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ATE OF COLORADO ~~ <br />I Owens, Governor <br />IPAR7MENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />PIVISIOIV OF WILDLIFE <br />EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />~. McCloskey, Director <br />Broadway <br />~r, Colorado 80216 <br />hone: (303)297-1192 <br />it East 16th Street <br />urango, CO 81301 <br />July 2005 <br />ont Kruger <br />a Ylata Cotmty Community Development Deparhneut <br />1JJ060 East 2nd Avenue <br />l~uran~,o, CO 81301 <br />PIEllRAS DE LA FLORIDA CDP AND CLASS II <br />Ivlr. Kruger: <br />Lp1.0 RglJo <br />b <br />N <br />~ON OP ~tiq <br />I'~rn~ ]h7/dGfr-- <br />I• ~r Yeuple <br />Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has reviewed the proposal for the Piedras De La Florida CDP and <br />s II project and offers these comments for your consideration. The written proposal for the Piedras De I_a <br />da CDP and Class II project included some information regarding considerations for wildlife (e. g., habitat <br />;coon and mitigation). The applicant may request a complimentary copy of "Developing with, Wildlife in <br />~," which outlines our general guidelines. <br />ras De La Florida CDY and Class II is located west of County Road 309, also known as Airport Road, <br />oximately 12 miles southeast of Durango, and is accessed by Colorado Highway 172 in La Plata County. 1'he <br />ras De La Florida CDP and Class IL project is in Township 34N, Range 8W, Section 30 and is approximately <br />acres in size. Mining will take place dw'ing the first few phases of the project and the project area will later be <br />Toned into residential and commercial lots. <br />CDOW has mapped and designated [he project area as winter and severe winter ranges for mule deer and <br />er, severe winter ranges for elk. Black bear and mountain lions also inhabit the area at various times of the <br />To help reduce impacts to and contlicts with mule deer, elk, black bear and mountain lion, the CDOW <br />ittntends incorporating the following proactive measures into the project's guidelines and plats. <br />the Piedras De La Florida CDP and Class II, the setbacks were considered fur the Fla'ida River. River systems <br />d associated wetlands provide invaluable habitat to diverse wildlife species and perfornt important functions <br />ch as stream bank stabilization. We reconmtend establishing setbacks of at least 100 feet to create a protective <br />behveen human development, activities and the river. <br />cider leaving a portion of the gravel pit as new wetland habitat for wildlife. This would create terresu'ial and <br />hland habitat to accotnmodate a variety of birds, waterfowl, various small mammals, deer and elk. You may <br />request a complimentary copy of "Sand and Gravel Pits as Fish and W ildlite Habitat in the South}vest." <br />'uster proposed development with existing developments and roads. This concentrates development and <br />inimizes habitat frabnttentation by maintaining large contiguous pieces of land. Animals most affected by habitat <br />tgmentation are species with large home ranges, e.g., mule deer, mountain lion and Neotropical birds' . For <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive Director <br />W ILDLIFE COMMISSION, Jeffrey Crawford, Chair • Tom Burke, Vice Chair • Ken Torzes, Secretary <br />Members, Robert Bray • Rick Enstrom • Philip James • Claire O'Neal • Richard Ray • Robert Shoemaker <br />Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament <br />