GENERAL35145 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

of habitat down the canyon wall. I have been able to identify their distinct "cricket chirp" in the canyon at night throughout the spring and summer months. Remarkably, in Exhibit H of the State application (see attachment), the company states that "No known threatened or endangered species" exist on this land. Obviously, that is not the case: obviously the company does not know which particular species survive in this critical habitat in and around the quarry. Arkins Park Stone's vague information written in the current State and County applications regarding reclamation and wildlife impact, illustrate the company's lack of concern and knowledge for their own and surrounding land. Moreover, the scant list of species the company offers in Exhibit H not only is incomplete, but also is inaccurate. The inaccuracies, 1 believe, are due to the fact that Arkins Park Stone was just guessing when they drew up this list, drawing their conclusions from what they know in general about the wildlife in the broad area ofthe Foothills from Loveland to Lyons. In particular: 1. I doubt that there are marmots or weasels within several miles of Steamboat Valley. 2. They failed to list the bobcat, the mountain lion, and the Black bear that regularly hunt on the quarry property, as my neighbors and I have witnessed. In Exhibit H the company states, "The area has been mined for over 50 years, therefore, impacts on wildlife would be more in the nature of harassment caused by the presence of humans and equipment." Again, this is a hasty generalization based on what I believe to be a lack of knowledge and concem for their property and the surrounding habitat. If Arkins Park Stone is allowed to destroy the existing grasses and trees on the 59+ acres, and if the company actually dumps stone and dirt into the canyon, they will succeed in destroying the existing food sources, water sources, shelter, clean air and privacy that the animals depend upon now. This destruction would be much more than "harassment." Also, the company gives a very sketchy response to the "Mine Reclamation recommendations" when asked to "...include key species/habitats for which restoration is designed." In fact, their answer sounds rather cavalier. They briefly say they will salvage whatever soil is ':salvageable" and reseed three native species -grasses, skunk bush, and mountain mahogany. This answer does not speak to the reclamation of the Ponderosa Pine and cedar tree saplings they have currently uprooted, much Less those they will have to uproot to quarry the 59+ acres. Also, their answer does not address the thick and diverse vegetation in the canyon on the west where they have begun to dump debris. Hopefully Atkins Park Stone means what they say in the attached "History and Objectives" when they state that they would like to "...protect and preserve the natural resources that their land contains." However, this statement is contradictory to the statement they gave