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i` . <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />Bill Owens, Governor <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />r. ,DIVISION OF WILDLIFE <br />6 ~ AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />Bruce McCloskey, Director <br />6060 Broadway <br />Denver, Colorado 80216 <br />Telephone: (303) 297-1192 <br />December 22, 2005 <br />kece1~~~ <br />CfC ~ 91005 j <br />For Wildlife- <br />~ivi:,ion0orr`~~~'a/~~~aB For People <br />Gfo/ .~ <br />R~CE~VEI? <br />JAN 0 9 2006 <br />Mr. Bob Oswald <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />~ ,Division of Minerals and Geology <br />~/ Department of Natural Resources <br />701 Camino Del Rio, Room 215 <br />Durango, CO~8/1301 <br />RE: Ignacio Pit Expansion, Permit # M-9 02 54 <br />Dear Mr. Oswald: <br />pnision of Minerals anl8nola0Y <br /><~D~ w C.o wv~w~S <br />(.d1nNP.v-$iow iriN-0t 1~ <br />Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Ignacio Pit. The following letter constitutes the <br />comments of the Division of Wildlife regarding the sand and gravel mine site. ' <br />The site is located in Section 16, Township 32N, Range 7W, approximately eight miles south of Ignacio, <br />CO in La Plata County. The area is currently used as general agriculture and surface mining. The plan <br />for post mining land use is rangeland. The proposed plan is to incorporate approximately 80 more acres <br />to the existing site having a total of 90 acres for the plan. <br />The site has stockpiles of rock and topsoil that look like they were overgrown with weeds (a site visit <br />was conducted in December and the weeds could not be identified). The site is near La Boca Canyon, <br />which has an intermittent stream. Large cottonwoods, willows, sagebrush, pinion and juniper trees grow <br />on the site. The riparian area is particularly valuable to wildlife species. Wildlife that use this area <br />include: small mammals, coyotes, raptors, songbirds, and is severe winter and winter range for elk and <br />deer. <br />During mining, impacts to wildlife can be reduced by leaving mature trees and shrubs standing. This <br />preserves their wildlife habitat value and other natural functions, such as bank stabilization. Wildlife <br />usage of the area is expected to decrease with increased disturbance. However, by minimizing nighttime <br />activity, wildlife may continue to use the area as a movement corridor or feeding area. <br />Once mining is complete all ponds created by the reclamation efforts could potentially have significant <br />value to wildlife. The Division of Wildlife recommends constructing ponds with irregular shorelines, <br />adding islands of at least I S'-25' in size per 2 surface acres of water. Islands provide, cover, shelter and <br />nesting areas. Grade some shoreline and island slopes at a ratio of 4 horizontal to 1 vertical distance. <br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive Director <br />W ILDLIFE COMMISSION, Jeffrey Crawford, Chair • Tom Burke, Vice Chair • Ken Torres, Secretary <br />Members, Robert Bray • Rick Enstrom • Philip James • Claire O'Neal • Richard Ray .Robert Shoemaker <br />Ex Officio Members, Russell George and Don Ament <br />