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COLORADO PARKS & WILDLIFE <br />Steamboat Springs Service Center <br />925 Weiss Drive, P.O. Box 775777 • Steamboat Springs, Colorado 80487 <br />Phone (970) 871 -2855 • FAX (970) 871 -2853 <br />wildlife.state.co.us • parks.state.co.us <br />Sage Creek Coal Company <br />PO Box 2050 <br />36600 Routt County Road 27 <br />Hayden, CO 81639 <br />ATTN: Scott Cowman <br />RE: Sage Creek Exploration Project <br />March 26, 2012 <br />The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) recently received a request from Sage Creek Coal <br />Company LLC. Their request is to continue exploratory drilling operations in select locations <br />within the Sage Creek Mine area. The Sage Creek Mine has identified 11 additional exploration <br />holes for the year 2012. A past condition of approval by Routt County of this project was that <br />drilling not proceed prior to July 1 in order to protect Columbian sharp - tailed grouse nesting <br />activity. The CDOW has continued to work with Sage Creek to provide reasonable protections to <br />breeding and nesting sharp tailed grouse while allowing Sage Creek the flexibility to complete <br />their exploration activities. Recently I reviewed the 2012 drill hole schedule with Sage Creek <br />Environmental Specialist, Scott Cowman, and together we have agreed upon a schedule that will <br />allow timely completion to this project while allowing adequate protection to the Local Columbian <br />sharp tailed grouse population; as well as minimizing impacts to grouse and big game hunters on <br />the public and some private lands within the project area. The following is the agreed upon <br />schedule: <br />Any season drilling: (Commencement June 15, 2012): CCUO25, CCUO31, CCU047, CCU065, <br />Early season drilling, March 1 to July 1: <br />Mid season drilling, July 1 to August 31: CCU058, CCU067, CCU084. <br />Late season drilling, August 1 to December 1, 2012: CCU078, CCU081, CCU83, CCU085. <br />On the basis of the information provided I am requesting that Sage Creek be allowed to begin <br />drilling activity at these locations within the scheduled timeframes, contingent on their <br />procurement of all necessary permits from other permitting agencies. <br />If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call Hayden DWM Steve Znamenacek at 846- <br />3732. <br />James M. Has ins <br />Area Wildlife Manager <br />Steamboat Springs, CO <br />CC: R. Velarde, Area File, S. Znamenacek <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />John W. Hidcenlooper, Governor • Mike ling, Executive Director, Department of Natural Resources <br />Rids D. Cables, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife <br />Parks and Wildlife Commission: David R. Brougham • Gary Butterworth, Vice- Chair • Chris Castllian <br />Dorothea Farris • Trn Glenn, Chair • Man Jones • BII Kane • Gaspar Perricone • Jan Prrbyl • John Singletary <br />Mark Smith, Secretary • Robert Streeter • Lenna Watson • Dean Wingfield <br />Ex Officio Members: Mace King and John Salazar <br />