2018-02-21_REVISION - M2008017 (7)

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PREBLE'S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE HABITAT EVALUATION FOR THE PROPOSED GRAVEL PIT PROJECT AT THE DERR PROPERTY IN WELD COUNTY, COLORADO INTRODUCTION Weld County proposes to mine aggregate materials from the Derr Property. Diversified Consulting Solutions, Inc. (dcs) and its team is preparing the baseline documents for this project, including the environmental and biological reports and permits, A habitat evaluation for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is needed as the site is located in Weld County. This report describes the habitat evaluation results and outlines the rationale behind a determination not to survey a proposed gravel mine site at the Derr Property located along Balsam Avenue on the eastside of Greeley, Colorado. PROJECT LOCATION This site is located on the east side of Greeley, Colorado and lies on the east side of Balsam Avenue north of Eighth Street or Highway 263. The project area lies in the middle of Section. 4 at the southwest '/of the northeast '/4 Township 5 North, Range 65 Fest. The longitude is 104 degrees, 40 minutes, 6 seconds and the latitude is 40 degrees, 25 minutes, 44 seconds. The NAD 27 UTM coordinates are Zone 13, Easting 528178 and Northing 4475206, The WGS 84 (NAD 83) UTM coordinates for the site are Zone 13, Easting 528133 and Northing 4475414. The elevation of the project area is approximately 4,630 feet above sea level. Figure 1 presents a vicinity map of the project area. Figure 2 presents the project area within the Greeley, Colorado USGS quadrangle map. The Preble's meadow jumping mouse habitat evaluation was conducted by Darcy A. Tiglas, 5015 Swainsona Drive, Loveland, CO 80537. Federal permit number TE053477 and State license number 06-TR814 are held for actual trapping surveys, The surveyor's general qualifications were submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review and found acceptable by the Service. The project area is surrounded by rural residential and agricultural properties. The National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) did not map the pond or irrigation ditch as these were added to the property in the last 12 years. The ponds just south of the property are shown on the topographic map prepared by the NRCS. Through the years, pockets of palustrine wetlands have developed along the ditch and had formed in association with the pond. The landowner recently filled the pond so the adjacent ponds were used as data reference points due to their similarity to the filled pond. Periodic site maintenance and operations Dave impacted the communities within the ditch from time to time.