2008-09-29_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (5)

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RULE 2 PERMITS 2.04.11 Fish & Wildlife Resources Information Rangeland makes up a major portion of the permit area and adjacent areas. The mountain shrub ecosystem supports substantial populations of big game, small game and a diverse complex of other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Investigation of wildlife resources and their habitats were initiated in 1974 on the Colowyo Federal Coal Lease #D-034365 and surrounding areas under a contract with VTN, Colorado, Inc. Information from this early work, along with additional resources information and habitat requirements obtained from the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), were presented in the Northwest Colorado Coal Environmental Statement. Additional site specific data collected by VTN through 1977, along with surveys and observations made by Colowyo personnel through 1980, have been included within this application. In November 1985, Camp, Dresser and McKee, Inc. (CDM) completed the report "Wildlife Baseline Report for the Danforth 1 and 3 Federal Coal Leases" prepared for Consolidation Coal Company. The report in its entirety can be found in Exhibit 11, Wildlife Information. The report provides an inventory of site specific and regional wildlife resources of the Danforth 1 and 3 Federal Coal Leases and vicinity and was complete April 1984 through June 1985. Existing background information was complemented by a year-long program of site-specific field studies. Although the focus of the study is of a much broader regional scale than necessary for areas to be mined by Colowyo, it offers very valuable information to update the original baseline information in the initial Colowyo permit. In most cases the report serves to reconfirm many of the predictions initially made by Colowyo regarding the impacts of mining to local wildlife populations. Colowyo has made every effort to coordinate all studies, management techniques, and habitat improvement programs with the State and Federal agencies having responsibility for managing wildlife habitat. Several meetings were held with USFWS and CDOW personnel during 1979 and 1980 to discuss any additional resource information that is available and also to assess the management techniques employed by Colowyo. CDOW personnel were contacted November, 1990 regarding any significant updates on their Wildlife Value Maps. Map 14, Wildlife Agent Information was updated and reflects these changes. The following wildlife resource information has been developed from five years of observations, site specific analysis, existing literature, contracts with wildlife biologists at other mines in northwest Colowyo, and numerous contacts with State and Federal Wildlife officials. Most of the following information remains virtually unchanged as submitted initially in the First Colowyo Permit Application. Notations are made where necessary to refer the reader to substantially updated information in the CDM November, 1985 report. Wildlife Habitat Use Study Colowyo initiated a revegetation and wildlife habitat use study in 1974 to determine the feasibility and techniques of revegetating with native shrub revegetation adapted to the mine site. The study consisted of two separate but closely coordinated areas. The main objective of the revegetation test plot study was to determine the most cost effective and successful methods of establishing mature shrubs. The revegetation test plot study is set forth in Exhibit 10, Vegetation Information. The wildlife habitat use study was Rule 2 Permits 2.04.11-1 Revision Date: 6/23/08 Revision No.: MR-91