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RULE 2 PERMITS <br /> Threatened and Endangered Plant Species <br /> In the past, vegetation surveys in the area conducted by numerous private consultants, <br /> governmental agencies, and Colowyo personnel have failed to discover or indicate potential for <br /> occurrence of any rare, threatened, or endangered plant species within the permit area. In 2020, <br /> the USFWS IPaC tool and CNHP county tracking lists were reviewed to identify threatened and <br /> endangered species potentially occurring within the permit area which occurs in both Rio Blanco <br /> and Moffat Counties, respectively. <br /> Three plant species including Dudley Bluffs bladderpod(Physaria congesta; formerly Lesquerella <br /> congesta), Dudley Bluffs (Piceance)twinpod (Physaria obcordata), and Ute ladies'-tresses orchid <br /> (Spiranthes diluvialis) were identified on the County tracking lists as federally listed threatened, <br /> while only the Ute ladies'-tresses orchid appeared on the IPaC site-specific query also as listed <br /> threatened. <br /> A literature review was undertaken to determine the likelihood of occurrence of the Ute Ladies'- <br /> tresses orchid in the permit area. Ute Ladies'-tresses orchid occurs along streams and open seepage <br /> areas in cottonwoods, moist meadows at moderate elevations usually occurring on floodplains in <br /> the vicinity of abandoned stream channels and meanders where the vegetation is not too dense or <br /> overgrown. Due to the lack of suitable habitat, and no known occurrence near the permit area, it <br /> is not anticipated this species would occur within any of the permit areas. <br /> A summary of the USFWS Endangered Plant Species list is included on Table 2.04.11-15. <br /> Impact of Mining Operations on Wildlife Resources Within the Permit Area <br /> Initial wildlife studies beginning in 1974, indicated that prior to mining the following conclusions <br /> could be made: (1) some browse species continually receive more use than others; (2) use of <br /> browse is both a function of desirability and availability; (3) the general condition of the browse <br /> remains poor overall but is steadily being improved by range management practices; (4) carrying <br /> capacity is also below the potential for the site, but is steadily increasing as habitat improvement <br /> areas accumulate; (5)poor range management practices have occurred in the past; and(6)the study <br /> area is utilized on a year-around basis, depending on snow depth with highest use during spring <br /> and fall. <br /> Before the startup of mining operations at Colowyo, the potential wildlife impacts predicted in <br /> environmental work included the displacement of wildlife from large areas around mine sites; <br /> disruption of migration routes; disruption of calving and fawning area with untold negative impacts <br /> on populations, habitats lost for long periods of time, etc. <br /> Observations at Colowyo, and at several other mines in northwest Colorado over the last five years, <br /> have shown that many of these potential impacts have not materialized. It has become very evident <br /> that wildlife are a lot more adaptable than previously predicted in baseline studies. Numerous <br /> healthy populations of wildlife, i.e., deer, elk, sage grouse, and raptors, are commonly observed <br /> on the mine site and on areas immediately adjacent to the mine. Other than loss of habitat, which <br /> had been mitigated for by offsite habitat improvement (Sec. 2.05.6), and successful reclamation <br /> Rule 2 Permits 2.04-69 Revision Date: 6/22/20 <br /> Revision No.: MR-220 <br />