2011-09-15_REVISION - C1982056 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Sage Creek Coal Company PO Box 2050 36600 Routt County Road 27 Hayden, CO 81639 ATTN: Jerry Nettleton And Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 ATTN: Jason Musick COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE PO BOX 775777 Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 970 871 -2855 • FAX: 970 871 -2853 wildlife.state.co.us • parks.state.co.us RE: TR78 — Left Utility Borehole Pad and Associated Access Road. September 7, 2011 SE P 15 2011 Divistorl ul osecla Mining and Safety The Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) recently received a request for comments from Twenty Mile Coal Company, Foidel Creek Mine on a utility borehole pad and associated access road. The borehole installation would be located in the SW /4NE /4, Section 27, T5N, R87W, with access from RCR27 on a new 1.25 mile light -use road in Sections 23, 26, and 27, T5N, R87W proposed for late fall 2011. The CPW appreciates the opportunity to review the proposed utility borehole pad and associated access road with respect to wildlife impacts. The area southeast of Hayden contains some of the best Columbian sharp- tailed grouse habitat in Colorado. This area also provides habitat for a small but important population of Greater sage - grouse. Both of these grouse species are considered species of special concern in Colorado. Local CDOW personnel have reviewed the proposed activity with respect to both Columbian sharp - tailed grouse and greater sage - grouse habitat. The CDOW has also reviewed the proposed drill sites for impacts to any threatened or endangered wildlife species. Colorado State Parks The proposed utility borehole pad and approximately 1/4 mile of the western portion of the proposed access road are within Columbian sharp - tailed grouse (CSTG) critical breeding habitat, which includes lek locations and nesting habitat. The remaining 1 mile of access road is within CSTG nesting habitat. CPW recomrnends no surface occupancy with in 1/4 mile of grouse lek locations and it is our request that the pad and western .25 miles of access road be moved outside the lek buffer (0.4 miles from the active lek). The majority of Columbian sharp - tailed grouse nests are located within 1.25 miles of leks. CSTG may abandon their nests with disturbance. All of the proposed activities are within CSTG grouse nesting habitat. We recommend timing all construction activity such that it is outside of breeding and nesting season of March 15 -July 30. If site relocation is not feasible it is requested that all site construction within the 0.4 mile buffer be conducted outside the March 15 to July 30 time frame and that post construction site visitations are conducted between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. with reduced well site visitations between STATE OF COLORADO John W. Hickenlooper, Govemor • Mike King, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources Rick D. Cables, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Parks and Wildlife Commission: David R. Brougham • Gary Butterworth, Vice -Chair • Chris Castilian Dorothea Farris • Tim Glenn, Chair • Allan Jones • Bill Kane • Gaspar Penicone • Jim Pribyl • John Singletary Mark Smith, Secretary • Robert Streeter • Lenna Watson • Dean Wingfield Ex Officio Members: Mike King and John Salazar