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2. Federal and State lists for threatened and endangered species are periodically revised. <br />Please ensure, and provide language to this effect, that the current list(s) have been <br />consulted, including fish, for which water depletions may affect the species and/or critical <br />habitat downstream (the San Miguel River is located in the Upper Colorado River Basin). <br />Response - The listing of Federal and State listed threatened and endangered species of <br />wildlife were provided by the CDOW during the June 15, 2009 consultation meeting. This <br />list was considered current as of that time. In the event that additional concerns or <br />species are identified then they will be added to the list. <br />With respect to potential water depletions, this issue was discussed in our consultation <br />meeting with CDOW and since the mine will be a net generator of water due to the <br />pumping of groundwater during mining and the fact that surface runoff from lands <br />disturbed in preparation of the mining activities as well as during the initial phases of <br />reclamation due to the reduced ground cover of the vegetation and the reduced demand <br />for evaporation, the overall result of mining will be a net increase in the amount of runoff <br />waters that reach the San Miguel and ultimately the Colorado River. Therefore WFC is <br />of the opinion that the results of this mining operation will not have a detrimental effect <br />on the fisheries associated with the San Miguel or Colorado River basins. <br />3. The introductory paragraph to Section 2.04.11 contains some information that is erroneous <br />(e.g. year of permit issuance). Please revise this paragraph to incorporate only information <br />specific to this section of the PAP, and to refer to the detailed summary requested previously <br />by the Division under Rule 2.04.3. <br />Response - The information contained in the introductory paragraph has been deleted <br />and moved to the discussion of land use found in Section 2.04.3. <br />4 In the second paragraph of the section, please give the dates that meetings between WFC and <br />the DRMS and WFC and the CDOW took place. <br />Response - Three meetings with several staff members of the DRMS were held in Grand <br />Junction on June 12, 2008; December 2, 2008 and August 18, 2009. A fourth meeting was <br />held with Sandy Brown in DRMS' Denver office on November 16, 2009. The pre- <br />consultation meeting with the CDOW was held on June 15, 2009. <br />5. The last paragraph of this section refers to the "amendment" area. Presumably the intended <br />reference is to the NHN Mine permit area. Please revise this sentence accordingly. <br />A sentence has been added in the pertinent paragraph to indicate that "amendment area" <br />refers to the proposed NHNMine permit area. <br />6. Map 2.04.11 -1 - N14N Mine Wildlife Map <br />a) A heavy pink line surrounds the area depicted on the map. In the Legend, this symbol <br />is described as Proposed North Adjacent Permit Area, which is not the case. Please <br />revise the description and/or location of the line. <br />Response - Map 2.04.11-1 has been revised to address this comment. <br />Response to First Adequacy Review Page 27