2008-03-18_PERMIT FILE - C1981047

• Permit No: C1981047
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/18/2008
• Section_Exhibit Name: Appendix H Threatened & Endangered Species Inventory Dated Sept 3 2007
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Volume I, Appendix H
~ Rare Earth Science, LLC
PO Box 1245
Paonia, Colorado 81428
phone [phone]
dawn~rareearthsc~ence. com
September 3, 2007
James E. Stover
J.E. Stover & Associates, Inc.
PO Box 60340
Grand Junction, CO 81506
Re: Threatened & Endangered Species Inventory
Renewal of State Permit No. C-1981-047
Blue Ribbon Mine, Delta, Colorado
Dear James:
• This letter and the attached figures report the results of a threatened and endangered (T8~E)
species inventory completed by Rare Earth Science, LLC (Rare Earth), for Renewal of Blue Ribbon
Mine Permit No. C-1981-047 issued by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety
(DRMS). Blue Ribbon Mine is located in Delta County, Colorado, in the Hubbard Creek drainage of
the North Fork of the Gunnison River (North Fork River) watershed (Figure 1). The original permit
for Blue Ribbon Mine was issued on December 9, 1982. The status of Blue Ribbon Mine listed by
DRMS is "permanent cessation."
Renewal of the Blue Ribbon Mine DRMS Permit is a routine renewal; no new areas of surface
disturbance and no significant changes to mine activities are proposed. However, a criterion for
permit renewal under Rule 2.07.6(2)(n) of the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation
Board for Coal Mining (effective August 30, 1980) requires DRMS to make a finding regarding
whether permitted activities will affect the continued existence of federal or state-listed T&E species
or result in destruction or adverse modification of their critical habitat.
The purpose of this letter is to update the T&E species analysis for the mine to reflect the current
T&E regional lists issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Colorado Division of
Wildlife (CDOW). The original T&E inventory work' performed during the first DRMS permit
application process only considered impacts to the bald eagle, which the federal government
removed from the T8~E list on July 9, 2007. The bald eagle is still included in this updated inventory
since the federal government is required to continue monitoring its recovery until at least 2012
under the Endangered Species Act.
' Epsey, Huston and Associates, Denver, Colorado. 1981. Fish and wildlife analysis for Blue Ribbon Mine permit application (now
incorporated into the existing permit).
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