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MAY,-03-2010 MON 06:07 AM FAX NO. P. 02 <br />United States Departlnen.t of the I literi.or <br />IN REN..Y R1 1 ER'1'0: <br />ES/C3J-6-C0-04-1,'-0I2-Y1" O29 <br />TAT LS 65413-2010-F-0070 <br />FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE <br />Ecological Services <br />761 Horizon Drive, Building, B <br />Grand .I unction. Colorado 81;06-394.6 <br /> <br />April 23, 201.0 <br />Meniorandani <br />7'o: Office o-Barface Mining, TZeclanlation, and 17-i1lforcernent, Denver, Colorado <br />l,rom: Acting, Western Colorado SLlpervils(o Ft 11'l ld Wildlife Service, Ecological <br />Services, Grand Junction, Colorado <br />Subject: Sage Creek Coal Cornpa.ny,s Sage Creels Mine Mining Plan Modification (Permit <br />C-2009-0$7) <br />This responds to your March. l 1., 2M0, request for formal consultation under section 7 of the <br />Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973, as amended. Your .request is for the Sake Creels Mine <br />located in several sections of T. 5 and 6N, R. 87W, Rou.tt County, Colorado. The sul?je ct project <br />will expand undergrowid .mii:iing and will cause about 300 acres of surface disturbance from <br />mining fla.cil.iti.es. The subject project will cause an average annual depletion of 4.6 acre-feet/year <br />to the Yampa. River, which may affect the encl.angered Colorado pi.keminnow (PI))ChOC170111S <br />luc•iu.,s?), razorback sucker (A.wouchen iL?xanzo,), humpback chub (Gila cyplza), bonytail (Gila <br />elegans), and their designated critical habitat. <br />Please see the attached position paper on greenback cutthroat trout (Onchorlu-nchus clarki <br />slomicas) (GB) in western Colorado. To date, GB lineage fish have not been found in the Yampa <br />River drainage. Therelbre, your "no effect" determination (page 5 in your letter) is appropriate. <br />Concurrence is not required. for "no effect" determinatians. The determination of"not likely to <br />jeopardize-for the yellow-billed ctackoo (C."occ'yzzus• canericanus) only applies to species that are <br />proposed for .listing,, not candidate species. The greater sage-grouse (C'entrocere as <br />ur(y.)hr.-asianus) was recently designated as a candidate species in a. March 23, 2010, Federal <br />Register notice (75 FR 13910-14014.). We encourage you to continue to work to minimize or <br />avoid effects to the sage-grouse to support their conservation. <br />A Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin was initiated on,lanuary 22, 1988. The Recovery Program wLts intended to be the <br />rea.sotlable and prudent alternative to avoid jeopardy to the endanprecl fishes from impact.sof <br />water depictions to the Upper Colorado River l3a.si.n. In order to further ciefne and clarify the <br />process 111 the 1ecovery Pronram, a section 7 a.gre;ement was implemented on October 15. 1003. <br />by the Recovery J'rorram participant;. Jricoil3orated into this agreement is a. Recovery