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COLORADO • Parks and Wildlife RECEIVED Department of Natural Resources Pueblo Area Office 600 Reservoir Rd. 3 Z023 Pueblo, CO 81005 DIVISION OF P(719)561-5300 1 F(719)561-5321 MININ3 AND CAN�N March 14, 2023 Brock F. Bowles Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety 1313 Sherman St. Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 Dear Mr. Bowles, Thank you for the opportunity to provide input to the expansion of Mooney 5804 Altura Gravel Pit, File No. M-2010-012, located in Section 24, Township 32S, Range 62W. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has a statutory responsibility to manage all wildlife species in Colorado; this responsibility is embraced and fulfilled through CPW's mission to protect, preserve, enhance, and manage the wildlife of Colorado for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the people of the State and its visitors. One way we fulfill this mission is to provide recommendations for land use applications such as this one. District Wildlife Manager, Adam Friedel, has reviewed the project and is familiar with the area. He has provided the following comments. The proposed expansion of the gravel pit will impact approximately 305 acres of and shrubland within the Mooney Hills, and further displace wildlife from the site while being developed and utilized in the future. However, significant habitat exists adjacent to the project site to support the wildlife displaced by the gravel pit expansion and operation. A private access road already exists to the gravel pit from U.S. Highway 160; therefore no further habitat fragmentation will occur by creating a new access road. The area provides habitat to many species of wildlife including small mammals, black bear, mountain lion, songbirds and a variety of raptors. This area also serves as significant habitat for three economically important species of wildlife which include; Elk (overall range), mule deer (overall range), and pronghorn (overall range and winter range). These species rely on and shrublands during various times of the year. If this site is to be fenced, please consider a fence that would allow wildlife to pass through easily, while keeping domestic livestock out of the area of operation. A four wire fence would be sufficient. A fence that would accomplish these tasks would consist of a smooth top and bottom wire with wire spacing (from top to bottom) of 42 inches, 30 inches, 23 inches, and 16 inches. Heather Dugan,Acting Director,Colorado Parks and Wildlife Parks and Wildlife Commission:Carrie Besnette Hauser,Chair•Dallas May,Vice-Chair•Marie Haskett,Secretary•Taishya Adams I ° Karen Bailey•Betsy Blecha•Gabriel Otero•Duke Phillips,IV•Richard Reading•James Jay Tutchton•Eden Vardy Y 1876�