooperative ongoing <br />relationship with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to protect and/or mitigate any habitat impacts <br />from any surface disturbance activities. Surface subsidence effects will be minimal and <br />should not impact the birds. <br />The Mine Permit Area (and Wolf Creek mining area) is not within designated critical habitat <br />for any TES wildlife species, and no federally -listed T&E species occur within the Permit <br />Boundary. <br />The greater Sandhill crane is listed as a State Species of Concern. The Permit Area lies <br />within the region designated as a nesting range by Torres et al. (1978). Major staging and <br />roosting areas for the Colorado sub -population of greater Sandhill cranes occur to the <br />northwest along the Yampa River and near the Hayden Station power plant. Cranes are <br />commonly observed in Twentymile Park during summer, and limited nesting by cranes in the <br />Park has been documented. Generally, cranes tend to avoid areas with significant human <br />activity, and Mine activities to date have not impacted any known crane nesting sites. <br />As previously noted, the greater sage grouse is a potential Candidate species, and the <br />Columbian sharp -tailed grouse is a State -Listed Sensitive Species. Current management <br />provisions for these species focus on specific protective measures, i.e.: avoidance of leks and <br />buffer areas or seasonal timing restrictions on disturbance activities, and TC has a <br />cooperative ongoing relationship with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to protect and/or mitigate <br />any habitat impacts from surface disturbance activities. As a potential Candidate species, <br />management provisions for sage grouse could change in the future, with the potential for <br />more restrictive surface occupancy and use limitations. There are significant ongoing efforts <br />by state and local governments, supported by a broad coalition of business interests, to move <br />forward with a reasonable balance between protection/mitigation measures and economic <br />development and growth considerations. Regardless of the outcome, any impacts of the <br />potential changes in management provisions on the proposed Wolf Creek mining operations <br />should be minimal, given that little or no new surface disturbance would be required. <br />The Upper Colorado River Basin (which includes the Yampa River and tributaries) has been <br />identified as providing or contributing to critical habitat for four endangered fish species: the <br />Colorado Squawfish, Humpback Chub, Bonytail Chub, and Razorback Sucker. For the Mine <br />Permit Area, the only identified potential to impact these species would be actions which <br />could substantially reduce contributions to in -stream flows in the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin. As part of the environmental impact analysis for TC's ongoing mining operations, TC <br />has provided water depletion calculations which document that mine -related consumptive <br />water uses will not result in any significant reduction in in -stream flows, and this conclusion <br />has been validated by the related U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Section 7 <br />Consultation. <br />Review of the most recent USFWS TES list for Routt County indicates that, in addition to <br />WCR BLM Lease App Narrative 0414.docx Page 10 <br />