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STATE OF COLORADO <br />John W. Hickenlooper, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />Thomas E. Remington, Director <br />6060 Broadway <br />Denver, Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: (303) 297 -1192 <br />wildlife.state.co.us <br />July 5, 2011 <br />Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />And <br />Mr. Jerry Nettleton <br />Twentymile Coal Company <br />29515 Routt County Road 27 <br />Oak Creek, CO 81639 <br />?fok\ieD <br />RE: Wildlife Assessment <br />Sage Creek Mine Conveyor Corridor Geotechnical Investigation. <br />JUL 0 8 2.011 <br />Divtsifln cat Reclamatio <br />Mtning and qty <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Mike King, Executive Director <br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Tim Glenn, Chair • Robert Streeter, Vice Chair • Mark Smith, Secretary <br />Members, David R. Brougham • Dorothea Farris • Allan Jones • Gaspar Perricone • John Singletary • Dean Wingfield <br />Ex Officio Members, Mike King and John Salazar <br />For Wildlife - <br />For People <br />The Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CDPW) has appreciated the opportunity to meet with <br />Peabody Twenty Mile Mine and Sage Creek Mine personnel to preliminarily review the proposed Sage <br />Creek Mine Conveyor Project. The proposed conveyor system would bring coal from the new Sage <br />Creek Mine to the facilities at the Twenty Mile Mine (wash plant and rail loading). It is our <br />understanding that the Conveyor corridor will be approximately 25 foot wide with a service road and <br />conveyor system. The conveyor system will be approximately 8 miles long. The preliminary step of <br />conducting the geotechnical investigations will consist of drilling approximately 35 to 40; 4 inch bore <br />_hoJes_to_a_depth of 10-30_ feet. The _test -boles_wili_be- drilled using -an- all- ter-rain_vehicle- mounted - drill r-ig----- - <br />and drill holes will be back filled with drill cuttings shortly after drilling is complete. This letter is a <br />wildlife assessment for the impacts of the geotechnical investigations only. Future wildlife assessments <br />should be requested for the conveyor system installation and operation. <br />A variety of wildlife species are expected to be found on the site including small mammals, a variety of <br />grass/ shrub land bird species, eagles, hawks, owls, mule deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, bear, <br />mountain lion, and coyotes. This area southeast of Hayden contains some of the highest quality <br />Columbian sharp - tailed grouse habitat in Colorado. This area also provides habitat for a locally <br />important Greater sage - grouse population. Both of these grouse species are considered species of <br />special concern in Colorado. <br />