2020-03-24_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (5)

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RULE 2 PERMITS Rare and Endangered Plant Species To date, vegetation surveys in the area conducted by numerous governmental agencies, private consultants, and Colowyo have failed to discover, or have indicated a potential occurrence of, any rare and endangered plant species within the permit area. Therefore, it is anticipated that there will be no potential for impacts. During the 1997 Permit Renewal process the Division requested an up-to-date consideration of the latest (August 21, 1996) USFWS list of federal threatened and endangered (T&E) plant species. In particular the Piceance twinpod, (Physaria obcordata). Graham beardtongue, (Pensteon grahamii), White River beardtongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluzis); Dudley Bluffs bladderpod (esauerella concresta) were recently listed as either listed as threatened or considered for listing. Subsequent discussions with local BLM officials confirmed that these species are endemic to areas along the White River and Piceance Basin and would not occur in the Colowyo area. For a copy of the BLM correspondence please see Exhibit 10 Vegetation Information. 2.04.11 Fish & Wildlife Resources Information Rangeland makes up a major portion of the permit area and adjacent areas. The mountain shrub ecosystem supports substantial populations of big game, small game and a diverse complex of other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Investigation of wildlife resources and their habitats were initiated in 1974 on the Colowyo Federal Coal Lease #D-034365 and surrounding areas under a contract with VTN, Colorado, Inc. Information from this early work, along with additional resources information and habitat requirements obtained from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife(CPW)and the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), were presented in the Northwest Colorado Coal Environmental Statement. Additional site specific data collected by VTN through 1977, along with surveys and observations made by Colowyo personnel through 1980,have been included within this application. In November 1985, Camp, Dresser and McKee, Inc. (CDM) completed the report "Wildlife Baseline Report for the Danforth 1 and 3 Federal Coal Leases" prepared for Consolidation Coal Company. The report in its entirety can be found in Exhibit 11, Wildlife Information. The report provides an inventory of site specific and regional wildlife resources of the Danforth 1 and 3 Federal Coal Leases and vicinity and was complete April 1984 through June 1985. Existing background information was complemented by a year-long program of site-specific field studies. Although the focus of the study is of a much broader regional scale than necessary for areas to be mined by Colowyo, it offers very valuable information to update the original baseline information in the initial Colowyo permit. In most cases the report serves to reconfirm many of the predictions initially made by Colowyo regarding the impacts of mining to local wildlife populations. Colowyo has made every effort to coordinate all studies, management techniques, and habitat improvement programs with the State and Federal agencies having responsibility for managing Rule 2 Permits 2.04-57 Revision Date: 12/20/19 Revision No.: TR-135