1999-01-27_PERMIT FILE - M1999004

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WILDLIFE Exhibit H Wildlife Information Wildlife resources on Table Mountain are probably significant because the land is largely in a natural condition. Past disturbances from ranching and mining are minimal and most of the vegetation is still very much in it's natural condition. The area is not heavily visited so animals are comparatively free to live their lives without much human influence. However, several negative factors probably limit the wildlife density on the mountain. Most important is the lack of water. There are no permanent streams on the mountain and what water is present is in small springs, most of which contain water for only part of the year. Therefore, large animals would need to travel to other areas for water and that would act to make the mountain less than ideal for supporting large populations of wildlife. Birds, of course, would not be affected by this lack of water as much as large mammals. Most of the wildlife habitat on the mountain is undoubtedly on the side slopes and not on the top where mining would occur. The top of the mountain is exposed to strong winds and the dense undergrowth of oak and other shrubs make travel through the area difficult. The pinyon/juniper forest, combined with the dense shrubs, limits the amount of forage except for browsers. Animals that prefer grassy areas would probably spend most of their time on the side slopes of the mountain because grassy areas on the top of the mountain are sparse at best. It is known that the upper parts of Table Mountain is strongly inhabited by rattlesnakes. The large amount of broken rock, both natural and derived from past mining, strongly favors this species. Also small mammals such as mice are probably quite abundant providing a good food source for the snakes. From a human standpoint, hiking around the top of Table Mountain while not being on the lookout for snakes can be quite dangerous. Although no data is available on the density of the snake population, anecdotal evidence indicates the population is unusually high. Table Mountain is popular for deer hunting which indicates the deer population is probably significant. That would be expected as the habitat seems to be most suitable for deer, as the large amount of browse would favor deer. Elk might migrate into the area to some extent, but their population would probably be small and quite ephemeral. Bear, mountain lion, coyote and fox probably also occur on the mountain, but bear and mountain lion are probably not common. It is known that Table Mountain occurs in the area where Mexican Spotted Owl are found. However, the habitat on the top of the mountain is quite unsuited to this species as they prefer forests with large trees, mainly Ponderosa Pine, and generally of older growth. It is known that Mexican Spotted Owl is found to the north of this area in Red Canyon as well as along Beaver Creek. But to the best of the applicant's knowledge, no Mexican Spotted Owl have been found on the top of Table Mountain primarily, as stated before, because the habitat is not appropriate for this species. It is possible that the lower slopes of the north side of Table Mountain could be habitat for this species, but no effects on that area will occur and even if there are nests there it is at least a mile from the mine site. The mine is probably not in an area where the owls would hunt and migration through the area to lower elevations in the winter would probably occur along drainages rather than across the top of the mountain. For quite some time the Colorado Division of Wildlife has leased land on Table Mountain to protect the habitat. Communication with CDOW during the leasing of this land from the State Land Board indicated they had no difficulties with this operation. Once again, the mine itself will Table Mountain Quarry - Castle Concrete Company Exhibit H Page H-1