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<br />STATE OF COLORADO
<br />BIII Owens, Governor
<br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURr4L RESOURCES
<br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
<br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
<br />Bruce McCloskey, Director
<br />6060 Broadway
<br />Denver, Colorado 80216
<br />Telephone: (303)297-1192
<br />Mazch 25, 2006
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<br />APR ~ 3 2006 `~
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<br />ForPeople
<br />Mr. Anthony J. Waldron
<br />Environmental Protecfion Specialist
<br />Division of Minerals and Geology _ _ __
<br />Department of Natural Resources- - - - "" _
<br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />Dear Mr. Waldron,
<br />On March 18, 2006, Dishict Wildlife Manager Jonathan Reitz visited the Camzo Stone North mining site (File No. M-
<br />2006-024). The site is located at Section 16, Township 335, Range SOW, 6`"Prime Meridian, in Baca County. Carrizo
<br />Stone North is a sandstone surface mine, The site is approximately 9.9 acres in_size. Carrizo Stone began.mining
<br />approximately 1 year before applying for a mining permit. As a result,,the pre-mining characteristics of the surface
<br />acres are not fully known.
<br />Carrizo Stone North is on asouth-facing hillside just west of East Carrizo Creek. The hillside has a gentle slope. The
<br />site is a historical quarry. It had been mined on a limited basis during the early 1900's. The most visible indication of
<br />that mining activity is a small (- 5 ft,) south facing rock bluff.
<br />Prior to mining activity in 2004, it is likely that the site's plant cover was similar to that of the surrounding hillside.
<br />The hil Iside's three predominate plant species are buffalo-grass (Buchloe dactyloides), tree cholla (Opuntia imbricata),
<br />and Skunkbrush (Rhus tri[obata). There are some pinyons and junipers around the site. According to Ray Sikes
<br />(owner of Carrizo Stone; LLC), there were junipers on the site prior to the establishment of the mine.
<br />The mine is located in a very wildlife diverse area. The following is a list of some of the species that were likely to
<br />have been found on the site prior to Carrizo Stone's mining activity: Mule Deer, White Tailed Deer, Swift Fox,
<br />Coyote, Bobcat, Mountain Lion, Black Bear, Black-tailed Prairie Doe, Mountain Cottontail, Jack Rabbit, Scaled
<br />Quail, Merriam's Turkey, Greater Roadrunner, Northern Harrier, Red-Tailed Hawk, Ferrueinous Hawk, American
<br />Kestrel, Mountain Blue-bird, Plateau Lizard, Great Plains Skink, Western Rattlesnake, Night Snake, Texas Blind
<br />Snake, and Texas Horned Lizard (this List is not exhaustive). There are several species of concern that were/aze
<br />likely to be found at the site (underlined in above list). It is unlikely that any threatened or endangered species
<br />were/aze on the site.
<br />The shrub community (cholla and skunkbrush) was the site's most important vegetative community. The shrubs
<br />provided beneficial cover and food for nearly al] of the birds, mammals; and reptiles that occupied the site. Skunkbrush
<br />is heavily utilized by deer, turkey, and-quail as both a source of food and cover. Cholla cactus is an especially
<br />important cover type to s-caled.quail. -
<br />UEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive Director
<br />W ILDLIFE COMMISSION, Jeffrey Crawford, Chair • Tom Burke, Vice Chair • Claire O'Neal, Secretary
<br />Members, Robert Bray • Rick Enstrom • Philip James • Richartl Ray • Robert Shoemaker • Ken Torres
<br />Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament
<br />~-2006 - oz~
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