2011-02-18_REVISION - C1981019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r STATE OF COLORADO John W. Hickenlooper, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WILDLIFE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Thomas E. Remington, Director 6060 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80216 Telephone: (303) 297-1192 wildlife. state. co. us 15 February 2011 James Stark Environmental Protection Specialist Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 G? Fv . 600 RE: Colowyo Coal Mine (Permit No. C-1981-019) Permit Revision Application No. 3 (PR-3) Update the Permit Boundary to Incorporate the Collom Pit CDOW Response to PR-3 Action To James Stark: C OO N 4 `1yp? OF For Wildlife- For People The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) thanks you for the opportunity to comment on the Permit Revision Application No. 3 (PR-3). The scope of PR-3 is to encompass the Collom Pit Area into the existing permit boundary. This action will add approximately 16833.23 acres to the existing permit. The CDOW has reviewed this action and would like to provide the following comments. WILDLIFE Greater sage-grouse (GSG): Currently, the Axial Basin (including the Collom Pit Area) is mapped as core range for sage grouse. Greater sage grouse use a much larger area for their life cycle and will be adversely affected by this action. The birds that are utilizing the established leks on the open ridge tops spend the spring, summer and fall there and migrate to the lower elevations of the basin for winter. Many birds that strut and nest in the basin utilize the open ridge tops for the summer and fall. Therefore, there is significant movement of GSG to and from the open ridge tops located within the permit and disturbance boundary during the spring, summer and fall months. A majority of the birds leave the ridge tops during the winter months and spend that time in the basin. The Collom expansion will encompass 4 mapped sage grouse leks with two of those leks located within the disturbance boundary. The disturbance boundary will physically displace a significant portion of the GSG population as the traditional summer habitat is removed. There will also be spatial displacement in the areas adjacent to the disturbance area due to continuous activity (noise generation, lights, etc) of the mining operation. Actual acreage impact to GSG in the disturbance boundary: o Core range: 2132.74 acres o Lek areas: 511.36 acres o Production areas: 2132.74acres Actual acreage impact to GSG within the permit boundary: DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Mike King, Executive Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Tim Glenn, Chair • Robert Streeter, Vice Chair • Mark Smith, Secretary Members, David R. Brougham • Dennis Buechler • Dorothea Farris • Allan Jones • John Singletary • Dean Wingfield Ex Officio Members, Mike King and John Salazar