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III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII <br />Doc Date:1211112001 <br />110L- y <br />• LORENCITO CANYON MINE <br />WILDLIFE TECHNICAL REPORT <br />SECTION 1 -INTRODUCTION <br />Rule ?.04.11 of the Regulations of the Colorado Iviined Land Reclamation Board requires wildlife <br />surveys to be conducted to facilitate development of a wildlife protection and enhancement plan <br />for the proposed mine. The wildlife surveys for the Lorencito Canyon Mine were designed to <br />provide the necessary information. <br />The wildlife survey area (i\'tap 2.04.11-1) for the proposed Lorencito Canyon Mine was defined <br />as [he 17.862-acre proposed mine permit area. Lorencito Coal is applying f~~r a mining permit <br />for the proposed permit area. This area was used as the basis for defining [he wildlife study area. <br />The results presented in this report focus on the proposed permit area where the mine-related <br />surface disturbance would occur. <br />SECTION 2 -METHODOLOGY <br />Information on the wildlite resource was gathered from three primary sources. First. both <br />published and unpublished reports were utilized. Second, resource management agencies were <br />contacted for information related to the permit area. These agencies included the Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife (CDOW) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Third, a series of <br />field surveys were conducted to assess the wildlife resource within the area. The surveys consisted <br />of habitat mapping, aerial surveys. line transect surveys, roadside counts. small mammal trapping. <br />auditory surveys, and opportunistic observations. The purpose of the surveys was to determine <br />what species occur within the area, their seasons of occurrence, and the habitat types used. The <br />surveys also were used [o detetmine the density and relative abundance of species within the area. <br />Ungulates <br />Pellet Group Transects <br />During February and Ivlarch, pellet-group [ransects were established within the permit area (~Iap <br />2.04.11-1). Ten [ransects were established: three in coniferous forest, two in grassland, and five <br />in mountain shrub. Transects were randomly established within these areas. One of the objectives <br />of this study was to distribute [he [ransects proportionally to the area occupied by each habitat <br />type. as derermined during the initial sire overview. <br />The ten [ransects were established using a Wyoming Game and Fish Depattment method (WGFD, <br />1982). Each transect consisted of ten circular 41-rtr' (0.01 acre) plots spaced at 30-m inten'als <br />(100-loop. The center of each plot was staked to facilitate replicate searches of the plots for pellet <br />groups and to expedite plot relocation. Once established. the boundary of each plot was <br />u,IJlii: :-= D~.::nhr•'~ ~ n l (revised 6,'_097) <br />