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United States Forest Paonia P.O. Box 1030 <br />USDA Department of Service Ranger District N Rio Grande Ave. <br />Agriculture Paonia, CO 81428 <br />970 - 527 -4131 <br />Howard Strand <br />OSMRE <br />1999 Broadway, Suite 3320 <br />Denver, CO 80202 -3050 <br />Dear Mr. Strand: <br />File Code: 2820 <br />EG�,v�O Date: April 2, 2014 <br />R <br />�S10N� <br />G Rp <br />0 M1N1 p,N <br />The Paonia Ranger District of the Gunnison National Forest has reviewed the Partial Phase I <br />Bond Release SL -05 for Mountain Coal Company's West Elk Mine. The SL -05 bond release <br />decision submitted by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety ( CDRMS) <br />contains 13.85 acres of reclaimed methane drainage wells and methane drainage well access <br />roads on National Forest System lands in the Box Canyon area and on the surface above the E1 <br />and E4 longwall panels. <br />A Forest Service representative was present for the Phase I bond release inspection carried out <br />on June 19, 2013 last year along with representatives from the West Elk Mine, CDRMS, and the <br />Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement ( OSMRE). <br />The Paonia Ranger District agrees with the decision by CDRMS for Phase I Bond Release <br />because the reclamation observed during the inspections meets the criteria as defined in Rule <br />3.03.1 (2) which requires the permittee to successfully complete backfilling, regrading and <br />drainage control in accordance with the approved reclamation plan. <br />If you have any questions please contact Daniel Gray at degraynfs.fed.us or at (970) 527 -4131. <br />Sincerely, <br />//// 1� <br />LEVI K. BROYLES <br />District Ranger <br />Caring for the Land and Serving People Pentad on Recycled Paper <br />%0 <br />