2019-10-08_PERMIT FILE - M2019054 (74)

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EXHIBIT H Skull Creek Sand Project Cross Mountain Canyon, a BLM-designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), also provides habitat protection for the threatened and endangered fish species and the peregrine falcon. The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program is a federally funded cooperative program involving federal and state agencies, environmental groups, water and power-producer organizations. The program develops projects intended to recover endangered fish, while allowing development of water resources for human uses. Through one of their programs nonnative northern pike are removed and transferred to public fishing areas to reduce predation on native fish. In addition, the Colorado Division of Wildlife completed the Aquatic Wildlife Management Plan for the Yampa River in 1998, which provides management guidelines for the river's aquatic resources. Studies have also been undertaken to assess barriers to Colorado squawfish migration. Future land use decisions can help to preserve wildlife populations by avoiding key wildlife habitat areas. The riparian areas located along the major river valleys are very important to wildlife, providing nesting and breeding grounds for many different species. Preserving winter range and major game movement corridors is also important for land use planning. Severe winter range for elk occurs in the lower elevation areas west of the Elkhorn and Williams Fork mountains, within the Sand Wash Basin, and along U.S. 40 southeast of Dinosaur National Monument. Antelope, mule deer and elk are seen in several areas around Craig.According to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, there is a major game corridor located north of Craig, extending in an east-west direction, which provides access for deer and elk from the mountainous summer range of the Elkhead Mountains to the lower elevation winter range. The Yampa River Valley through Craig is also home to many waterfowl species, including several heron rookeries just east of Fortification Creek and near SH 13 southwest of town. An active bald eagle nest is located along the Yampa River north of the airport. Preservation of these areas would help maintain these important wildlife corridors through the city as it grows over time. Predator control in Moffat County is managed by the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). APHIS is responsible for protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. Source: "The 2003 Moffat County/City of Craig Master Plan" Project Area Description The Skull Creek Sand (SCS) Project is located approximately 2.7 miles NW of Massadona, CO on State Lands. The Project Boundary encompasses approximately 480 acres of which there will be approximately 140 acres of disturbance (affected Lands) due to mining activities. Elevations of the Project Boundary vary from 5,665 ft to 6,040 ft. The Affected Land in the Project Boundary affects two ecological sites: Loamy Breaks and Semidesert Clay Loam. A list of wildlife present in Moffat county is presented in Table 1 with a discussion of the Significant Wildlife Resources for the mine site in the following section. 9/19/2019 2