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Mines are next to the West Elk Mine on the west. The inactive Oliver Mine is next to <br />West Elk on the east. <br />The West Elk Mine is on the western flank of the West Elk Mountains in the drainage <br />basin of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The climate is semi -arid. Topography is <br />characterized by steeply sloping mountains covered primarily with tall shrub vegetation, <br />particularly Gambel oak and Saskatoon serviceberry. The general area where the mine is <br />located is currently used for grazing domestic livestock (cattle and sheep) and wildlife <br />(deer and elk). Recreational activities such as big game hunting also occur here. <br />Slopes range from 0 to 60 percent on the permit area, and elevations range from 5,900 <br />feet at Somerset in the valley of the North Fork, to above 8,000 feet in the southeast <br />corner of the permit area. <br />The steep slopes of the stream valleys and the instability of the rock strata in the North <br />Fork drainage basin have contributed to numerous landslides, mud flows and rock falls. <br />These mass wasting features have been mapped by W.R. Junge of the Colorado <br />Geological Survey and published as an open file report, entitled "Geologic Hazards, <br />North Fork Gunnison River Valley, Delta and Gunnison Counties, Colorado." <br />The primary land uses within the permit area are characterized as rangeland and <br />woodland, supporting big game (deer and elk) and livestock (cattle and sheep). Portions <br />of the permit area are within the boundaries of Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison <br />National Forests. <br />Permit History <br />Mountain Coal Company, formerly the West Elk Coal Company, applied on <br />November 6, 1979 for a permit to conduct underground mining and reclamation <br />operations at the West Elk Mine, formerly the Mt. Gunnison No. 1 Mine. The five -year <br />permit was issued on July 31, 1981, pursuant to the Colorado Surface Coal Mining <br />Reclamation Act, CRS 34 -33 -101 et seq. The permit was renewed on 9 April 1987 (RN- <br />01), 16 December 1992 (RN -02), 25 June 1996 (RN -03), 31 July 2001 (RN -04), 13 <br />February 2007 (RN -05) and 17 October 2011 (RN -06). <br />Section II — Revisions to Permit C- 1980 -007 <br />Since the approval of Permit Renewal No. 06 (17 October 2011), the following minor <br />revisions (MR), technical revisions (TR) and bond releases (SL) have been received for <br />the West Elk mine, Permit No. C- 1980 -007. <br />Minor Revision 382 — This revision permitted MDW's E3 -61 and E3 -64. The revision <br />was received on 19 October 2011, deemed complete on 20 October <br />2011 and approved on 20 October 2011. <br />Colowyo Mine 2010 Midterm Review <br />Permit No. C- 1981 -019 10 May 2010 <br />