Laserfiche WebLink
STATE OF COLORADO • <br />/` Roy Romer, Governor <br />r^~F DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />John W. Mumma. Director <br />6060 Broadway <br />Denver, Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: (303) 2971192 <br />December 08, 1997 <br />Routt County Regional <br />P.O. BOX 773749 <br />Steamboat Springs, CO <br />Planning Commission <br />80477 <br />e o^umw o, <br />0 4 <br />o'er <br />~°, ~~ <br />~oo <br />IF1Fr E A R SI„r <br />OF MANAGING <br />YOUR WILDLIFE <br />RE: REVISED Comment pertaining to Luke Tellier and C.D. Johnson Excavation <br />Inc.'s request for a Special Use Permit to operate a gravel mine and <br />crusher. <br />Dear Commissioners: <br />The following comments are based on an inspection of site and the area <br />surrounding the site where the gravel mine is proposed. In addition, I have <br />spoken with several parties concerned: fellow Division of Wildlife employees <br />including experts on raptors and upland game birds, U.S. Fish and Wildlife <br />employees, Luke Tellier, Pat Tellier, Ken Crofts, and Thane Anderson. <br />EXISTING WILDLIFE HABITAT: <br />Currently, the area where the gravel mine operation is proposed is a mixture <br />of bare ground, sagebrush, pasture grasses, native fortis, and some introduced <br />weedy species. The site is bordered by the Anderson's property to the east. <br />Towards the southwest corner of the Anderson's property there is a small <br />wetland area that is relatively close to the fence line between the Tellier's <br />property and theirs. There is also an intermittent stream that flows through <br />these wetlands onto the Tellier property. The area is bordered to the south <br />with similar terrain and vegetation and gradually rises to the Saddle Mountain <br />ridge line, which is fairly heavily forested. To the north of the site is the <br />Yampa River corridor. This area has the vegetation typical to montane <br />riparian habitats including some cottonwood stands. There also is a stand of <br />trees along County Road 33A between the Yampa River and the Tellier property. <br />There is a wide variety of wildlife that utilizes this overall area. Some <br />species of interest that have utilized specific parts of this area in the past <br />include: in the adjacent wetlands - tiger salamanders, striped chorus frogs, <br />and the northern leopard frogs; in the adjacent sagebrush flats - elk, <br />sandhill cranes, and sharp-tail grouse; and in the Yampa River corridor great <br />blue herons and bald eagles. There is also a variety of other animals that <br />potentially might use this area including deer, antelope, coyotes, red foxes, <br />waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, and numerous small mammals. <br />(1) <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, James S. Lochhead, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Arnold Salazar, Chair • Rebecca L. Frank, Vice Chair • Mark Le Valley. Secretary <br />Louis F Swltt, Member • Jesse Langston Boyd, Jr., Member <br />Chuck Lewis, Member • John Stulp, Member • James R. Long, Member <br />