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Permit Request No.: M2016010 <br />Agnes H. Eivietrion <br />§Z15 Austin riSCae <br />ebitAaSprings, ' s <br />801100 <br />1(1- 633-.1-ifC-7 <br />Review of the Wildlife, Vegetation, and Reclamation Exhibits in the Application for a <br />Quarry Permit by Transit Mix on the Hitch Rack Ranch <br />James H. Enderson 17 March 2016 <br />Below are comments that point to errors or other issues dealing with animals, plants, and <br />the post -digging aftermath. These concerns are based on my familiarity with the region <br />acquired in nearly 40 years of teaching field courses in zoology, botany, and ecology at <br />Colorado College. My ongoing research involves raptors, work that has caused me to <br />travel extensively in rugged drainages statewide. I own a cabin on land in Eagles Nest. <br />In the Wildlife, Vegetation, and Reclamation portions of the Application, various topics <br />appear more than once. Further, some of these topics are mentioned again in the analysis <br />by an outside consulting firm. My comments below appear generally in the order they <br />were encountered in the text. I did not trespass when gathering information for this <br />review, but remained on the legal easement to and from my property on Eagles Nest. <br />ANIMALS <br />1. The statement that "turkeys are not common in the mining area" is contrary to <br />my experience. They are especially common there, and perhaps roost in the tall <br />cottonwoods, and loiter in daytime in the adjacent dense forest. <br />2. Peregrines nest nearly two miles from the property. No mention is made of <br />prairie falcons that have nested about one mile both NE and S from the property. <br />3. The paper mentions the drainages as corridors for elk, but then ignores the <br />significance of Little Turkey Creek (LTC). The mine site is commonly used by elk, <br />except perhaps in mid -summer. The site offers excellent forage. Elk are not limited to <br />"higher elevations". Deer are present year -around because of prime forage available. <br />4. Spotted Owls probably use the area; in the mid-1990s I saw one in summer in <br />lower Rock Creek four miles NNE, and tracked another by aircraft centered about 8 miles <br />south. They are easily overlooked by ground surveys, especially outside the breeding <br />period. The riparian habitat in the western one-half of the proposed mine site is ideal with <br />diverse old -age timber. <br />1 <br />