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will re-nest; however, reseazch indicates that re-nesting attempts by sage-grouse can be infrequent and typically result in a smaller clutch size. There aze also significant energetic costs associated with stress that may weaken individuals making them more vulnerable to disease and other external factors. Ultimately, this increase in disturbance could potentially limit and reduce sage-grouse production in the area of the pit as well as in nesting azeas along the county roads. Because of the increase in pit size and production, there will be an increased volume of truck traffic on the county roads. Greater Sage-Grouse in the Five Pines area often use habitats adjacent to county roads. This is particularly true on Routt County Road 3 over Five Pines Mesa where broods are often observed. High use of this area is most likely due to the proximity of the Five Pines Mesa Ditch. Any increase in vehicular traffic on these county roads could potentially increase the Greater Sage-Grouse mortality rate due to vehicle collisions with the birds. Due to the close proximity of the proposed pit to several active Greater Sage-Grouse and Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse leks, the noise associated with the operation could affect the acoustical quality of those ]eks. Any reduction in acoustical delivery could result in lower lek attendance, lek abandonment, and reduced grouse reproduction. The soil and vegetative disturbances that will result from the King Mountain Sand & Gravel Mine will increase the potential for noxious weeds. Invasion of noxious weeds can have a significant impact on the native grass and forb understory in sagebrush communities. Changes to the grass and forb understory can significantly affect availability and nutritional quality of food for sage-grouse. The proposed operation will result in a change of the age, structure, and density of sagebrush in the mined and reclaimed azeas. Greater Sage-Grouse rely on sagebrush habitats for the majority of their life cycle, as sagebrush habitat is a critical component for both breeding success in Greater Sage-Grouse as well as winter survival of the species. The loss of sagebrush from this operation will result in a reduction of the amount of cover and food available for sage-grouse in the area. The loss of cover could lead to a decrease sage-grouse production and an increase in predation in this area. King Mountain Sand & Gravel Mine is proposing an extremely large increase in pit size and production that will be located in a relatively undisturbed area containing numerous acres of protected lands. This could inadvertently result in a diminished value associated with those adjacent conserved lands. Indirectly, the proposed operation and the resulting increase in gravel availability in South Routt could also lead to increase in development pressure. Increased development in this azea will result in additional increase habitat loss and fragmentation. MITIGATION: We have recommended a variety of onsite and offsite mitigation strategies that your client could adopt to mitigate the impacts the proposed King Mountain Sand & Gravel Mine will have on the existing wildlife, particularly Greater Sage-Grouse habitat. While there aze a few onsite mitigation measures that may address some of the impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse caused by the proposed activity, CDOW field staff feels that adequate mitigation will only be accomplished through the implementation of one or more offsite mitigation strategies. We are more than happy to work with you and your client to discuss and develop a mitigation plan for this project. POTENTIAL ONSTTE MITIGATION: The following strategies could be implemented as part of the overall site and operation plan for the proposed King Mountain Sand & Gravel Mine. Seasonal use restrictions can be implemented to create a temporal buffer. However, due to the importance of this location to Greater Sage-Grouse throughout the breeding and production season, this is not a realistic option for King Mountain Sand & Gravel Mine, as it would restrict operation from Mazch through November. During the breeding season, a restriction on hours of operation could be implemented to protect nearby lek activity. A starting time of 9:00 a.m. could potentially minimize noise disturbance and any subsequent impacts to neazby lek activity. Lek attendance typically occurs March through May.