Laserfiche WebLink
are encountered at the Southfield Mine. In the following narrative, we will address numerous <br />examples of currently approved woody plant density revgetation success criteria the Division has <br />previously approved for other mines in Colorado which have operated for decades and continue <br />to operate in areas dominated by the Mountain Brush type or more specifically the Oakbrush <br />plant community. <br />In Moffat County in Northwest Colorado, at the Colowyo Mine, which is currently the largest <br />surface mine in the state, which is dominated in large measure by the Oakbrush vegetation type, <br />the Division has currently approved a woody plant density revegetation success standard of 375 <br />stems per acre. At the Trapper Mine near Craig, on a site dominated mostly by the Oakbrush <br />vegetation type, the Division has currently approved a woody plant density revegetation success <br />standard of 400 stems per acre. <br />In neighboring Routt County, the Division approved final bond release at the Energy Mine No. 1 <br />and Eckman Park mines on 2,388.5 acres of lands dominated almost entirely prior to mining as <br />Mountain Shrub /Oak Brush and Aspen plant communities, final bond release was granted with a <br />woody plant density revegetation success value of zero. At the Peabody Coal, Seneca II -W <br />Mine, located to the south of Hayden and dominated prior to mining predominately by Oakbrush, <br />the currently approved woody plant density revegetation success standard is 450 stems per acre. <br />At the Sun Coal, Meadows No. 1 Mine, located near Mount Harris, to the east of Hayden and <br />dominated prior to mining predominately by Oakbrush, the approved woody plant density <br />revegetation success standard and bond release standard was zero. At the Grassy Creek Mine, <br />located to the southeast of Hayden and dominated predominately by Oakbrush prior to mining, <br />the approved woody plant density revegetation success standard was zero. At the Peabody Coal, <br />Yoast Mine, southeast of Hayden and dominated prior to mining predominately by Oakbrush, the <br />approved woody plant density revegetation success standard is 450 stems per acre. At the Edna <br />Mine, near Oak Creek and dominated prior to mining predominately by Mountain Brush <br />( Oakbrush) and Aspen, the approved woody plant density revegetation success standard was zero <br />for four of the five mine areas reclaimed and 1,000 stems per acre of the Moffat area, which <br />results in an approximate post mining woody plant revegetation woody plant density <br />revegetation success standard of 200 stems per acre. At the Apex Mine to the west of Oak Creek <br />and dominated prior to mining predominately by Oakbrush and improved pasture, the approved <br />woody plant density revegetation success standard was zero per acre. <br />In another EFCI underground mine located near Starkville, in Las Animas County and <br />dominated prior to mining as a Pinyon- Juniper plant community with a dense Oakbrush <br />understory, the Division approved in June 2005, TR -22 resulted in a revised woody plant density <br />revegetation success standard of 167 stems per acre. <br />Perhaps most importantly, immediately adjacent to the Southfield Mine, EFCI acquired the <br />reclamation liability of the Newlin Creek mine which has been formally released from <br />reclamation bond, with a zero woody plant density revegetation success standard. Also, on the <br />Corley property, which is included in the Southfield Mine permit area, there is also a zero woody <br />plant density revegetation success standard. <br />10 <br />