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Mine Site Inspection
<br />Mine Name: Trapper Mine
<br />Permittee: Trapper Mining, Inc.
<br />Permit ID#: C-1981-010
<br />Inspection Date: July 6, 2016 8:00 — 4:30
<br />Inspection Type: Partial Phase III Bond Release (SL -17)
<br />Weather Conditions: Hot (80's and 90's), clear / scattered clouds, dry ground
<br />Participants:
<br />Christine Belka, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) #182
<br />Charlie Earl, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
<br />Tabetha Lynch, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS)
<br />Jennifer Maiolo, BLM
<br />Jason Musick, DRMS
<br />Grahan Roberts, Trapper Mining, Inc. (TMI)
<br />Jerod Smith, Colorado State Land Board
<br />Trapper is an active, producing, surface coal mine located just south of Craig, Colorado. This was a
<br />partial Phase III bond release inspection. In total, TMI proposed 450.2 acres of rangeland for Phase III
<br />release. These lands were reclaimed between 2001 and 2005. Two different seed mixes were used,
<br />leading to different revegetation success criteria. The primary difference being that range sites receiving
<br />the AB seed mix have a woody stem density standard while range sites receiving the C seed mix do not
<br />(productivity and cover only). TMI proposed 354.7 acres of AB rangelands in the D, F, and Z pits and
<br />95.5 acres of C rangelands in the A, D, and H pits.
<br />Phased bond release is outlined at Colorado Rule 3.03.1(2). At Phase III, the remaining portion of bond
<br />may be released for an area when all operations are completed in accordance with the approved plan and
<br />the revegetation responsibility period (10 years in areas receiving less than 26" average annual
<br />precipitation) has expired.
<br />TMI's reclamation parcel nomenclature indicates the former pit name (A, D, F, H, and Z pits included in
<br />this bond release action), the seed mix employed (either AB or C), and the year final seeding was
<br />completed. For instance, the parcel labeled F -AB -01 is in the F pit, received the AB seed mix, and was
<br />reseeded in 2001.
<br />We began the inspection on the large bond release block that encompasses F -AB -01, F -AB -02, F -AB -03,
<br />F -AB -04, F -AB -05 parcels. TMI owns the surface estate. Vegetation is dominated by great basin wild
<br />rye, cicer milkvetch, big sage, antelop bitterbrush, arrowleaf balsam root, blue fescue, flax, foxtail barley,
<br />and bluegrass. A patch of whitetop (approximately 50' x 50'), a List B noxious weed, had recently been
<br />sprayed. Vegetation otherwise consisted of desirable species and was dense and healthy. Shrub clumps
<br />within these parcels are doing well. Although the original shrub dies back, the roots remain healthy and
<br />will re -sprout from the base.
<br />Both small Z -AB -05 parcels, together comprising 38.7 acres, were well -vegetated. Great basin wild rye,
<br />big sage, yarrow, arrow leaf balsam root, penstemon, and alfalfa were all prevalent.
<br />H -C-03 and H -C-04 are on State lands. The areas exhibit good grass cover with herbaceous forbs present.
<br />Thistle was noted. Summer student employees have been spraying weeds throughout the permit area.
<br />Whitetop, houndstongue, musk thistle, and cheatgrass are the main weedy species within the permit area.
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