2021-05-20_PERMIT FILE - C1981035 ‎(17)‎

• Permit No: C1981035
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 5/20/2021
• Doc Name: Fish and Wildlife Information
• Section_Exhibit Name: KII Appendix 08
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Page 11
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 25, 2016
TO: GCC Energy, LLC
FROM: Ecosphere Environmental Services, Inc.
SUBJECT: Hydrologic Monitoring Well Sites Natural Resource Surveys
1. INTRODUCTION
This memorandum reports the natural resource survey methodology and findings for GCC Energy LLC's
(GCC) proposed hydrologic monitoring well sites located near the King II Mine in La Plata County,
Colorado. GCC retained Ecosphere Environmental Services, Inc. (Ecosphere) to conduct natural resource
field surveys at five proposed ground water monitoring well sites to evaluate for the presence of, or
potential habitat for, threatened, endangered, and sensitive species identified by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management Tres Rios Field Office (BLM/TRFO), and the
State of Colorado. The natural resource survey and report is in support of a Technical Revision (TR) to
GCC's active coal mine permit at King II Mine.
2. METHODOLOGY
Prior to conducting fieldwork, Ecosphere biologists compiled lists of USFWS, BLM/TRFO, and State of
Colorado species with special conservation status that occur, or have the potential to occur, in La Plata
County. USFWS-listed species were obtained from the USFWS Information for Planning and
Conservation (IPaC) website (USFWS 2016). BLM/TRFO special status listed species were obtained from
Michael Schmidt, Wildlife Biologist with the TRFO. State of Colorado -listed fauna species were obtained
from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Threatened and Endangered species list (CPW 2016). Colorado has
no state statute protecting rare plants. Ecosphere also referenced the La Plata County list of priority and
enforceable noxious weeds prior to the field survey (La Plata County 2016).
Ecosphere biologist, Matthew Zabka, surveyed the proposed monitoring well sites and 150 -foot buffers
on July 13 and September 16, 2016. The weather was clear and sunny with a slight breeze on both days.
Temperatures ranged from approximately 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit on July 13, and ranged from
approximately 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit on September 16.
The biologist recorded habitat descriptions and locations of observed special status species, migratory
bird nests, and state -listed noxious weeds within the proposed monitoring well sites. Photographs of
each site were taken.
776 E. 2nd Avenue • Durango, CO 81301 • Phone: [phone] • Fax: [phone]
www.ecosphere-servir-es.com