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SPATE OF COLORADO <br />Boy Romer, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />aR epUAL Oeroaruxrrr narnvm <br />Pe D. Olson, Director <br />60b0 Broadway <br />Denver, Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: (303) 297-1192 <br />NorhweR Regiom <br />711 Independem Avemse <br />Grand Iunction, CO 81505-7126 <br />303-248-7175 <br />Mr. Dale Thompson <br />Lends Supervisor <br />Colowyo Coal Company L.P. <br />5731 State Highway 13 <br />Meeker, CO 81641 <br />Dear Mr. Thompson: <br />D <br />MAR - ; 1995 <br />COLOWYO C0:1L COMPANY <br />LAND/RECUWiATIONbEPT <br />March 3, 1995 <br />c.°~~o <br />~`r®~ <br />O+l.~~ <br />For lb'ildlife- <br />Fm Peop/t <br />This letter is in response to your request for a statemwt on threatened or endangered species in the vicinity of Colowyo's proposed <br />Danforth Hills Coal Exploration Program. <br />Two state endangered spies could possibly occur in the area, but we are not concerned about impacts from the exploration <br />program. These species ere the whooping cane and the black-footed ferret. Whooping cranes from the experimental <br />sandhill/whooping crane fostering project are known to migrate through various areas of NW Colorado, and could possrbly be <br />seen in the Danforth hills with seadhill cranes in spring or fall migrations between Idaho and New Mexico. However, we would <br />sot expert these burls to use the area of your axploratiae program. <br />Black-footed ferrets ere not known to exist in Colorado at this time, ~r would the exploration program have any impact on a <br />possible re-intraluMion of this species. <br />Three species of state threatened birds may occur seasonally in dte Danforth Hills area. None of them are known to nest in the <br />vicinity of the exploration program. Hundreds of bald eagles winter along the White and Yampa Rivers, avd may possbly use <br />the exploration area for feeding. There are a few nesting pairs on the Yampa and White u well. Peregrine falcons nest in the , <br />Cross MouNain and Dinosaur National Momrment areas, and cook! conceivably utilize the exploration area for feeding, but this <br />is unlikely and not critical. <br />Greater sancmill cranes do nest in Moffat amt Rio Blanca Counties, mostly east of Highway 13. We are not aware of any nesting <br />in the Danforh Ht71s, though the crave population is expending and high quality riparian areas with beaver activity are likely places <br />[o expt future nesting. b` you happen find any nests, we waukl appreciate your letting us know. <br />We do ~t expect the exploration end reclamation activity to have any impact that will jeopardize fho contimrarl existence of any <br />of the fiv` es mentioned above. if you have any questions, please contact John Toolen in this office at 248-7178, x192. <br />_ Sin~ce~rely~J , <br />Robert H. Cos <br />Regional M er <br />RHC:JFT/jt <br />xc: Woodward, Prenzlow, Madison, Toolen <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, James Lochhead, Executive Director <br />WH,DLffE COMMISSION, Thomas M. Eve, Chairman • Louis F. Swift, Vice Chairman • Arnold Salaur, Secretary <br />]ease L. Boyd, )r., Member Rebecca Frank, Member William R. Hegberg, Member Mark LeValley, Member Eldon Cooper, Member <br />