Laserfiche WebLink
XIII. Protection of Fish, Wildlife and Related Environmental Values <br />The fish and wildlife resources information is presented in Tab 10 of Volume 6 of the <br />permit application. Section 11.1 contains the entire contents of Tab 11 from the <br />previously approved permit application package. Section 11.2 contains information from <br />the 1997 supplemental wildlife baseline studies in the Seneca II -W South Extension area. <br />The fish and wildlife mitigation measures to be used are contained in Tab 23 in Volume <br />14 of the permit application. <br />In developing the original permit and the PR -1 and PR -2 applications, the applicant <br />consulted with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and <br />the Bureau of Land Management to develop appropriate mitigation measures. The <br />mitigation measures that were required included establishment of shrub and tree clumps <br />in the reclaimed areas, development of surface undulations in reclaimed final grading to <br />provide big game cover, special fence and power line construction plans, special timing <br />of construction activities and wildlife monitoring (among other measures). Wildlife <br />habitat is a planned post -mining land use. SP has selected appropriate plant species and <br />distributions to benefit fish and wildlife (4.18(5)(i)). <br />In association with the Permit Renewal reviews up through RN6 both the Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were notified and their <br />comments concerning potential effects of the operation on threatened or endangered <br />wildlife species of wildlife were solicited. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has not <br />indicated concerns with respect to potential impacts to threatened or endangered species. <br />The Boreal Toad (Bufo boreas boreas) is a state listed endangered species and a Federal <br />candidate species. Potential habitat for the Boreal Toad was identified by the U.S. Fish <br />and Wildlife Service during the review of PR -2. In response to this concern, SP surveyed <br />the Seneca II -W South Extension Area for presence of the Boreal Toad three times in the <br />spring and summer of 1999. Methodologies recommended by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />Service were used. No Boreal Toad populations were observed. The survey results <br />indicated that the toads either do not exist in the extension area or exist in numbers too <br />low to detect. <br />As part of the PR -2 application, a water depletion estimate was conducted by SP to <br />determine potential impacts from mining on endangered Colorado River fishes. The <br />proposed mining activities at Seneca II -W will cause an average annual depletion of 5.9 <br />acre-feet to Dry Creek, tributary to the Yampa River in the Upper Colorado River Basin. <br />A letter dated October 7, 1999 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the OSM stated <br />that actions with less than 100 acre-feet of water depletion are not subject to payment of <br />depletion fees required by the Recovery Implementation Program for endangered fish in <br />the Upper Colorado River Basin. No additional coal mining is occurring at the Seneca II - <br />W Mine. As such, water depletion will be limited to spoil spring discharges. <br />The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) was consulted during the PR -3 review. They <br />participated extensively in the review through correspondence, site visits, phone contact, <br />all <br />