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III IIIIIIIIIIIII III ~ <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />Roy Romer, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNmY EMPLOYER <br />John W. Mumma, Director <br />Soumeast Regional Office: <br />2[26 N Weber Street <br />Colorado Springs, CO 80907 <br />(/19)473-2945 <br />January 31, 1996 <br />Mr. Mike Bonar, Wildlife Ecologist <br />Greystone <br />5990 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Suite 250 <br />Englewood, CO 80111 <br />• <br />For Wildlife- <br />For People <br />R~rFII~Fn <br />FEB 0 2 199fi <br />Division of rvllnerals 8 Geology <br />SUBJ: A.P. Development Lorencito/Cow Canyon Coal Mine Proposal. <br />Dear Mr. Bonar: <br />We have reviewed your proposal for a coal mining facility south of the Purgatoire River <br />near Weston in western Las Animas County. With the understanding that this appears to be <br />merely a scoping request to satisfy the Notice of Intent requirements of DMG and based on the <br />general nature of the information provided, we offer the following comments and concerns. <br />This area of western Las Animas county is currently mapped as significant wildlife habitat <br />by the Division of Wildlife with the specific area in question delineated as a mixture of high and <br />moderate potential impact to wildlife from development. These are mapping categories that were <br />developed for use with the Las Animas County Planning and Development office in their land use <br />regulatory process (see enclosed map). <br />The site is mapped both as winter range and severe winter range for elk and deer and <br />therefore can be considered critical habitat for both these species. The oakbrush/mountain <br />mahogany shrub community provides valuable browse for mule deer. The quality of the habitat <br />also supports a fairly substantial elk population that depends on this area for winter range, <br />summer range, rutting/calving habitat. Preservation of winter range and severe winter range <br />habitat is critical to maintaining the long term viability of this local elk population. Recent <br />dispersal of elk in other parts of this game management unit have resulted in increased damage <br />to adjoining agricultural lands. Hunting in this area also is extremely limited and further hampers <br />the Division's ability to deal effectively with negative impacts resulting from changing land use <br />practices. <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, James S. Lochhead, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Arnold Salazar, Chairman ~ Rebecca L. Frank, Vice-Chair ~ Mark LeValley, Secretary <br />Louis F. Swift, Member ~ Jesse Langston Boyd, Jr., Member ~ William R. Hegberg, Member <br />John Stulp, Member ~ James R. Long, Member <br />