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COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE <br />2300 S. Townsend Avenue • Montrose, Colorado 81401 <br />Phone 970 252-6000 • FAX 970 252-6053 <br />wildlife.state.co.us • parks. state. co. us <br />RECEIVED A 2 0 13 2015 <br />Chris Gilbreath <br />Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. <br />1100 West 116"' Avenue <br />Westminister, CO 80234 <br />March 27, 2015 <br />Dear Mr. Gilbreath: <br />We reviewed our Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) comment letter dated March 14, 2011 that <br />was submitted to the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, regarding the New Horizon <br />North Mine near Nucla, CO. <br />Kit Fox, Black Footed Ferret, and Western Burrowing Owl have shown no significant change in <br />distribution within the permit area of the New Horizon North Mine. Please reference the March <br />14, 2011 comments for the least intrusive measures for the day to day operations at the Mine. <br />The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Gunnison sage -grouse (GuSG) as a <br />Federally Threatened Species on November 20, 2014 (79 FR 69192). The permit area of the New <br />Horizon North Mine does not fall within U.S. Fish and Wildlife designated critical habitat (79 FR <br />69312) but it does fall within CPW mapped GuSG "potential" habitat, which means that it is <br />unoccupied habitat that could be suitable for occupation of sage grouse if practical restoration <br />were applied. This is based on soils or historic information such as aerial photos, maps, and <br />historic reports that indicate sagebrush communities occupied these areas in the past. <br />If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or District Wildlife Manager Tony <br />Bonacquista at (970) 864-7109. <br />Sincerely, <br />Renzo DelPiccolo <br />Area Wildlife Manager -Montrose <br />(970)252-6010 <br />Federal Register Citations: <br />79 FR 69192. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; threatened status for <br />Gunnison sage- grouse; final rule. November 20, 2014. <br />79 FR 69312. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; designation of critical <br />habitat for Gunnison sage -grouse; final rule. November 20, 2014. <br />Cc: DWM-Tony Bonacquista, SW Region Manager — Patt Dorsey, Energy Liaison — Jon <br />Holst, Land Use Coordinator — Brian Magee <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />John W. Hickenlooper, Governor. Mike King, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources <br />Rick D. Cables, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife <br />Parks and Wildlife Commission: Robert W. Bray • Chris Castilian • Jeanne Horne <br />Bill Kane, Mice -Chair. Gaspar Perricone • James Pribyl . John Singletary, Chair <br />Mark Smith, Secretary • James Vigil . Dean Wingfield • Michelle Zimmerman <br />Ex Officio, MMMe tlotin Salazar <br />