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~ III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII STATE OF COLORADO Bill Owens, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WILDLIFE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNnY EMPLOYER Russell George, Director 6060 Broadway Denver, Colorado 80216 Telephone: (303)297-1192 Carl Mount Division of Minerals and Geology 1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 Denver, CO 80203 August 30, 2001 Re: M-2001-085, Adams Couuty RV Park Dear Mr. Mount: FtECEEVE® SEP 0 # 2001 Dirisian of Minerals and Geology ins For ll~ildlife- For People I have reviewed the permit application for the above referenced project and visited [he site. The following constitute the comments from the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The proposed activity is to mine sand and gravel on the 34.3-acre property near the intersection of 124`h Avenue and Highway 85. The post-mining use of the property is a water storage reservoir. Considering the highly urbanized setting, there are not significant wildlife concerns with the property, although there are some issues that need to be addressed. Black-tailed prairie dogs currently inhabit the area. These animals should be humanely removed prior to the beginning of mining operations. All efforts should be made [o minimize the risk to non-target species if rodenticides are used. Surveys should be conducted each year prior to beginning mining to determine presence or absence of Burrowing Owls. These birds are migratory, and usually amve in Colorado itt early March, and will stay until late October. If the owls are determined [o be present, no activity should take place between March l and October 31. Federal and state laws prohibit the killing of burrowing owls. It is quite possible to kill these birds inadvertently during prairie dog poisoning projects, removal of live prairie dogs, or during earth moving. Since the owls usually hide in burrows when danger approaches, it is not practical to `chase them away' prior to prairie dog control. Surveys should also be conducted to determine if there are any raptors nesting in the cottonwood trees presently on the property. There are known nests nearby, and considering the proximity to the prairie dog colony, it would not be surprising if there were raptors nesting in these trees. These surveys should be conducted in early March. Revegetation of the banks with cottonwood trees may provide good habitat resources for wildlife in [he future. The Division of Wildlife appreciates the opportunity to comment on this and similar projects. If you have any questions, please contact me. Sincerely, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Greg E. Walcher, Executive Director W ILDLIFE COMMISSION, Bernard L. Black, Jr., Chairman • Rick Enstrom, Vice-Chairman • Philip James, Secretary Members, Tom Burke • Mark LeValley • Marianna Rattopoulos • Robert Shoemaker • Olive Valdez Ex-Officio Members, Greg E. Walcher and Don Ament