Laserfiche WebLink
iJnited States Department of the Interior <br />FISH AND WII,DLIFE SERVICE <br />Ecolo;ical Servica <br />Wwtem Colondo On'iu <br />53913 Vi Rad, Sure &lU <br />onedrw~,co ersosar99 <br />Phone: pro)147.1T'A FAX Pro) 24Sfi977 <br />Q~1 RRlLY RF~+FR TO: <br />ES/BLM-Montrose District <br />MS 65412 GJ <br />July 2, 1993 <br />Memorandum <br />AR <br />__.~ , <br />Received „~, ,~ >99S BL~A <br />M trose Colo. <br />.x - <br />To: District Manager, Montrose District, Bureau of Land Management, <br />Montrose, Colorado <br />From: As:>istant Colorado State Supervisor, Ecological Services, Fish <br />and Hildlife Service, Grand Junction, Colorado <br />Sub,~ect: Formal Consultation, Biological Assessment for Proposed Coal <br />Leerse; Mountain Coal Co. COC-54558 <br />This responds t.o your May 21, 1993 request for formal consultation under <br />authority of the Endangered Species Act regarding Mountain Coal Caopany's <br />application to lease approximately 1,012 acres in Delta and Gunnison <br />counties, Colorado. <br />Bob Leachman of this office has cdordinated with Bob Yelch of your staff to <br />determine the history of this activity and whether formal consultation is <br />appropriate at tfiis time. The following Issues were identified: <br />1) It is not known whether Nountaln Coal Company will be awarded <br />the lease. <br />2) It 'Is not known whether a net depletion of water will occur <br />from the upper Colorado River basin as a result of the <br />proposal. The Bureau recognizes water depletion as a <br />possibility in the biological assessment, but does not estimate <br />a water depletion amount. <br />3) Formal Section 7 consultation for West Elk Coal Company's Mt. <br />Gunnison Mine (the predecessor to Mountain Coal Company) was <br />completed by the Service on August 20, 1985, for a depletion <br />amount of 11.9 acre feet. <br />4} Mr. Terry Ireland of this office has been coordinating with the <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology regarding Mountain <br />Loal Company's water use and projected water depletion <br />associated with their mining operations. <br />~~ ~" . <br />~ ~ ` <br />~~~` <br />