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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 July 5, 2011 Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 And Mr. Jerry Nettleton Twentymile Coal Company 29515 Routt County Road 27 Oak Creek, CO 81639 ?fok\ieD RE: Wildlife Assessment Sage Creek Mine Conveyor Corridor Geotechnical Investigation. JUL 0 8 2.011 Divtsifln cat Reclamatio Mtning and qty DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Mike King, Executive Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Tim Glenn, Chair • Robert Streeter, Vice Chair • Mark Smith, Secretary Members, David R. Brougham • Dorothea Farris • Allan Jones • Gaspar Perricone • John Singletary • Dean Wingfield Ex Officio Members, Mike King and John Salazar For Wildlife - For People The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CDPW) has appreciated the opportunity to meet with Peabody Twenty Mile Mine and Sage Creek Mine personnel to preliminarily review the proposed Sage Creek Mine Conveyor Project. The proposed conveyor system would bring coal from the new Sage Creek Mine to the facilities at the Twenty Mile Mine (wash plant and rail loading). It is our understanding that the Conveyor corridor will be approximately 25 foot wide with a service road and conveyor system. The conveyor system will be approximately 8 miles long. The preliminary step of conducting the geotechnical investigations will consist of drilling approximately 35 to 40; 4 inch bore _hoJes_to_a_depth of 10-30_ feet. The _test -boles_wili_be- drilled using -an- all- ter-rain_vehicle- mounted - drill r-ig----- - and drill holes will be back filled with drill cuttings shortly after drilling is complete. This letter is a wildlife assessment for the impacts of the geotechnical investigations only. Future wildlife assessments should be requested for the conveyor system installation and operation. A variety of wildlife species are expected to be found on the site including small mammals, a variety of grass/ shrub land bird species, eagles, hawks, owls, mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, bear, mountain lion, and coyotes. This area southeast of Hayden contains some of the highest quality Columbian sharp - tailed grouse habitat in Colorado. This area also provides habitat for a locally important Greater sage - grouse population. Both of these grouse species are considered species of special concern in Colorado.