Laserfiche WebLink
STATE OF COLORADO <br />Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL 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 />March 30, 2007 <br />Betty Kracht <br />JSC, INC. <br />P.O. Box 1153 <br />Meeker, CO 81641 <br />RE: Wildlife Statement for Proposed WRC Gravel Pit <br />Ms. Kracht: <br />~~~~ <br />rI <br />\~OF~/ <br />For Wildlife- <br />ForPeople <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed gravel pit. The Colorado Division <br />of Wildlife believes that the habitat within the development area has a high;wildlife value. <br />Wildlife species in the area include deer, elk, eagles, coyotes, bobcats;~mo.untainaions, and <br />numerous other species. r-; =.., ::-, . , , , ,, <br />The gravel pit activity will take place in an upland bench adjacent to riparian :habitat. -Riparian <br />habitats along with water are crucial for most wildlife in the area throughout~the~year. The...- - <br />majority of animals use this habitat type for some aspect of their life cycle. Riparian areas are <br />the most fragile to disruption and offer the best habitat to a wide variety of animal species. <br />No known threatened or endangered wildlife species are found on the proposed pit site. The <br />proposed site is likely most important for mule deer and elk winter range. We would <br />recommend that a seasonal closure on the mining operation during the critical winter/early <br />spring period (January 1 to March 31). This would mitigate some of the stress/disturbance to <br />wintering deer/elk, if possible. <br />Non-native weed species have become established on many disturbed soils throughout the <br />area. The invasion of non-native weeds reduces the density of native vegetation and lessens <br />the habitat values for native wildlife species. Many of these non-native weeds are not used as <br />forage by wildlife. The continual control and removal of non-native weeds on the <br />disturbed/rehabilitated sites will help restore native vegetation that is valuable to wildlife. <br />The gravel pit lies in an area where native vegetation provides foraging, nesting, and cover <br />habitats for numerous species of wildlife. The removal and disturbance of native vegetation <br />for the construction of the above gravel pit and associated roads will negatively impact the <br />native wildlife species associated with this project area. Upon rehabilitation of gravel pit, <br />negative impacts to native wildlife can be offset by planting a suitable mixture of native <br />grass/forb/shrub seed. Seed plantings on disturbed soils will have greater germination and <br />survival rates when the soil surface has been prepared to hold moisture and runoff <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Hams D. Sherman, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Tom Burke, Chair • Claire O'Neal, Vice Chair • Robert Bray, Secretary <br />Members, Brad Coors • Jeffrey Crawford • Rick Enstrom • Roy McAnally • Richard Ray • Ken Torres <br />Ex Officio Members, Hams Sherman and John Stulp <br />