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~TATE OF COLORADO • -' Rlrherd D. Lemur, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WILDLIFE Jack R. Orle6, Director 6060 Broatlway Denver, Coloratlo 60216 625-1192 230 Center Drive Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiii • May 24, 1982 '~~ ` ~~~~~ NLr. Brad Janes Dlined Land Reclamation 423 Centennial Building 1313 Sherman Denver, CO 80203 RE: West Rifle Pit #81-6 - Violation of Permit Condition Dear Brad: h9AY 2 ~ 1982 MINED LAND RECLAMATION Colo. Dent. of Alatural ResoJrCe.G Iluring the week of May 10, I received several complaints on the west Rifle pit recently opened by White & Sons. The complaints alleged that cottonwood trees were being indiscriminately removed and possibly pushed into the river. On Thursday, blay 20, I visited the site and found that the 100' undisturbed set- back had been violated. With the exception of a few trees on the north edge near the landowner's home, all cottonwood trees at the site had been removed and piled along the river. As the applicant indicates in his March 21, 1981 letter the cottonwood stand at the site was extremely dense. He estimated 170-220 excluding the 100' buffer which is now void of cottonwoods. The number of trees removed including those that existed in the buffer most likely exceeds 400. The trees have been pushed to within 10' of the river in some places and a maximum of 50 feet in other areas. As you will recall in our wildlife statement of February 19, 1981, the Division of Wildlife requested that good mitigation and reclamation be employed at this site since it had an extremely diverse wildlife community present. The elimination of the 100' buffer of cottonwood trees and other vegetation has eliminated an extremely important habitat segment that afforded potential bald eagle perches; potential blue heron nest sites; Canada goose nest sites; numberous wildlife species; protective movement corridors; thermal cover; and vegetative screening for wildlife utilizing the river corridor including the bald eagle. In addition the debris piles so near the river allows sediment to erode into the river at high water. The disturbance and removal of the vegetation within the 100' setback has destroyed all functions that could have reduced impacts to wildlife. For this reason I would recommend that as a minimum the operator be requix•ed to: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Monle Pascoe, Executive Director • WILDLIFE COMMISSION.Dopald Fernandez, Chairman James Smith, Vice Chairman • Richard Divelbiss, Secretary • Jean K. Tool, Member • James G. Kennedy, Member Michael Higbee. Member • Sam Caudill, Member • Wilbur Redden, Member