PERMFILE133705

• Permit No: M2006008
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/22/2006
• Doc Name: Land Use Comments
• From: DOW
• To: DMG
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO / ~ DI A /
Bill Owens, Governor
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Bruce McCbskey, Director
~ Breedway
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Denver, Cokxado 802f8 1
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Telephone: [phone] ~
March 16, 2006
Division of Minerals and Geology
Dept. of Natural Resources
Attn: Mr. G. Russell Means
1313 Sherman St., Rm. 215
Denver, CO 80203
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~ MAR 2 ~ 200
~Drvreron of Mmerala snd 6881@§Y
RE: Land Use Comments for the Proposed Russell Ranch Sand/Gravel Pit Application
Mr. Means:
For old/ife-
ForPeople
This letter is in response to the reclamation permit application from Russell Ranch General Partnership, for
construction of a 110 sand/gavel pit operation. The proposed gaveUsand pit site is located at T1N, R93W, Section
32, SW ''/e, NW '/: in Rio Blanco County, Colorado on a sagebrush ridge/mesa approximately 4.5 miles southeast of
Meeker. There is one intemtttent drainage from the general area which drains into the Highland irrigation canal and
eventually converges with the White River, approximately 3-4 miles northwest of the proposed site. The landowner is
wishing to develop a 10 acre gaveUsand pit mining operation on the proposed site.
The proposed site has relatively shallow soils which are subject to erosion if plant covet is removed and adequate
reclamation is not implemented post-mining. Vegetation on the proposed site is a diverse upland big sagebrush
steppe community with native gasses and forts in the understory which provides high quality wildlife habitat for
many species. Upland big sagebrush steppe communities are incredibly diverse, productive, andvnportant wildlife
habitats for a wide variety of wildlife species including but certainly not limited to mule deer, elk, and sage goose.
Therefore, arty loss, disturbance, or conversion of these critical sagebrush steppe communities is of great concern to
the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
Wildlife species occurring on or near the proposed Russell Ranch gaveUsand pit include mule deer, elk, coyote, red
fox, badger, whitetail jackrabbit, cottontail rabbit, numerous raptors (including bald eagles), and northern sage
grouse. No known threatened or endangered wildlife species are found on the proposed pit site. The proposed site is
likely most important fa mule deer and elk winter range and also at least historically/potentially for northern sage
grouse habitat However, impacts should not be significant to those wildlife species due to the relatively small size of
this proposed pit. Use and improvement of the existing access road to the proposed pit site, rather than construction
of new roads to access the proposed site will also min;mi~r wildlife related impacts and disturbance during the
proposed mining/construction period. We would recommend that a seasonal closure on the mining operation during
the critical winter/early spring period (January 1 to March 31) would also mitigate some of the stress/disturbance to
wintering big game'or sage grouse on or near the proposed site.
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive pkedor
WILDLIFE COMMISSION, JetTrey Crawford, Chair • Tom Burke, Yx:e Char • Claire O'Neal, Secretary