Laserfiche WebLink
<br />CFSPK-CO-R Public Notice Number 199475346 <br />To comely with section 7(c) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, Federal <br />agencies or their designees are required to obtain information from the U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife Service concerning any species or critical habitat, listed or proposed to be listed, <br />which may be present in the area of a proposed project. Among the species which may be <br />present in the Animas River valley north of Durango are bald eagles fHaliaeetus <br />leueocerrhalus which winter in the vicinity of the gravel operations. In addition, an active <br />peregrine falcon alto ere rinus nest is located west of Durango, and the hunting range <br />for the 1.'alcons using this nest includes the Animas River valley. Portions of the Animas <br />River valley contain suitable Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus <br />habitat. If ongoing or proposed gravel mining operations will disturb these habitats, <br />flycatcher surveys will be required. <br />A net depletion of water associated with the project may affect the Colorado squawflsh <br />t chor;heilus Lucius) and the razorback sucker rauchen texanus ,federally listed <br />endangered fish species that occur downstream in the San Juan River and may adversely <br />affect critical habitat. These depletions result from evaporative losses associated with a <br />settling pond impoundment. By copy of this public notice, the Corps of Engineers hereby is <br />initiating; consultatron with the U.S. Frsh and Wildlife Service under Section 7 of the <br />Endangered Species Act, as amended. With data provided by the applicant, the total net <br />annual depletion is calculated at 2.6 acre-feet. Any conservation measures developed will be <br />incorporated into a permit decision. The District Engineer has made this determination <br />based on information provided by the applicant and the Corps' preliminary investigation. <br />The Roundtail chub (Gila robusta has been identified as a candidate for listing as threatened <br />or endangered species (see Federal Register, Vol. 56, No. 225, November 21, 1991). <br />While c,irrdidate species presently have no legal protection under the Endangered Species <br />Act, it is within the spirit of the Act to consider project impacts to potentially sensitive <br />candidate species. <br />Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on or before April 15, 1996. Any <br />person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice that a <br />public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for public hearings shall state, <br />with particularity, the reasons for holding a public heanng. <br />The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact <br />including cumulative impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision <br />will reflect the national concern for both protection and utilization of important resources. <br />The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced <br />against i.ts reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the <br />proposal. will be considered including the cumulative effects thereof; among those aze <br />conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural <br />values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, <br />shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, <br />energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, consideration of property <br />ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people. <br />7 <br />