2016-02-03_PERMIT FILE - C1981038 ‎(6)‎

• Permit No: C1981038
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 2/3/2016
• Section_Exhibit Name: Volume 9A Environmental Resources - Fish & Wildlife Appendix
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Volume 9A, Fish & Wildlife Tab
RARE EARTIi SCIENCE
www.rareearthscience.com
December 1, 2015
James E. Stover
J. E. Stover & Associates, Inc.
2352 N 7t' Street, Unit B
Grand Junction, CO 81501
Re: Threatened & Endangered Species Inventory
DRMS Permit No. C-1981-038 Midterm Review
Bowie No. 1 Mine, Delta, Colorado
Dear James:
This letter and the attached figures report the results of a threatened and endangered (T&E)
species inventory completed by Rare Earth Science, LLC (Rare Earth), for Bowie No. 1 Mine Permit
No. C-1981-038 issued by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS). The
DRMS requested this inventory in a Midterm Permit Review dated October 13, 2015. Bowie No. 1
Mine is an underground coal mine in Delta County, Colorado, in the East Roatcap Creek, Stevens
Gulch, West Fork Terror Creek, and Terror Creek drainages of the North Fork of the Gunnison
River (North Fork River) watershed (Figures 1, 2, and 3). The original permit for the Bowie No. 1
Mine was issued on September 24, 1981. The mine is currently in reclamation. Reclamation
activities include recontouring and reseeding of past surface disturbances.
The midterm review of the Bowie No. 1 Mine DRMS Permit is a routine review: no new areas of
surface disturbance and no changes to the mine's activities are proposed. However, a criterion for
midterm review under Rule 2.07.6(2)(n) of the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land
Reclamation Board for Coal Mining (effective August 30, 1980) requires DRMS to make a finding
regarding whether permitted activities will affect the continued existence of T&E species or result in
destruction or adverse modification of their critical habitat.
The purpose of this letter is to update the T&E species inventory for the mine to reflect the current
T&E lists (see Table 1, below) issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Colorado
Parks & Wildlife (CPW). The most recent T&E inventory for the mine is dated December 5, 2007
and was performed for Renewal No. 5 of the DRMS permit. Since that time, the conservation status
of certain species under federal and/or state law has changed. Also, the mine permit boundary has
changed (decreased in acreage in the north part of the permit area) since the December 5, 2007
T&E Inventory. Table 1 lists the T&E species required for consideration by this inventory,
summarizes their habitat requirements, and indicates whether suitable habitat for each species is
present within the permit boundary. Impacts to species for which suitable habitat occurs within or
adjacent to the mine permit boundary are discussed in the "Impacts Evaluation" portion of this letter.
PO Box 1245 Paonia, Colorado 81428 970.527.8445 [e-mail]