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STATE OF COLORADO <br />Bill Owens, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />AN Et]UAL OPPORTUNITY EM PLOYER <br />Brice McCloskey, Director <br />6060 Broadway <br />Denver, Colorado 80218 <br />Telephone: 13031 29 7-1 192 <br />Colorado Division of Minerals 8t Geology <br />Attn: Mr. Daniel T. Matthews <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Dear Mr. Matthews, <br />RE~~~vE° <br />Mph fir, 2006 <br />Mm¢`g15 anC GeeloQt <br />p1v~ of <br />04-27-2006 <br />Far ~ldlife- <br />ForPeople <br />The Colorado Division of Wildlife has reviewed the MCClane Canyon Mine (Permit No. C-1980-004) <br />Technical Revision Application No. 15 (TR-15) RN-6 Permit Updates submitted by CAM Mining, LLC. This <br />update concerns routine renewals of DMG coal mining permits for the McClave Canyon Mine and the <br />Munger Canyon Mine. Included in the review was the draft Biological Assessment of impacts t0 <br />threatened & endangered species prepared by Rare Earth Science, LLC for ].E Stover & Associates, Inc., <br />along with a statement of compliance with raptor protection guidelines from Grand Valley Rural power <br />Lines, Inc. <br />The McClave Canyon and Munger Canyon mines both are underground operations, with permftted <br />surface disturbance areas of 9.5 acres and 17 acres, respectively. The materials submitted for review <br />state that "no new surface disturbance or significant changes to above ground operadans of eirYfer.m/ne <br />is being proposed with either permit renewal° As such, we concur with the Determinations of Effect <br />presented in the Biological Assessment and do not anticipate significant changes in wildlife impacts due <br />to approval of the permit renewals. We do note, however, that increases in coal production at either <br />mine could affect water depletion from East Salt Creek, Increased depletions are likely to adversely <br />affect the Colorado River endangered fishes and their designated critical habitat, as well as numerous <br />species of wildlife reliant on water that persists in the East Salt Creek drainage downstream of the mines. <br />We have noticed a general increase in deer and elk mortality during the winter months associated <br />with vehicle traffic along Colo. Hwy 139, particularly involving large trucks. The McClave Wildlife - <br />Protection & Control Plan addresses the speed issue, but only as relates to traffic on the permit area. We <br />request that the proponent give serious consideretion to imposing a speed re-striction of 45 mph on haul <br />trucks driving Colo. Hwy 139 between the Mesa/Garfield County line and the mine entrance, a distance of <br />6 miles. Reducing speeds from December 1~April 1 would decrease the number of wildlife/vehicle <br />collisions. <br />The Division of Wildlife thanks you for your willingness to consider the needs of wildlife fn the <br />permitting process. We encourage you to contact Fruita District Wildlife Manager Paul Creeden (970- <br />250-4501) to schedule a visit. Please contact me by phone at (970) 255-6179 if you need anything <br />further. <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESDUACES, Russell George, Executive Disector <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Jeffrey Crawford, Chair • Tom Burke, Vice Chair • Claire O'Neal, Secretary <br />Members, Robert Bray • Aick Enstrom • Philip James • Richard Ray • Robert Shoemaker • Ken Torres <br />Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament <br />