2019-05-24_PERMIT FILE - M2019028 (11)

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► ERC DPG Site Threatened and Endangered Species Screening 1.0 INTRODUCTION Ecological Resource Consultants, Inc. (ERC) has prepared this report at the request of J-2 Contracting Company. The approximately 265-acre property referred to as the DPG Site is located in unincorporated Weld County,Colorado(survey area). The survey area is under consideration for potential future land use changes that will consist of a four phased aggregate extraction operation,which will likely alter a majority of the current survey area landscape,therefore this report has been prepared to identify potential federal and state listed threatened and endangered species and/or habitat that could exist on or immediately surrounding the survey area. In addition,this report provides a cursory screening of general wildlife use characteristics and existing vegetation community types. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Colorado Statute Title 33. 2.0 GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION The survey area is generally located southeast of the intersection of East 8th Avenue and Weld County Parkway in the Weld County, Colorado in the Outlet Cache la Poudre River(HUC 101900071008)and Owl Creek-South Platte Riverwatershed (HUC 101900030607).The survey area is located in Sections 1 and 12, Township 5 North, Range 65 West, in Weld County (latitude 40.4205950 north, longitude-104.6098990 west). From the intersection of I-25 and US-34, the survey area can be accessed by heading east for approximately 1 mile on East 561h Avenue, then east on US-34 for approximately 20.3 mile until County Road 47%.Take County Road 47% north for 1.0 mile and turn northwest onto County Road 49.Continue east on County Road 49 for 1.3 miles and the survey area is accessible by a dirt access road to the east. The survey area is comprised of farm fields,a single-family dwelling,several manmade seasonally irrigated depressions and ditches, dirt access roads,the Cache la Poudre River, and associated wetlands. Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 for a location map and US Geological Survey(USGS)topographic map of the survey area. The survey area comprises approximately 265-acres and has an average elevation of 4,600 feet above mean sea level. The vicinity of the survey area is comprised largely agricultural land with pockets of wooded areas and a single-family dwelling. Land neighboring the survey area includes the South Platte River and Mitani-Tokuyasu State Wildlife Area to the east; Holly Avenue and the South Platte River to the south;the Cache la Poudre to the north;Weld County Road to the west.The USGS topographic map shows a perennial stream identified as Cache le Poudre River and an intermittent stream flowing to and from the Cache la Poudre River in sections of the northern portion of the survey area. Four primary vegetation communities exist within the survey area and are comprised of Cultivated Cropland, Upland Grassland and Ruderal Herbaceous, Western Cattail Marsh, and Western Great Plains Riparian Woodland, Shrubland and Herbaceous vegetation (Comer et al. 2003) (refer to Figure 3). Cultivated Cropland comprise most of the uplands within the central, southern, and western portions of the survey area.All of the agricultural fields had recently been tilled at the time of the field investigation. The northern portion of the survey area abutting the riparian area along the Cache la Poudre River consists of Upland Grassland and Ruderal Herbaceous vegetation and is dominated by western wheatgrass (Poscopyrum smithii), smooth brome (Bromus inermis), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), western tansymustard (Descurainia pinnata), and whitetop (Cardaria draba). 3