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EXHIBIT H: WILDLIFE INFORMATION <br />The following report was prepared by Savage and Savage. It has been submitted to <br />the Division of Wildlife and no comments have been received. <br />6.4.8 (1)(a) Significant Wildlife Resources <br />The area within the proposed Cell 21 mining area is currently in agricultural irrigated and <br />non -irrigated hay production. Vegetation of the project area is herbaceous grasses and <br />forbs with no shrubs or trees within the agricultural area. Outside the agricultural area <br />there are a few shrubs (chamisa) and trees (Chinese elms and plains cottonwoods). The <br />few shrubs and trees do not provide significant wildlife habitat. The nature of the hay <br />field provides cover and forage for small wildlife species (predominantly rodents, <br />insectivores, raccoons, skunks, and lagomorphs) and habitat for insects. Occasionally, <br />ungulate species (deer and/or elk) may use the area for foraging, if passing by along the <br />Big Thompson River corridor 0.3 miles north. The overall lack of vegetation <br />stratification, cover, and proximity to urban/suburban development restricts the wildlife <br />resource habitat value of the project site. <br />The Natural Diversity Information Source of the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife <br />CPW, 2014) was searched for information on game and non -game wildlife species in the <br />vicinity of the application area. Within Larimer County, the database lists eight species <br />of amphibians, 23 species of reptiles, 319 species of birds, and 91 species of mammals <br />that currently occur or are likely to occur in the county. As this list contains species from <br />the entire county, a number of vegetation types and wildlife habitats, only a small fraction <br />of these species are expected to be found within the proposed project area. <br />A further review of wildlife species for which the Colorado Division of Parks and <br />Wildlife has distribution and suggested activity restriction maps on the Colorado Oil and <br />Gas Conservation Commission web site (COGCC, 2014) revealed that the proposed <br />project area does not contain any areas of wildlife restricted surface occupancy locations <br />or areas with seasonal or distance restrictions for wildlife species of concern. <br />Approximately 0.5 miles to the west of the proposed project, Colorado Parks and <br />Wildlife has identified areas of elk winter concentration and elk production. One mile to <br />the northwest CPW has identified mule deer critical winter range. The potential for the <br />proposed project affecting these resources is negligible given the distance to the resource <br />areas and the presence of infrastructure (residences, highways, commercial development) <br />between the project site and the resource areas. Further, these areas contain <br />characteristics that make them suited for winter range and calving, those characteristics <br />are lacking in the project area. <br />6.4.8 (1)(b) Seasonal Use of Potentially Occurring Wildlife Species <br />With the exception of migratory birds and bats, the wildlife species encountered during <br />the site inspection or that potentially occur on-site are expected to be year-round residents <br />or users of the site. Carnivore and ungulate species are not restricted to this site and tend <br />to have relatively large home ranges (up to several square miles). The majority of rodent <br />and insectivore species can be expected to reside on-site throughout the year, though <br />many may hibernate during the cold months. Avian species may be year-round, <br />Loveland Ready Mix Concrete, Inc. Page H-1 <br />Thompson Farms <br />November 2014