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RULE 2 PERMITS <br />,. � .. � :�a. � ,.. ... .y .k-, ,cep .": �..•.v, <br />order to further offset disturbance in the Collom Expansion Area. CDRMS received a letter from CPW <br />dated February 15, 2011 regarding wildlife mitigation suggestions based on the proposed disturbance area <br />in the Collom Expansion Area. Colowyo management staff met with CPW staff on April 29, 2011 to <br />discuss the specific mitigation issues raised by CPW's February 15, 2011 letter to CDRMS. Colowyo <br />subsequently drafted a letter to CPW on May 4, 2011 clarifying points of agreement and providing <br />specific proposals for additional wildlife mitigation measures. CPW responded to Colowyo's May 4, <br />2011 letter on May 17, 2011 in a letter further refining their recommendations. Colowyo has agreed to <br />accommodate and is specifically identifying the the following recommendations of Colowyo's May 4, <br />2011 letter to CPW and CPW May 17, 2011 letter to Colowyo that are not already incorporated/required <br />by Colowyo's revised reclamation plan or other process or statute below: <br />Greater Sage Grouse: <br />• Colowyo has offered to evaluate current livestock grazing management practices and multiple <br />stakeholder agreements in the Axial Basin and Morgan Creek Ranching for Wildlife areas for <br />identification of additional opportunities to minimize impacts to and enhancement of habitat of <br />Greater Sage Grouse in the area. Input from CDOW will be a helpful component of these <br />evaluations. <br />• Colowyo will incorporate the utilization of marking flags on perimeter fences in the Collom <br />Expansion area to minimize incidents of Greater Sage Grouse mortality through grouse/fence <br />collisions. CPW provided a letter dated July 30, 2014 which outlines the locations that Colowyo <br />will demarcate fences to minimize Greater Sage Grouse impacts. Please see Figure 2.05.6-3. <br />• Colowyo will treat NPDES discharge ponds for mosquitos to reduce the potential of West Nile <br />Virus transmission to local grouse populations if this treatment is not specifically precluded by <br />CDPHE regulation of Colowyo's discharge ponds. <br />During a series of meetings since the approval of PR -03 between CPW, BLM, USFWS, Tri-State, and <br />Colowyo it was determined that there would potentially be direct impacts to approximately 2,133 acres of <br />mapped Preliminary Priority Habitat (PPH) for Greater Sage Grouse (GSG) from the mining plan <br />approved under PR -03. In addition to the direct impacts, consultation with CPW, BLM and USFWS <br />biologists determined that indirect impacts would potentially occur up to 900 meters (2,953 feet) from the <br />edge of disturbance. This distance was determined using several years of monitoring data from the Axial <br />Basin where existing operations have been occurring and a number of years of recorded GSG locations <br />near the existing mining operations obtained through radio telemetry by CPW in cooperation with <br />Colowyo. It was also determined that mining of the Little Collom X Pit (approved under PR -03) would <br />cause a significant impact GSG lek adjacent to the pit. Therefore, Colowyo agreed to relingquish mining <br />of the Little Collom X Pit and redesigned the temporoary overburden spoil pile location to significantly <br />reduce the potential impacts to GSG. <br />Based on the 900 meter distance, it was determined that there would be 2,180 acres of PPH potentially <br />indirectly impacted. In total, there would be 4,313 acres of PPH potentially impacted both directly and <br />indirectly by the mine plan disturbance which is being proposed under PR -04. To offset both the direct <br />and indirect potential impacts to GSG PPH, Colowyo has agreed reduce the mining plan by not mining <br />the Little Collom X Pit, redesign the temporaory spoil pile and relocate to create a larger buffer from an <br />active GSG lek, and also to implement the following GSG mitigation measures: <br />• Colowyo will donate a total of 4,543 acres of Colowyo privately owned surface within PPH but <br />outside of the permitted mine boundary in five non-contiguous parcels to CPW. This land will be <br />managed by CPW for the preservation and maintenance of GSG habitat in the Axial Basin in <br />perpetuity. The land donation will become effective and CPW would assume management of <br />these areas prior to any land disturbance activities at the proposed Collom Pit or temporary spoil <br />Collom — Rule 2, Page 107 Revision Date: 11/16/16 <br />Revision No.: MR -166 <br />