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concerned citizens who wane w prottct and preserve the last and best bastion of large scale <br />traditional ranching and prime, landscape scale private wildlife habitat in the area. <br />T1ieI'lvpoaedGravelil'itTaymrsion iVillllaveSigrr(/rcwrtArrdAdve-seinryacts <br />Ivng Altiuntain's Permit Comemion Application should be denied because of the <br />aigoifieant and atlveree impact the ptopaed expansion will have on wildlife, conservation and <br />property values, transponation wad safety issues, water rights issues, and other aesthetic and <br />rrcreahnnalrnncerns, <br />The statute under which yan regulate mining activities states <br />I[ u [he jur[her in[rnl of lkrgeneral rciaemGly [u conserve na[rsral rnuurcn, <br />aid in [heprutec[iun ujwi&ll{/rartdreyua[icrravurccay ea[aG1uh agricel[ara[, <br />recreational, residential, mrd irrdraatrial sites, mrd yroted and promote the <br />i'taaltk, sr}faty, atdgasarwl,va~faro ofekapaopla oftlrissTata <br />Here, the former opantion (before iu trarsfar to fling Mountain) wu a tanafl, thirty-year <br />old, tamtly-owned and operated gruel ptk that prndnred lass than 1,(100 tons of gravel annually <br />The old Hewes annual reports to Dl•IG typically didn't stale what amount of material had bees <br />exvacted but only staled "very little material taken out" each year. The special use permit <br />governing that small-scale operation was set m expire because the permined azea was almost <br />rarlwwtcd King Mvurrudu inlrrWs w uatufixm ILe 8ravrl pil inw a tnajur regitmal miruttg <br />uyetaliua of uF lu 258 aces. Aceottliugly, the retluesled upazcsiort awl ils obvious and <br />incritablc effects arc cad will be significant and dctrimcatd. <br />a. Wildlife Concerns <br />The gravel pit is adjacent to the most important breeding area for the soon to be <br />endangered tiagr (irmtae to en area of aprrtal rrtnrrm, North haglP (:onnty/timVh Knott (:ntmty <br />Indeed. the proposed expansion is of a very intense land use in close proximity to a significant <br />concentration of grouse. In fact, the world's leading Sage Crronse tuologist Chit Braun, <br />inspected the area in 2005 and unequivocally determined that the proposed [{ravel pis expansion <br />world be severely detrimental to the Sege Crouse. It is inunediately adjacent m most critical <br />breeding areas in region and br«d'utg success is the kty factor in Crouse survival. As stub, dtc <br />proposed expansion has potentially signifieaat impocta to grouse populations and their habitats. <br />Although the U.S. Fish wad Wildlife cervice has not vet luted the Sage Grouse u either <br />w endangered ar a threatened speces, the DOW has listed it az a "species of special camcem," <br />(>L, low nr dralmmg pnptdatmn), and the II ti F'rursr. Srrvtre and Hnrean of land Management <br />have identified the bird as a "sensitive species." It has been petitioned and will be again nett <br />year, for F.ntlengered Species proucdon. Funhemwre, dre State ad' Colorado has developed a <br />comprehensive statewide wildlife conservation plea (the "Wildlife Conservatian Plan'? to <br />protect tlu species, which plan includes rcgiotud utd local couservation strategies, suds as <br />