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THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT ASSESSMENT <br />BEARSON PROPERTY <br />WELD COUNTY, COLORADO <br />AUGusT 21, 2012 <br />Introduction <br />Varra Companies, Inc. (Varra) plans to conduct aggregate mining operations on <br />152.88 acres of agricultural land in souther Weld County (Bearson property). As part of <br />their planning and permitting process, Varra contracted ERO Resources Corporation <br />ERO) to perform surveys for Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Preble's) and other <br />federally listed threatened and endangered species (listed species). This report describes <br />current regulatory guidelines related to federally listed threatened and endangered species <br />and survey results for listed species and/or habitat identified on the Bearson property <br />during a 2012 site visit. <br />Objectives and Project Location <br />The purpose of this assessment is to determine the presence or absence of threatened <br />and endangered species habitat, including Preble's habitat on the Bearson property <br />Figure 1). The project area is in the NW '/4 of Section 13, T3N, R67W of the 6th <br />Principal Meridian, Gowanda 7'/2 -minute U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangle in <br />Weld County, Colorado (Figure 1). The UTM coordinates for the approximate center of <br />the project area are 508480mE, 4448396mN, Zone 13N. The project area is south of <br />County Road 28 and east of County Road 17 in Platteville, Colorado (Figure 1). The <br />majority of the project area consists of agricultural fields, with an existing farmhouse in <br />the center of the project area. Two natural gas wells are in the project area. <br />Regulatory Framework — The Endangered Species Act <br />Federally threatened and endangered species are protected under the Endangered <br />Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Significant adverse <br />effects to a federally listed species or its habitat require consultation with the U.S. Fish <br />and Wildlife Service (Service) under Section 7 or 10 of the ESA. No regulations require <br />1 <br />c.\userAspecial projects\documents\word 2005\bearson\preb1e\bearson preble's habitat assessment.doc