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~ ~ol0 0 <br />~~ <br />Tune 20, 2002 Umvefslty <br />Knowledge to Go Places <br />Environmental Alternatives, Inc. <br />Attn: Angell Bellantoni <br />113 Latigo Lane # D-324 <br />Canon Clty, CO 81212 <br />Dear Angela: <br />Colorado Natural Heritage Program <br />College of Natural Resources <br />254 General Services <br />Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-6021 <br />(970)491-1309 <br />FAX: (970)491-3349 <br />www.enhp.colostate.edu <br />The Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) is in receipt of your request for information regazding <br />the proposed minerals operation project azea In response, I have seazched our Biological and <br />Conservation Datasystem (BCD) for natural heritage elements (occun•ences of significant natural <br />communities and rare, threatened or endangered plants and animals) documented from the vicinity of the <br />azea specified in your request, specifically Section 24, Township 205, Range 68W in Fremont County. <br />The enclosed report describes natural heritage resources known from this azea and gives location (by <br />Township, Range, and Section), precision information, and the date of last observation of the element at <br />that location. This report includes elements known to occur within the specified project site, as well as <br />elements known from similar landscapes near the site. Ptease note that "precision" reflects the resolution <br />of original data. For example, an herbarium record from "4 miles east of Colorado Springs" provides <br />much less spatial information than a topographic map showing the exact location of the occurrence. <br />"Precision" codes of Seconds, Minutes, and General are defined in the footer of the enclosed report. <br />The report also outlines the status of known elements. We have included status according to Natural <br />Heritage Program methodology and legal status under state and federal statutes. Natural Heritage ranks <br />are staadazdized across the Heritage Program network, and are assigned for global and state levels of <br />rarity. They range from "1" for critically imperiled or extremely rare elements, to "5" for those that are <br />demonstrably secure. <br />There aze several CNHP designated Potential Conservation Areas Socated within your project azea (see <br />enclosed map). In order to succcssfiilly protect populations or occurrences, it is necessary to delineate <br />conservation azeas. These conservation azeas focus on capturing the ecological processes that are <br />necessary to support the continued existence of a particulaz element of natural heritage significance. <br />Conservation areas may include a single occurrence of a rare element or a suite of raze elements or <br />significant features. <br />The goal of the process is to identify a land area that can provide the habitat and ecological processes <br />upon which a particular element or suite of elements depends for their continued existence. The best <br />available knowledge of each species' life history is used in conjunction with infomlation about <br />topographic, geomorphiq and hydrologic features, vegetative cover, as well as current and potential land <br />uses. The proposed boundary does not automatically exclude all activity. It is hypothesized that some <br />activities will cause degradation to the element or the process on which they depend, while others will <br />not. Consideration of specific activities or land use changes proposed within or adjacent to the <br />preliminary conservation planning boundary should be carefiilly considered and evaluated for their <br />consequences to the element on which the conservation unit is based. <br />~~a~ ~"t4ae, <br />a m <br />- ~ ~~ ~.~ <br />~toltw° <br />