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1. ` 1 ~ i '/ Biological Evaluation For Sensitive, Threatened and Endangered Species Pike and San Isabel National Forest and Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands Project Name: Crystal Greek Unpatented Mining Claims Pre parer: S. Howard Ranger District: Sou[h Park Date Prepared: October 21, 1996 Reviewed by: /~/.~N/w ~~c.,~ Activities considered in this action require a Biological Evaluation to be completed (FSM 2672.4). The intent of the Biological Evaluation process is to conduct and document activities necessary to ensure that proposed management actions will not jeopardize the continued viability of: A. Spec iee lie tad, or proposed to be hated, as Endangered or Threntened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; or B. Species listed as Sensitive by the Regional Forester. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Crystal Greek mining areas addressed in [his evaluation are located in sections 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, T. 125, R. I1W and sections 34 and 35 T. 115, R. 71W of Teller County. It is a famous mining area for amazonita and smokey-quarts crystal. The mining claims are all the small, unpatented mining claims in a 7 square mile area near Crystal Creek which are currently active or proposed. These claims are considered small (less than 1600 sq. ft. of disturbance). Larger claims (over 1600 sq. ft. of disturbance) will have individual BEs completed. Mining activities range from digging with hand tools to digging with small dozers. Some of the claims occasionally remove trees in the process of digging their exploratory pits. These trees are limited in number, usually 2-5 trees per claim. Reclamation bonds are required to insure that the mines will be filled with original soil, slope is contoured and the site is reseeded. Most of these claims have completed some reclamation processes already. Nost claims have existing road access and do not require any new road construction. Some of the claims have (or will need) temporary roads to access • them. These tempory roads are approved with their Plan of Operations and are covered with a reclamation bond to ensure they are closed and reseeded after the mining is complete. Typically, these roads wind around existing trees and have little or no ground disturbance (ie. cut and fill).