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<br /> <br />Exhibit D - Wildlife, Water Resources, Vegetation and Soils Information <br /> <br />1. Wildlife <br />Some of the species that inhabit the project vicinity include deer, <br />antelope, elk, mountain lion, sage grouse, cottentail rabbit, chukars, <br />prarie dogs, coyotes, golden eagles and bald eagles. Nearby riparian <br />species include sandhill cranes and Canada geese. The eagles tend to <br />nest in tall trees along the Yampa river, but have been noted flying <br />over the project area. <br />hlost of the upland habitats within the project area are widely distributed <br />throughout northwestern Colorado. Therefore, the disruption of habitat <br />should have no significant regional ecological effects. <br />The area of bath the quarry and processing operations has been classified <br />as mule deer critical winter range by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. <br />Other species that may inhabit the project area include mourning dove, <br />marmot, badger, jack rabbit, porcupine, magpie, and a variety of raptors. <br />Small mammals include deer mouse, chipmunk, Colorado chipmunk, thirteen- <br />lined ground squirrel, canyon mouse, pinyon mouse, montane vole, and <br />various reptiles and birds. <br />2. Water Resources <br />The operation is not expected to directly affect surface or groundwater <br />systems. No intermittent or perrenial streams occur within the property <br />boundaries. There will be no discharges into the surface water system. <br />Inasmuch as the project involves the development, mining and reclamation <br />of an open pit type quarry, the only water needed will be for drilling <br />at the quarry site and for dust control and washing and domestic pur- <br />poses at the crushing and processing site. Estimated annual water re- <br />quirements are as follows: <br />Development - 0 - 25,000 gals. <br />Mining - 25,000 - 50,000 gals. <br />Reclamation - 0 - 100,000 gals. <br />Processing - 50,000 - 100,000 gals. <br />The operator presently owns no water rights or other sources of water. <br />Water will either be pumped from the nearby Yampa River, or purchased <br />from nearby tank or irrigation ditch sources to supply the fairly mini- <br />mal requirements outlined above. A domestic water well may be drilled <br />at the processing site at a later date. <br />3. Vegetation <br />Most of the project area is classified by vegetation type as "upland <br />sage." Herbaceous ground cover ranges from 35% to 100% and includes <br />