Definition(s)

Sensitive Wildlife Habitat

SENSITIVE WILDLIFE HABITAT shall mean:

  1. mule deer critical winter range (being both mule deer winter concentration areas (that part of the winter range where densities are at least 200% of the surrounding winter range density during the same period used to define winter range in 5 out of 10 winters), and mule deer severe winter range (that part of the winter range where 90% of the individuals are located during the average 5 winters out of 10 from the first heavy snowfall to spring green-up)) (west of Interstate 25 and excluding Las Animas County);
  2. elk winter concentration areas (west of Interstate 25 and excluding Las Animas County);
  3. pronghorn antelope winter concentration areas (west of Interstate 25);
  4. bighorn sheep winter range;
  5. elk production areas (being that part of the overall range occupied by the females for calving) (west of Interstate 25 and excluding Las Animas County);
  6. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse and plains sharp-tailed grouse production areas (being an area that contains 80% of nesting and brood rearing habitat for any identified population);
  7. greater sage-grouse and Gunnison sage-grouse production areas (being an area that contains 80% of nesting and brood rearing habitat for any population identified in the Colorado Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plan (CDOW, 2008) or the Gunnison Sage-Grouse Range-Wide Conservation Plan (May 2005), respectively);
  8. lesser prairie chicken production areas (being an area that includes 80% of nesting and brood rearing habitat);
  9. black-footed ferret release areas;
  10. Bald Eagle nest sites and winter night roost sites; and
  11. Golden Eagle nest sites.

Maps showing and spatial data identifying the individual and combined extents of the above habitat areas shall be maintained by the Commission and made available on the Commission website, and copies of the maps shall be attached as Appendix VIII. The extent of sensitive wildlife habitat is subject to update on a periodic but no more frequent than biennial basis and may be modified only through the Commission’s rulemaking procedures, as provided in Rule 529. Any modifications to sensitive wildlife habitat shall not affect Form 2As or Comprehensive Drilling Plans approved prior to the effective date of such changes.

Source: Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Practice and Procedure, Code of Colorado Regulations, 2 CCR 404-1, February 2013. Regulations

 

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