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ERG Strear Soil Mine <br /> Preliminary Environmental Assessment <br /> *Status key: FT— Federally listed as threatened; FE — Federally listed as endangered; C — Candidate species; PE — Proposed <br /> Endangered <br /> tWater Depletion Species <br /> Water Depletion Species <br /> Any water related project conducted in the Platte River Basin that has a federal nexus; such as federal <br /> funding or a federal permit (i.e., Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 Permit), is subject to ESA Section 7 <br /> Consultation with the USFWS. The consultation is a mandate for water depletion projects that may <br /> affect threatened and endangered species that rely on the South Platte River. <br /> • The survey area does not contain the specific habitat characteristics necessary to support the <br /> species listed above. These species and/or critical habitat are not present within the survey area. It <br /> is assumed herein that future land use changes would not be considered a new water depletion. <br /> Therefore, the project would result in "No Take" to these species. <br /> • If the project is determined to be a new water depletion and has a federal nexus, such as federal <br /> funding or a federal permit (i.e., Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 Permit), a formal USFWS <br /> Section 7 consultation will be required. It is also probable that membership for South Platte Water <br /> Related Activities Program, Inc. (SPWRAP) would be required for water depletion mitigation. It is <br /> assumed herein that this project has no federal nexus and is not considered a water depletion; <br /> therefore, nothing further is required. <br /> Species Not Present <br /> The species indicated as "NOT PRESENT" are not known to exist within the specific vicinity of the survey <br /> area and/or have specific habitat requirements (i.e., elevation range) that are not common in the <br /> vicinity of the survey area. <br /> Species Potentially within Range <br /> For federally listed T&E species indicated as "NO TAKE", it should be noted the survey area is located <br /> within the potential known range for these species to occur. Therefore, further analysis was conducted <br /> to determine if the species or habitat has the potential to exist within the survey area considering site- <br /> specific conditions and characteristics. A brief explanation is provided as to the species life cycle, habitat <br /> requirements and potential occurrence within the survey area. The survey area is not within designated <br /> critical habitat of any federally listed species (USFWS 2024a). <br /> PREBLE'S MEADOW JUMPING MOUSE (ZAPUS HUDSONIUS PREBLEI) <br /> On May 13, 1998, the US Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule to list the Preble's meadow jumping <br /> mouse (PMJM) as a federally threatened species under the ESA. PMJM range extends from <br /> southwestern Wyoming through eastern Colorado generally below 7,600 feet. In Colorado, PMJM <br /> populations are generally restricted to locations along the Front Range foothills and adjacent riparian <br /> areas. Schorr and Mihlbachler (2018) describe typical PMJM habitat being restricted to dense shrub <br /> cover and dense herbaceous vegetation along wetland and riverine systems. Armstrong et al. (1997) <br /> characterize PMJM habitat as "well-developed plains riparian vegetation with relatively undisturbed <br /> grassland and a water source in close proximity." Also noted in Armstrong et al. (1997) was a preference <br /> for "dense herbaceous vegetation consisting of a variety of grasses, forbs and thick shrubs". The PMJM <br /> hibernates in an underground burrow from September to May. PMJM bears two to three litters per <br /> 9 <br />