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STATE OF COLORADO Bill Owens, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WILDLIFE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Bruce McCloskey, Director 6060 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80216 Telephone: (303) 297-1192 January 21, 2005 Gregg R. Squire ,/ Environmental Protection Specialist Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman St., Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 ~~,~~ ~ ~ L~~~ For llrldlrfe- ForPeople ~ ~ RE: Lafazge West, Inc., Riverbend Operation, Permit No. M-2000-016, Revision No. AM-1 Dear Mr. Squire: Habitat biologist Mike Sherman and district wildlife manager Shazlene Haeger met with Eric Rechentine of Lafarge West, Inc. at the site of the proposed Riverbend Operation on December 28, 2004. The proposed permit area is 237 acres, of which 120 acres will be disturbed by mining. The site is bounded by Weld County Road 6 to the south, State Highway 52 to the north, the South Platte River to the east, and Weld County Road 23 to the west. The purpose of the project is to excavate sand and gravel resources on portions of the properties in phases, limiting the azea of disturbance at any one time. Historical use of the site includes agricultural crops and livestock grazing. The South Platte River, Big Dry Creek, and several irrigation ditches flow through the property. Wetlands and associated riparian azeas provide valuable habitat for a diversity of wildlife species, some of which aze identified in the Wildlife Resources Assessment (WRA) prepared by ERO Resources Corporation. Disturbed upland azeas aze dominated by irrigated cropland and overgrazed pasture. The NDIS database identifies the South Platte River corridor as a Bald Eagle winter concentration azea. In addition, there is a known Bald Eagle night roost located approximately '/z mile north of WCR 6 along the river in a grove of cottonwoods. DO W raptor biologist Brent Bibles stated that the roost was known to be active as of last winter, and is also being monitored this winter, Recommendations regarding winter night roosts aze: Activity should be eliminated within '/a mile radius of winter roosts between November IS and March I5. If periodic visits (such as oil well maintainance work) are required within the buffer zone after development, activity should be restricted to the period between 1000 and 1400 hours from November I S to March IS. Limited restrictions may be necessary out to % mile if there is a direct line of sight from the roost to the activities (Craig, 2004). Bald Eagles from a nest approximately 3 miles to the northeast likely use the site as a foraging azea. Prairie dog colonies on the site provide an important food source for Bald Eagles, Ferruginous Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks, all of which aze known to occupy the site. Recommended perch buffer for DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Russell George, Executive Director WILDLIFE COMMISSION, PhAip James, Chair • Jeffrey Crawford, Y~ce-Chair • Brad Phelps, Seaetary Members, Bernard Black • Tom Burke • Rids Enstrom .Claire O'Neal • Robert Shoemaker • Ken Tones Fx Offido Members, Russell George and Don AmeM