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United Stares Department of the Interior
<br />IN "PLY -ROVER TO:
<br />Es,&P,0- 9S -F =60 1 -GJ4 1.8
<br />TAILS 061324100- 2012 -17-0009
<br />65413 201 1 -13 -0022
<br />Memorandum
<br />Fls_ x AND WILpLJFE SERVICE,
<br />ficblpgg"cal. Sprylces
<br />�d'ldr'�do.Field',Oi�oe
<br />P.O. 8ox 254861 1VC'(65412))
<br />Denver, - Colorao 8t1?25 }0486
<br />November 16, 2011
<br />RECEIVED
<br />Aloe 17 2011
<br />GRAND JUNG I IL-A HtLU OFFICE
<br />RECLAMAT ON MINING � F& SAFEiy
<br />To: Office of Surface Mining,, Reclamation and Enforcement, Denver, Colorado (Attn: Dawn Pacula, Natural
<br />Resources Specialist)
<br />From; Colorado Field Supeivisor, Fish and Wildlife Service, Ecological Services, Lakewood, Colorado
<br />Subject: McClane Canyon Coal Mine and Fruita Loadout Facility
<br />In accordance with section 7 offce ]endangered Species Adt of 1973, as amended (16 U.S:C. 1531 et seq.), and the
<br />Interagency Cooperation Itegulatioirs {50 CFR 402), the U.S. Fish avid Wildlife S&Vice (Service) reviewed your
<br />SeQtertilier 26, 2011, tii'ologicat assessment (BA) regarding the impacts of the McClane Canyon Coal Mine (Iyline) ai d
<br />Fru(ta Loadout Faoility (Loadout Faeility) Project on the endangered bonytail (Gila elegcars), Colorado pikeminnow
<br />(!'tyehoclreiltrs l rtciu�), nun l aek chub (Gila cypha), razorback sucker (Xyra ;ichc!rt tezarrus), And there designated critical
<br />Habitat. The Mine is owned and operated by CAIYi.Colorado.l LC (CAM). The Mind and siirroundi» g tease-area is
<br />located off of Highway 139 iri T. 7$, R. 102W, sections 14, 21, 21, and 26 Garfield County, Colorado. Th,dtoadout
<br />Facility js located approximately l8 miles sotrth of the Mine in T. ,IN, R. 3W, sections 2, 3, 10, and 11, Mesa County,
<br />Colorado. The Loadout Facifity is less than '% r*i'i.c-froin the mainstem Colorado River. Th6 proposed-a660 t Will cedse a
<br />totpl ayerage annual depletion 'of 35 :aa "re -feet; 25.3 acre -feet to tho'I asi Salt Creel: drainage (from operations a(the Mine)
<br />tt�rs19:7 acre- fee,"t to the'Reed Wash drainage (fibm operations at the Loadout Facility), which are tributary to the Colorado
<br />River in the'Upper Colorado River Basin.
<br />CAM filed Permit Revision application No. 2 (PR -2) in November 2010 to expand surface facilities and increase
<br />underground coal production From 280,000 toAs per year to 504,000 tons "per• year. Existing Mine features include an
<br />office complex; a portal bench area, topsoil storage area, Fuld A road. Proposed features.at i.ilc Mine include a coal
<br />'Load ring plant, a coal waste disposal area, ezpaiided stockpile area, roads, attd a new sediment ppnd. Proposed features at
<br />the out Facility include'liaui roads, an acbess riiad,'light use roads, a coal truck off -1oa8 area, a Coal stockpile, -a
<br />[oadirig systemr and a fail loop fend spur track. The project also includes a Lease Mod cation from the Bureau of Land
<br />Management (BLM) td expand the Mine lease area by j20 acres.
<br />OSM concluded there would be no effect to the Canada lynx (Lynx c<madensit), Mexican spotted orvl (Sh* oecidentalis
<br />Iricidct), greenback cutthroat trout (Qr�Carhynchus clarki stortrias .), sclerocactus giou is (Uinta Basin bbokless_effctus),
<br />Spir rgrlh, es diluvalis {ilte lorries'- tresses), Phacelia szrbruuticrr (Qe 8eque phacelia ), ford 1'tens(emon_deiilis (ISaraoltute
<br />beardtongue }. Wherefore; tl_fese specl'es tvi11_ not be addressed f4fther in ibis consultation.
<br />The Service concurs with OS1Vi's.detern nation that the proposed aveeage annual depletion associated with the Mine and
<br />Loadout Facility may affect, "and is likely to adversely affect the endangered Co[orado River fishes. Therefore, the
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