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STATE OF COLORADO <br />Bill Owerts, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />Russell George, Directs <br />solo Broadway <br />Denver, Cdsado 60216 <br />Telephone: (303) 297-1192 <br />May 17, 2002 <br />RECEIVED <br />MAY 18 2002 <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />For ~Idlife- <br />ForPeople <br />Carl Mount - <br />Division of Minerals and Geology Permit #: - 3033 Confidentah: <br />Class: >/V~ u Type-Seq.: <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 From: ~ To: 6' ~ ~/ <br />Denver, CO 80203 Doc. Name: r - 2r/ uh+r+r~rj <br />flnr r1aTo /if nn r1 ETC c}~mn1~ <br />RE: Frei and Sons, Inc., Walstrum Mine Amendment Application M-1983-033, AM-08 <br />Deaz Mr. Mount: <br />I have received the amendment application for the above referenced permit and have the following <br />comments. <br />District WIldlife Manager Ron Oehlkers and I visited the site with the owner and consultant several <br />months ago. Since that time, Mr. Oehlkers has written a letter to the Cleaz Creek Planning Commission <br />dated 2/5/02. A copy of that letter is included for your review. The concerns that were stated in that letter <br />are those still expressed by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. <br />In their permit application, Frei and Sons state that the items raised in the letter, "aze not supported by <br />solid evidence and are listed as concerns." The applicant clearly does not believe that the azea proposed <br />under the amendment will have any further impact on wildlife in the azea. Our best professional <br />judgement does not concur with this statement. <br />"I~h`~ae*wiI1~I~el'y.~be?in~ac~t~air-ancYwates pollutiondue to -dust creased` byt)Se~min~!n~A plethora of <br />peer-reviewed scientific literature exists that demonstrates that sedimentation into a water body may have <br />detrimental effects on aquatic life. <br />Direct take of wildlife habitat will also occur if the permit is granted. South-facing slopes (much of what <br />will be mined) provide valuable winter range for wildlife. While these areas will be reclaimed, it is very <br />important that they be reclaimed to a state that is usable by wildlife, and not in a steep azea or vegetated <br />in such a way that is inaccessible and therefore of little value. <br />It is possible that there will be increased road-kill due to heavy traffic volumes resulting from heavy <br />trucks hauling material. The applicants state that wildlife is often seen in and azound the mining site <br />currently and the presence of the animals presents a potential risk. <br />In the pemut application, they state that the bonding should be set to $92K, based on 15.88 ac of <br />reclamation. It is unclear to me how they arrived at a figure of 15.88 acres, if the permit application is for <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Greg E. Wak•Jler, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Bernard L. Black, Jr., Chairman Rick Enstrom, Vice-Cha'uman Philip James, Secretary <br />Memhars_ Tnm Burke • Mall( LP.VAaW • Marianna RaRnnnulnc • Rnherf Shnfmaker • ()Gue ValdP.z <br />