2015-05-12_REVISION - C1981014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

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