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' Bluestone and Section 16 Wildlife Issua Rcpon <br />Watem Aggrcgata, Inc. <br />5.0 SUMMARY <br />Western Aggregates is proposing to mine and process sand and gravel from 2 properties east <br />' of Highvvay 93 in northern Jefferson County, Colorado. Both sites are within or contiguous <br />with the USDOE RFP buffer zone. Mining approval requires permits from the CMLRB <br />and Jefferson County. Since mining applications were filed a number of wildlife-related <br />' issues helve been advanced by the USDOE, the State of Colorado, and Jefferson County. <br />This report addresses and attempts to resolve all substantive wildlife issues associated with <br />' the mining proposals. <br />Some habitats within the proposed Bluestone and Section 16 permit areas support relatively <br />' high wildlife values and sensitive wildlife species. It is WAI's intention to modify their <br />mining proposals such that impacts to wildlife and their habitats are avoided, minimized, and <br />mitigated. Commitments made in this report would avoid direct and indirect impacts to <br />' these significant wildlife habitats and protect them in their present condition for the life of <br />the mining operation. No threatened or endangered species would be adversely affected by <br />either mining proposal. There would be no direct or indirect impacts to Preble's meadow <br />jumping mouse or its habitat and a large acreage (approximately 720 acres) of occupied, and <br />potential. mouse habitat would be preserved for the life of the mine. Mining would affect <br />' habitat hunted by ferruginous hawks during winter and potential loggerhead shrike habitat, <br />however., mining would not contribute to the listing of these or any other candidate species. <br />Direct irnpacts to nesting migratory birds would be avoided and the most important bird <br />' habitats would be preserved for the life of mining. Commitments have also been made to <br />resolve other ecological conflicts with USDOE operations. Committed modifications to the <br />t mining proposals would make these proposed operations compatible with present wildlife <br />use within the buffer zone. <br />' Gravel mining is required to support the present infrastructure of Jefferson County and <br />Colorado. Human immigration to Colorado increases the demand for gravel products. <br />However the location and operation of grave] mines must be tempered with the value of <br />' wildlife I-esources from county and broader perspectives. Most gravel operations are <br />associated with floodplains and riparian habitats supporting some of the richest wildlife <br />' values of any habitat. It is not only more prudent to sensitively recover gravels from an <br />upland grassland than a floodplain, but to do so by expanding an existing gravel processing <br />facility. <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />1 <br />Western Eco:.ystcros, Inc. ~ Deccmbcr, 1994 <br />