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J.E. Stover & Associates, Inc
<br />April 24, 2012
<br />Page 3
<br />Including the Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas, Mammals of Colorado, CPW habitat maps,' U.S.
<br />Forest Service (USFS) habitat maps, Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas,' Amphibians and Reptiles in
<br />Colorado, and the Colorado Rare Plant Field Guide.
<br />Since the time of the original T &E inventory work performed during the original DRMS permit
<br />application process in 1995 and 1996, three additional species (Gunnison sage - grouse, Canada
<br />lynx, and wolverine) have been federally listed; two species (American peregrine falcon and bald
<br />eagle) have been federally de- listed; the range for one listed species (southwestern willow
<br />flycatcher) has been determined to fall far south of the local watershed in which Bowie No. 2 Mine is
<br />situated;" USFWS removed kit fox from its Delta County list of T &E species; and CPW recognized
<br />the North Fork River corridor adjacent to the south permit boundary as overall range for river otter.
<br />The original T &E work did not consider western yellow - billed cuckoo (a federal candidate for listing
<br />since 2001). River otter and boreal toad, species recognized by the State as Endangered and
<br />Threatened, respectively, have no federal status.
<br />Of the species listed on Table 1, Gunnison sage - grouse, black- footed ferret, wolverine, clay - loving
<br />buckwheat, and Colorado hookless cactus are not found within or near the Mine Permit Boundary
<br />due to habitat or range constraints, and they are not evaluated further in this inventory. The
<br />Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, bonytail, and humpback chub, as well as designated
<br />Critical Habitat, are found in downstream waters. Although these species or their designated Critical
<br />Habitat are not found on or near the Mine Permit Boundary, they may be affected by surface water
<br />depletions (permitted consumptive uses of water) within the Mine Permit Boundary. Previous
<br />analyses and consultations with USFWS have taken place regarding these species. Habitat for
<br />yellow - billed cuckoo or for river otter is not found within the Mine Permit Boundary; however,
<br />suitable habitat for both species exists near the south part of the mine permit area, closest to the
<br />area of heaviest surface disturbance. Greenback cutthroat trout are found within the Mine Permit
<br />Boundary. Suitable or at least marginally suitable habitats for lynx and boreal toad exist within the
<br />Mine Permit Boundary.
<br />Consultation History
<br />A Bowie No. 2 Permit Boundary expansion, new areas of surface disturbance, and changes to mine
<br />activities since Renewal No. 2 of the DRMS Permit (in 2007), as well as future mine activities, have
<br />been approved through various Permit Technical Revisions. Bowie has undergone five separate
<br />Section 7 consultations regarding endangered fishes (Biological Opinions dated September 3,
<br />1996, December 10, 1999, October 23, 2001, July 29, 2003 and March 31, 2004) authorizing
<br />annual depletions of 123.6, 113.0, 20.3, 69.0 and 0.8 acre -feet, respectively, from the North Fork
<br />3 Kingery, H. E. (Editor). 1998. Colorado Breeding Bird Atlas. Denver: Co. Bird Atlas Partnership & Co. Division of Wildlife. 636 pp.
<br />4 Armstrong, D.M., J.P. Fitzgerald, and C.A. Meany. 2011. Mammals of Colorado. 2nd Ed. Boulder, Colorado: Univ. Press of Co. 620 pp.
<br />5 Current habitat maps available at http: / /ndis .nrel.colostate.edu /index.html
<br />6 U.S. Forest Service. 2010. Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forests Lynx Habitat Mapping. Updated 12/2010.
<br />7 Colorado Herpetofaunal Atlas. Available online at http: / /ndis.nrel. colostate .edu /herpatlas /coherpatlas/
<br />8 Hammerson, G.A. 1999. Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado: A Colorado Field Guide. 2nd Ed. Denver: University Press of Colorado
<br />& Colorado Department of Wildlife. 494 pp.
<br />9 CRPTC (Colorado Rare Plant Technical Committee). 1999. Colorado Rare Plant Field Guide. Available at
<br />http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/download/projects/rareplants/.
<br />io Summers, Susan A. 1995. Threatened and endangered species survey for Bowie Resources LTD, proposed coal development, Bowie
<br />Colorado. Enviro25 Environmental Services Inc., Grand Junction. November 28.
<br />Pfister, Allan R. 2003. Letter to interested parties announcing the USFWS Grand Junction field office's decision to change the range
<br />boundary for the southwestern willow flycatcher in Colorado. April 11.
<br />RARE EARIh SCIENCE
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