2006-12-18_REVISION - M1978314 (3)

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King Mountain Sand and Gravel Mine Ecological Resources Assessment Page 2 Banks and Gesso, LLC, representing King Mountain Sand and Gravel, LLC, dated February 9, 2006. Both letters present similar requests for mitigation. King Mountain Gravel, LLC has typically used Libby Miller, the District Wildlife Manager, as the primary CDOW contact. Mine operations are under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (DRMS), with an active permit (M-1978-314). Dust control is permitted through the Colorado Air Quality Control Division. Land use jurisdiction is through Routt County (the "County"), as the Project site is-located in the unincorporated area of the county. Both DRMS and the County have used the CDOW as a referral agency. 2.0 METHODS Determination of habitats and species of concern was accomplished as follows: 1. Field work on the Project site was conducted on September IS and 19,'2006. Field workers were Michael G. Figgs and Nancy D. Lederer with LREP, Inc.. 2. Interviews were conducted with Paul Gesso and Maureen Jacoby, with Banks and Gesso, LLC on September 26, 2006, in order to obtain and review Project history and files. 3. An interview was conducted with Mike Jones, Mine Manager for King Mountain Gravel, LLC on October 1Q 2006. Mr. Jones is also the Ranch Manager for the 5,200 acre King Mountain Ranch located three miles south of [he Project site and has an extensive and successful record in the field of natural resource management. 4. A potential terrestrial vertebrate wildlife species list for the Project site was compiled by use of the Natural Diversity Information Source database for Routt County for amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles (NDIS 2006). This county list was then edited by the report preparer for the habitats present on the Property, and checked with appropriate literature review (Adams 2003, Kingery 1998, Fitzgerald et al 1994, and Hammerson 1999). 5. The Colorado Division of Wildlife listing of wildlife species with endangered, threatened or special concern status was checked against the potential wildlife species list for the Project site to create a list of species of concern specific to the property (CDOW 2006). 6. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) database was searched for records of threatened, endangered, and sensitive plant and animal species, imperiled natural communities, and applicable Potential Conservation Areas in or near the Project site (CNHP 2006). 7. Updated literature review for the greater sage grouse. 8. Organized and assembled the above information in an ecological assessment report for both internal and future public review.