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Exhibit H — Moores Mining LLC 112 Permit Application
<br />July 13, 2009
<br />Page 2 of 6
<br />is largely undisturbed and in pinyon - juniper woodlands (see Exhibit J of to application for further
<br />description). Undisturbed portions of the east parcel are in primarily in pinyon - juniper
<br />woodlands, except for an approximately 1 -acre agricultural field in the northeast corner. A
<br />cleared portion (approximately 2 acres) of the west parcel is used for equipment storage. This
<br />cleared portion is occupied by discontinuous sagebrush and semi - desert shrublands. Extensive
<br />BLM lands primarily vegetated with pinyon - juniper woodlands adjoin the Site to the west.
<br />Further information about the history and characteristics of the Site are found in other exhibits of
<br />the permit application.
<br />Significant Wildlife Resources on the Affected Land
<br />The Site provides habitat or has the potential to provide habitat to numerous common wildlife
<br />species, including small mammals (mice, voles, woodrats, bats, ground squirrels, chipmunks,
<br />cottontail, fox, coyote, bobcat), raptors (owls, hawks, falcons), migratory songbirds (breeding,
<br />migrating, and wintering populations), and reptiles (lizards and upland snakes). Relatively small
<br />numbers of wide - ranging large mammals (mule deer, American elk, black bear, mountain lion)
<br />may occur on the Site occasionally or seasonally as they utilize the Site and the surrounding
<br />landscape. The Site does not encompass any significant or unusual geologic, hydrologic, or
<br />vegetation features that offer unique or rare breeding or nesting sites for wildlife in the vicinity.
<br />Aggregate mining on the property will lead to a temporary loss of a relatively small amount (in
<br />the landscape context) of common woodland habitat for local wildlife.
<br />Threatened, Endangered, and Special Concern Species
<br />Table 1 lists the species recognized by the federal or state governments as threatened,
<br />endangered, or of special concern that may occur in the vicinity of the Site, summarizes their
<br />habitat requirements, and indicates whether suitable habitat for each species is present within
<br />the proposed permit boundary. Habitat descriptions and occurrence determinations outlined in
<br />Table 1 are based on professional experience, personal communication with experts, and
<br />published resources, including Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas,' Birds of Colorado , Birds of
<br />Western Colorado Plateau and Mesa Country, Mammals of Colorado , Colorado Division of
<br />Wildlife (CDOW) habitat maps , Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas, Colorado Natural Heritage
<br />Program data,' and Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado.
<br />Of the 13 species listed on Table 1, only the bald eagle (listed as threatened in by the State of
<br />Colorado) and the American peregrine falcon (a Colorado Species of Concern) have the
<br />potential to occur in the vicinity of the Site with any regularity. The Site is encompassed by
<br />mapped bald eagle winter range (see Exhibit C, Figure C -5), but foraging by wintering bald
<br />1 Kingery, H.E. (Editor). 1998. Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas. Denver: Co. Bird Atlas Partnership & Co. Division of Wildlife. 636 pp.
<br />2 Bailey, A. M. and R. J. Niedrach. 1965. Birds of Colorado, Volumes I & II. Denver: Denver Museum of Natural History.
<br />3 Righter, R., R. Levad, C. Dexter, and K. Potter. 2004. Birds of Western Colorado Plateau and Mesa Country. Grand Junction:
<br />Grand Valley Audubon Society. 214 pp.
<br />4 Fitzgerald, J.P., C.A. Meaney, D.M. Armstrong. 1994. Mammals of Colorado. Niwot, Colorado: Univ. Press of Co. 467 pp.
<br />5 Habitat maps available at http: / /ndis .nrel.colostate.edu /index.htmi; mapping for selected species presented in permit application
<br />exhibits.
<br />6 Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas. Available online at http: // ndis. nrel. colostate .edu /herpatias /coherpatias/
<br />7 CNHP (Colorado Natural Heritage Program). 2009. Element occurrence tracking lists and shapefiles. Available at
<br />hftp://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/iist.htmi.
<br />8 Hammerson, G.A. 1999. Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado: A Colorado Field Guide. 2nd Ed. Denver: University Press of
<br />Colorado & CDOW. 494 pp.
<br />RARE EARTH SCIENCE
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