Laserfiche WebLink
~. ;_ <br />MINED LAND RECLAMATION DIVISION <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St.. Room 215 <br />Denver. CO 80203 <br />303 866-3567 <br />FA% 303 8328106 <br />April 27, 1992 <br />iii iiiiiiiiniii iii <br />r_ ± ~ ~ ~~~ i ~LUKAUV <br />pF Cpl <br />N~~, 9'g <br />••~` fo ~ <br />r \~yy.J7• <br />~e'!6 ~ <br />Roy Romer. <br />Governor <br />Miohael B. Long, <br />Drvison Director <br />TO: Public Relations Office and Outreach; Coors Energy Corporation <br />FM: Shawn E. Smith; Mine Inspector for the Keenesburg Mine <br />Re: Preservation of the Northern Harrier hawk found at the <br />Keenesburg Mine <br />To Whom it May Concern: <br />While conducting a mine inspection of the Keenesburg Mine last <br />month, I came upon a dead female Northern Harrier hawk in a ditch, <br />directly below the electrical wires that run in a east/westerly <br />direction. It appears that the bird had died from either <br />electrocution or broken its neck across the wires while in flight. <br />The raptor was in excellent physical condition with only a few <br />feathers torn on the left wing. <br />Since no one was present at the site to assume responsibility for <br />the bird (Friday afternoon and everyone was off), I proceeded to <br />collect the specimen and later that afternoon delivered it to an <br />accomplished ornithologist that I knew at South Platte Park in <br />Littleton. The raptor was identified and tagged for record <br />purposes and remains refrigerated and in the care of the park <br />ranger, Mr. Ray Sperger. <br />I have since contacted Bob Jesser; Environmental Coordinator at the <br />Keenesburg Mine and suggested that perhaps Coors may be interested <br />in preserving the raptor for educational purposes and public <br />exhibition at the Park. Since the condition of the raptor is <br />superb and the park already has a small collection of taxidermy <br />specimens, it would be a nice educational addition to the Carson <br />Nature Center at the park. The official dedication of the Center <br />is this week. The Center will be utilized by the public on a <br />regular basis and the raptor, if mounted, would be seen by the <br />hundreds in the Metropolitan area. In particular, the raptor would <br />be invaluable in educating school children's tours in the prairie <br />biodiversity of the region. <br />