Laserfiche WebLink
~_ .. <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />Roy Romer, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF.NATUAAL RESOURCES .'~ . <br />DJVISION ~OF WILDLIFE <br />AN EOWL OPPORiUMiY EMPLOYER <br />John W. Mumma, Director <br />60fi0 Broadway <br />Denver. Coloratlo 60216 <br />?elephone: (3D3) 297-t 192 <br />Mr. Carl B. Mount <br />Senior Environmental Specialist <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />~r~r, <br />~,G~'~l r <br />DES ~~ ~~ 1998 <br />,,;•vd; <br />RE: ACA Products, Pine Ridge Pit, Filet'f~10: M-98-104 (112 Permit) <br />Dear Mr. Mount: <br /> <br />I have read "Exhibit H-Wildlife Information" of the Pine Ridge Pit application and briefly <br />reviewed the remainder of the application. I must comment that a lot has changed <br />sirice the original application of 17 years ago. Of primary concern is the use of the pit <br />area and surrounding lands by elk. There were few elk utilizing the area 17 years ago. <br />The somewhat limited use of the pit (and Lake County's adjacent pit) since then has <br />not prohibited elk from choosing to make that area significantlylmportant. <br />The pits are within a migratory corridor and spring and fall transitional range. The area <br />around the pits serves to relieve grazing pressure from limited winter range to the <br />south. If memory serves me well, most use of the pit(s) has been during summer <br />months. If the use of the pit(s) continues as in the past (June-September) and is <br />avoided the rest of the year, the elk should not, as in the past, be significant>,y <br />impacted. However, if use of the pit for projects is expanded to fall, late winter or <br />spring months, conflicts with elk use of the pit and adjacent properties will occur. Pit <br />work starting in early morning or perhaps continuing to late evening during those <br />months will shortening daily feeding periods or in the most extreme case, cause elk to <br />abandon established use of the area. <br />The comments of 17 years ago about the "green desert" apply tiae the timbered portion <br />of the project area. The time periods mentioned for avoiding work should now be <br />disregarded. The periods mentioned in the above paragraph are now more <br />applicable. <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment <br />Tom Martin, District Wildlife Manaq~er-Leadville <br />c:Spez7p ((~~n~{{n~ ARTMENT OF NATUAA RESOURCES, James S. Lochhead, Executive Director <br />ltPtLDLTfE" MISSION, Arnold Salazar, Chair • Rehecoa L. Frank, Vice Chair • MarR leValley, Secretary <br />Louis F Swift, Member • Bernard L. Black, Merrthet <br />Chuck Lewis, Memoer • John Stulp, Member • James R. Long, Member <br />~ncerely, ~ ~ <br />_ ,//. <br />~i <br />m <br />