2010-03-24_PERMIT FILE - M2010007

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Uhl STATE OF COLORADO Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES f DIVISION OF WILDLIFE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Thomas E. Remington, Director 6060 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80216 Telephone: (303) 297-1192 wildlife. state. co. us G. Russell Means, Environmental Specialist Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 March 19, 2010 RE: Northwest Aggregates Inc., Wand Pit File No. M-2010-007 To Mr. Means: a ?.? b *Of For Wildlife- For People C'r Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Wand Pit operated by Northwest Aggregates. The proposed site is located 0.5 miles southeast of Craig in Section 4, Township 6N, Range 90W, of Moffat County. The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CROW) has reviewed this application and would like to provide the following comments. The CDOW believes that the habitat within the development area has a high wildlife value. Wildlife species in the area include deer, elk, eagles, coyotes, bobcats, and numerous other species. Specifically, the area of proposed expansion lies within an identified Bald Eagle Roost Site. The gravel pit activity will take place in or adjacent to riparian habitat. Riparian habitats along with water are crucial for most wildlife in the area throughout the year. The majority of animals use this habitat type for some aspect of their life cycle. Riparian areas are the most fragile to disruption and offer the best habitat to a wide variety of animal species. Potential impacts to wildlife from this proposal could include habitat fragmentation, disruption to migration and habitat connection corridors, as well as diminished value to the beneficial buffer zone this property provides. In recent years a high importance has been placed on removing pike from the Yampa River system in order to protect several endangered fish species downstream. During the mining operation as well as once the site is reclaimed, all connecting irrigation channels as well as the Yampa River bypass should be properly screened to prevent Northern pike ingress and egress. Non-native weed species have become established on many disturbed soils throughout the area. The invasion of non-native weeds reduces the density of native vegetation and lessens the habitat values for native wildlife species. Many of these non-native weeds are not used as forage by wildlife. The continual control and removal of non-native weeds on the disturbed/rehabilitated sites will help restore native vegetation that is valuable to wildlife. The gravel pit lies in an area where native vegetation provides foraging, nesting, and cover habitats for numerous species of wildlife. The removal and disturbance of native vegetation for the construction of the above gravel pit and associated roads will negatively impact the native wildlife species associated with this project area. Upon rehabilitation of gravel pit, negative impacts to native wildlife can be offset t".?i4'i?+lOrl ? i'vCl°adrYlc'ilif}rr, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Harris D. Sherman, Executive Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Brad Coors, Chair • Tim Glenn, Vice Chair. Dennis Buechler, Secretary