2009-07-06_REVISION - M1977036 ‎(42)‎

• Permit No: M1977036
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 7/6/2009
• Doc Name: Ex. H, Wildlife Information
• From: Tetra Tech
• To: DRMS
• Type & Sequence: AM1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

EXHIBIT H
Wildlife Information
General
Buys and Associates, Inc. (B&A) was retained by Tetra Tech to assess wildlife habitats (including
habitat for T&E species) on a property adjacent to the Greeley 35`h Avenue Mine in Weld County
north of Greeley, Colorado. This assessment was conducted on the Lafarge Brown property.
Wildlife surveys and habitat assessments were conducted by B&A biologists on February 5, 2009.
B&A biologists surveyed the property on foot using a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx (accurate to < 10
meters). Photos and notes were taken of the wildlife habitats present on the Lafarge Brown
property.
The Lafarge Brown property, which is approximately 12 acres in size, falls within Section 34 of
Township 6 North, Range 66 West (Figure H-1). The property includes a weedy area with an
active prairie dog colony. Figure H-2 shows the Lafarge Brown property and the sub-region of
land use/vegetation. For more information regarding the vegetation found on the Lafarge Brown
property, refer to Exhibit J - Vegetation Information.
The northwestern portion of the property is bounded by a fence. The Cache La Poudre River
corridor, which includes a bike path, is located just outside and northwest of this fence.
Approximately 1,695 feet of the Cache La Poudre River borders the Lafarge Brown property. This
portion of the river is surrounded by a riparian corridor with a middle-aged cottonwood canopy.
Although the area outside and northwest of the fence described above would not be disturbed, due
to its proximity to the Lafarge Brown property information about this area is included in this report.
Significant Wildlife Resources
The Lafarge Brown property falls within the Central Shortgrass Prairie Physiographic Region (PIF
2009) or the Great Plains physiographic feature (Mutel and Emerick 1992). According to Mutel
and Emerick (1992), the plains grasslands and lowland riparian areas in Colorado provide habitat
for the following common mammals: badger (Taxidea taxus), coyote (Canis latrans), deer mouse
(Peromyscus maniculatus), western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis), plains pocket
gopher (Geomys bursarius), black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), eastern cottontail
(Sylvilagus floridanus), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), raccoon (Procyon lotor), stripped skunk
(Mephitis mephitis), and fox squirrel (Sciurus niger). A large variety of migratory birds utilize
these habitats, they include: red winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), American coot (Fulica
americana), northern flicker (Colaptes auratus), western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis),
eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), Bullock's oriole (Icterus bullockii), Virginia rail (Rallus
limicola), barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), house wren (Troglodytes aedon), western meadowlark
(Sturnella neglecta), vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus),
golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), and Swainson's hawk (Buteo swainsoni). Reptiles and
amphibians that utilize these habitats include: western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis), plains leopard
frog (Rana blairi), Western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata), tiger salamander (Ambystoma
tigrinum), painted turtle (Chrysemys picta), and the Great Plains toad (Bufo cognatus).
Greeley 35`h Avenue Mine (M-1977-036)
DRMS 112 Reclamation Permit Amendment Application
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