Laserfiche WebLink
Surface Ownership: The surface rights are held by the Colorado State Land Board. <br /> Subsurface Ownership: The subsurface mineral rights are also owned by the Colorado State Land Board. <br /> Permitted Use: The project will employ placer mining techniques to extract precious metals and critical minerals, <br /> including gold, monazite, ilmenite, and zircon. <br /> The post-mining land use plan aims to restore the site to rangeland and wildlife habitat, allowing for the continua- <br /> tion of ranching and grazing activities in conjunction with wildlife conservation. <br /> 4.3 Existing Environmental and Habitat Conditions <br /> The project area consists of a semi-arid sagebrush steppe ecosystem,with sagebrush as the dominant vegetation. <br /> The sagebrush in the active mining areas averages around 12 inches in height and is considered low-quality habi- <br /> tat for the Greater Sage-Grouse. In contrast, high-quality sagebrush habitat exists in Dry Gulch and Scandinavian <br /> Gulch,which the project will avoid to minimize environmental impacts. <br /> Flora: Dominated by sagebrush species,with pockets of grasses and forbs in lower elevation areas. <br /> Fauna: The area supports a variety of wildlife, including Greater Sage-Grouse, mule deer, and other species typical <br /> of sagebrush ecosystems. <br /> Hydrology:There are no major water bodies within the immediate project boundaries. The region is character- <br /> ized by seasonal creeks and intermittent watercourses,which will be protected from disruption. <br /> Given the sensitivity of the sagebrush ecosystem and the joint-use nature of the land for ranching, grazing, and <br /> wildlife,the project's management plan includes specific conservation measures to protect habitat, avoid critical <br /> areas, and implement reclamation practices after mining. <br /> 11 <br /> HARDROCK/METAL MINING REGULAR(112)APPLICATION Au Pt Industries LLC I PO Box 1424-Edwards,Colorado 81632 1970 306 1 784 <br />