GENERAL46647 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

December 1. 2G03 A,i~pentiix A Page A-r impacts at these nest sites(1993, Letter from Kathleen Weft, Mountain Coal Company, to BLM, in fulfillment of the requirement to monitor Cooper's hawk nests, per Special Condition #5, of OSM Mine Plan Approval Document, #CO-0021(BLM reference 3400 (161) D044569). Based on the subsidence effects noted elsewhere on lands south of the North Fork of the Gunnison River, subsidence on this lease tract is not likely to result in any increase in landslide activity that would impact lynx habitat structure, or habitat use. Since Canada lynx have not been proven to occupy the lease tract, and no surface facilities or impacts are anticipated except subsidence, the proposed lease is considered suitable for leasing from a Canada lynx standpoint. Bald Eagle: 1. No surface activity except subsidence shall occur within the bald eagle winter concentration area between the dates of December 1 through April 15 each year. 2. Any proposed activities in the bald eagle concentration area, during the closed period, must be approved by the authorized officer, after consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Endangered Colorado River Fish: 1. In the future, if water to be used for mine related activities is to be taken from a source that is not considered to be non-tributary waters by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or which exceeds a depletion amount previously consulted upon, the permitting agency must enter into consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine appropriate conservation measures to offset effects to listed fish and critical habitat in the upper Colorado River Basin. Criterion 10 Federal lands containing habitat determined to be critical or essential for plant or animal species listed by a state pursuant to state law as endangered or threatened shall be considered unsuitable. Exceptions. A lease may be issued and mining operations approved if, after consultation with the state, the surface management agency determines that the species will not be adversely affected by all or certain stipulated methods of coal mining. Analysis No lands within the review area, or off-site that would be effected by this action, have been determined by the State of Colorado as critical or essential habitat for any State listed endangered or threatened animal species. No plant species are listed by the State of Colorado as threatened or endangered. In addition to the species appearing on the Federal list above, the e~ river otter (Lutra canadensis), boreal toad (Bufo boreas boreas), and Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), listed endangered by the State of Colorado, were considered as potentially occurring on the review area or in the region of potential effect and were considered under this criterion. An analysis of the potential effects on Canada lynx of this proposed lease action are detailed in Criterion 9, above. River otters are known to occur in the Gunnison Gorge, and they have been reported in the North Fork of the Gunnison but there are no perennial streams on the lease tract likely to provide habitat for otters. Grand Mesa is known to have occupied habitat for the boreal toad. Breeding habitat consists of marsh, pond, bog, or wet meadow habitat in spruce- firforests or alpine meadows, at elevations above 8,000 feet (Boreal Toad Recovery Plan, 1994). The western edge of Section 13 which consists of steep slopes, and the southern end of Section 24, have steep topography that is over 8,000 feet, and some mesa top area which could provide Environmer~:al Assessment West 1=1a(iron LEiA Traot Gunn~s.~s; C;otarsty, Cobrado