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Coulson Eacavating Company, Inc. -Stroh Gravel Pit <br />Exhibit D -Mining Plan <br />Mining Operations and Timetable <br />Approximately 300,000 tons of gravel will be extracted from the pit each yeaz. Gravel <br />extraction will follow standard gravel mine operations and is expected to follow an <br />annual schedule similar to that shown in Table 3. The monthly gravel tonnages shown are <br />approximate. <br />The sequence in which mining will occur is constrained by the following: <br />(i) The presence of occupied Preble's meadow jumping mouse (PMJM) habitat <br />along the riparian corridor. <br />(ii) The encroachment of the floodway along portions of the northern section of <br />the pit. (See Exhibit D -Mining Plan) <br />Suitable mouse habitat is present along the Big Thompson River on the north boundary of <br />the proposed pit. Therefore, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) considers this <br />stretch of the Big Thompson River to be occupied by PMJM. PMJM have been shown to <br />forage in areas away from riparian corridors. <br />The USFWS suggested that a permanent buffer at least 100-ft wide be established <br />between the pit and the existing riparian comdor on its north side. As such, the pit <br />boundary was offset 100 ft south of the permit boundary and the area to be mined <br />excludes this strip of land and is referred to as the permanent PMJM buffer (hatched <br />green in Exhibit D). <br />An adjacent 200-ft wide strip from the pit boundary {called a seasonal PMJM buffer - <br />green line in Exhibit D) has been established and will be during winter months when <br />PMJM are in hibernation. <br />A hydraulic modeling study was performed by WSI in the area of the Stroh pit. The <br />results of the study show the floodway encroaches into parts of the pit in the northern <br />section. <br />The southern boundary tine of the north zone was developed by combining the furthest <br />southern boundaries of the seasonal PMJM buffer and the floodway. It is by coincidence <br />that the PMJM active season and flood seasons are similaz. The flood season as <br />determined by Urban Drainage is April t5's through September IS's, whereas the PMJM <br />active season is April 15a' to September 31a. Mining the north zone will be restricted to <br />October 15a' to April 15a'. Restricting the mining of the north zone to non-flood and non- <br />PMJM active season is designed to protect the pit from being captured by the river during <br />seasonal flooding and prevent the take of PMJM due to mining activity. Prior to April <br />I5's of each mining year, all of the north zone will be backfilled to original ground <br />surface elevations. <br />H:\Stroh\word\DMG\working_Exhibit D.doc <br />