2009-05-19_REVISION - M1981021 (36)

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Section 17 Wildlife Protection 17.0 Wildlife Protection The following information on Wildlife Protection comes from the Environmental Assessment of the Sunday Mines, zvhich zvas approved by the BLM in February of 2009. 17.1 Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species A literature search was conducted to identify federally listed threatened, endangered, or candidate plant and wildlife species as well as sensitive species and state sensitive species that could potentially be present in the mine affected area. The literature search included the "Colorado BLM State Director's Sensitive Species List (Animals and Plants)" (BLM 2000), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) threatened and endangered species list for San Miguel County (USFWS 2007), and the Colorado Division of Wildlife's (CDOW) "Threatened and Endangered List" (CDOW 2007). The following summarizes the results of the literature survey: Exhibit 17-1 Threatened and Endangered Species List • Federal or Colorado Listed as Threatened or Endangered or Candidate for Listing Bald eagle Bonytail Humpback chub Mexican spotted owl Colorado ikeminnow Razorback sucker BLM Sensitive Ferruginous hawk Fringed myotis Northern leopard frog Gunnison sage-grouse Yuma myotis Naturita milkvetch Townsend's big-eared bat Big free-tailed bat Jones Blue star Spotted bat Midget faded rattlesnake Aromatic Indian Breadrood Allen's big-eared bat Canyon treefro San Rafael Milkvetch Field surveys of wildlife and plants identified in the literature search were conducted in May 2007. All proposed areas of disturbance were surveyed for the presence of federally listed threatened, endangered, or candidate plant species as well as for sensitive species, state sensitive species, and state rare plants as identified above. No federally listed or BLM special status plant species were observed in the mine affected areas. No evidence of any federal or Colorado State threatened, endangered, or candidate wildlife species was observed in the project area. Additionally, no BLM sensitive species were observed. A raptor survey was conducted during the May 2007 and April 2009 wildlife survey, and no occupied raptor nests were located within the survey area. The surveys did not attempt to identify individual bat species or occupied roost locations in any inactive mine workings of the Topaz Mine because of safety issues related to the inactive mine workings. Although mine workings that have remained inactive for a long period of time may become habitat for bats, no evidence of bats (i.e., guano) has been found nor have any bats been encountered to date since mine rehabilitation began in areas of the underground mine workings in 2007. As an operational measure, the Operator would provide information regarding the locations of any proposed and future disturbances (such as from exploration drilling when locations are determined) to the BLM for additional surveys and identification of possible threatened, endangered, sensitive, or rare plants. The Operator's policy on bats is addressed in an April 9, 2007, letter to BLM. 17-1 7:164986-Denison Mines\Task Order 4 - EPP Sunday Mines Group\FINAL EPP\FINAL - Environmental Protection Plan Sunday Mines.doc