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Mr. Connor Drinkard <br /> RE: Carr Pit East M-2022-005 <br /> June 27, 2022 <br /> There are no known federally threatened, endangered, or candidate species within the <br /> proposed site boundary. Federally threatened, endangered, or candidate species that could <br /> potentially be found in Weld County or that could potentially be affected by projects in Weld <br /> County include the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, interior least tern, Mexican piping <br /> plover, whooping crane, pallid sturgeon, Colorado butterfly plant, Ute ladies'-tresses orchid, <br /> and the western prairie fringed orchid. None of these species have been observed or <br /> documented within the proposed site boundary. <br /> Colorado state threatened, endangered, and species of concern that could potentially be found <br /> in Weld County or that could potentially be affected by projects in Weld County include the <br /> black-tailed prairie dog, Northern river otter, swift fox, American peregrine falcon, bald <br /> eagle, ferruginous hawk, greater sandhill crane, long-billed curlew, mountain plover, <br /> Western burrowing owl, Western snowy plover, plains minnow, suckermouth minnow, <br /> brassy minnow, common shiner, Iowa darter, stonecat, common garter snake, and Northern <br /> leopard frog. For many of these species, potentially suitable habitat does not exist within the <br /> proposed amendment area. <br /> Potentially suitable habitat does exist within the proposed project area for mammal and bird <br /> species such as the black-tailed prairie dog, swift fox, mountain plover, and Western <br /> burrowing owl. However, black-tailed prairie dogs and their burrows have not been <br /> observed on the proposed site, nor have related species such as swift fox and the Western <br /> burrowing owl. Mountain plover has also not been observed within the project area. No <br /> potential raptor nests were found in or near the project area. <br /> The Lone Tree Creek drainage within the proposed permit area could provide potential <br /> habitat for some Colorado state threatened, endangered, and species of concern including the <br /> common garter snake. According to CPW, several Species of Greatest Conservation Need <br /> (SGCN) could occur within the project area. The Lone Tree Creek drainage is presumed to <br /> be a likely important corridor for the Northern leopard frog. Additionally, the Brassy <br /> minnow is known to occur downstream of the project site and an introduced population of <br /> Northern redbelly dace occur upstream of the proposed project area. <br /> The CPW SGCN that occur within the Lone Tree Creek drainage will not be significantly <br /> disturbed by mining and reclamation activities. The CPW species listed are exclusively <br /> associate with aquatic or associated wetland/riparian habitats. These habitats within the <br /> proposed project area will be isolated from the mining and reclamation activities. In many <br /> places, the Lone Tree Creek channel is less than a couple feet wide or even nonexistent. <br /> Through the proposed project area the creek is ephemeral or intermittent at best,flowing <br /> primarily in response to substantial stormwater events or snow melt. The narrow channel <br /> and pools are generally located in the middle of the drainage bottom which varies from <br /> approximately 50 to 100 feet wide. The bottom of the drainage is commonly covered with a <br /> mix of wetland and facultative (equally likely to occur in wetlands and non-wetlands)grass <br /> species. From the drainage bottom, slopes typically rise abruptly at a 10 percent grade or <br /> steeper to the upland plain over 5 to 15 feet above. <br /> � ue ear-th Page 9of12 <br />