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INTRODUCTION <br />2.04 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES <br />This section of the application provides a complete and accurate description of the environmental <br />resources that may be affected by the surface mining activities to be conducted by Colowyo in the South <br />Taylor/Lower Wilson permit revision area. <br />This application also provides a description of the environmental resources for the life -of -mine operations <br />area. <br />2.04.1— 2.04.2 Objectives and Responsibilities <br />The following sections provide a complete and accurate description of the environmental resources that <br />may be impacted by proposed surface coal mining operations. The applicant and federal and state <br />agencies have provided information required by this section. <br />2.04.3 Land Use Information <br />Information regarding the existing mining areas is presented in the previously approved permit document. <br />The pre -mine land use of the South Taylor/Lower Wilson permit revision area and adjacent lands were <br />mapped. Land use for the permit and adjacent areas was digitized and is provided on Map 17. Natural <br />color aerial photographs, printed at a scale of approximately 1:24,000 from photography taken in <br />September 1997, were used to update the Land Use information in the previously -approved permit <br />document. Air photo interpretation resulted in a few boundary changes for the crop and pasture land use <br />types. The "surface mine" category was expanded to include all mining associated disturbance. <br />Primary land use types identified in the permit area are rangeland and cropland. Present and potential <br />production of these land uses according to the soil types which lie within them are discussed in Section <br />2.04.9 Soil Resource Information. Areas designated as "Existing Mine" on Map 17 include surface coal <br />mine pits and mine facilities (e.g. maintenance shops, haulage routes, loadouts, offices, etc.) and areas <br />that have been mined, backfilled, topsoiled, and revegetated. "Rangeland" includes sheep and cattle <br />grazing. The croplands within the permit area have been traditionally cultivated for grass/alfalfa hay and <br />winter wheat. According to the information provided in the previously approved permit document, winter <br />wheat yields an average of 30 bushels/acre while irrigated hayland averages 3 tons/acre. Land conditions <br />within areas designated as rangeland may be described as good to fair with continued improvement due to <br />better land management techniques. Range Site Description and BLM estimates of forage production on <br />an animal unit month basis for the vegetation communities identified in the South Taylor/Lower Wilson <br />permit area are provided in Exhibit 9, Item 2 of Volume 2A of the existing permit document. No areas <br />within the South Taylor/Lower Wilson permit revision area have been previously mined. <br />The proposed post -mine land use for the South Taylor/Lower Wilson permit revision area will be <br />rangeland condition capable of supporting a diversity of wildlife. Alternative post -mine land uses may be <br />proposed for suitable areas within the permit revision area as deemed necessary. <br />South Taylor/Lower Wilson — Rule 2, Page 4 Revision Date: 11 / 19/15 <br />Revision No.: PR -04 <br />