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04-03-03 05:25PM FROM-DL1G GRAND JUNCTION FIELD OFFICE <br />STATE OF COIARADO <br />Bill Owens, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNfTY EMPLOYER <br />Russell George, Direaor <br />soso sroadway <br />Denier, Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: {303) 297-1192 <br />070 241 1516 T-461 P.OOY/003 F-066 <br />For ~ldlsft- <br />For People <br /> <br />March 12, 2003 <br />Mr. Dan Mathews <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />101 South 3`d Street, Suite 301 <br />Grand Junction, CO $1501 <br />~2g~~ <br />Deaz Mr. Mathews, <br />Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the Seneca II-W Mine Permit Revision <br />Application No. 3 (PR-3). The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOVV) has reviewed a revised <br />submittal including a revised Revegetation Plan and a research proposal from Dr. Wayne Shepperd from <br />the Rocky Mountain Research Station. CROW persoffiel met with Seneca, Division of Minerals and <br />Geology (DMG), and Dr, Wayne Shepperd in September to discuss options for habitat treatments (e.$:. <br />prescribed burning) to improve remaining aspen stands on Seneca property. After the &eld'visit, . ~_ ; <br />everyone agreed that habitat treatments were not likely to be effective and that experimental research on ; <br />techniques to reestablish aspen on reclaimed mined lands would be more benefecial. Efforts io <br />reestablish aspen are valuable because aspen communities provide important wildlife habitat. The <br />Seneca's logistical and financial support of this project is a step towards improving our understanding of <br />aspen reestablishment. <br />We have reviewed the proposal from Dr. Shepperd and anticipate that it will provide insight into how to <br />best use drip irrigation to transplam aspen, thus malting a lasting comribution to aspen reestablishment <br />on reclaimed mine lands. CDOW does, however, have a few suggestions concerning the experimental <br />design. First, the proposal does not include a control plot where no supplemmental water is delivered. We <br />believe that a control plot would strengthen the findings of this research. We also think that it would be <br />useful to collect more detailed soil information in addition to collecting the soil moisttrre within the <br />rooting zone, For example, it would be interesting to measure and compaze the soil moisture/soil <br />strucAUe of the soil in the irrigated plots to soil measurements taken at anon-irrigated control plot and at <br />a neazby native stand. One of our principle concerns has been that surface disturbance during mining <br />changes the soil structure and soil hydrology, which in turn will affect whether aspen clones, will survive <br />past the completion of the supplemental irrigation- Detailed soil information might gtovide insight into <br />this question. <br />Finally, using centimeters as the unit of measurement will be meaningful for some of the tree <br />DEPARTMEM OF NATURfiL RESOURCES, Greg E. Waterier, E3aeafive Duedor <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Ride E;nstrom, Ctra'rr • Robert Shoemaker, ViaL~Cha'v • Mariantra RaROpwdos, Secretary <br />Members. Bernard Black • Tnm EWdce. Jzfiev Crawford • PhHm Jatrr~ • Brad Pf~Jos • Olive Valdez <br />