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Swainson's hawk, golden eagle, and American kestrel. Bald eagles and an osprey were sighted <br />east of the permit area. <br />Breeding Birds <br />Forty-one species of breeding birds were observed during the baseline wildlife surveys. Species <br />distribution observed in specific habitats were: 28 species on bottomland areas, 20 species in <br />mountain brush, 17 species in aspen, and 15 species in sagebrush. <br />Small Mammals <br />Six species of rodents and one species of shrew were captured during the baseline wildlife <br />survey. <br />Other Mammals <br />Other mammals observed during the survey were porcupine, yellow -bellied marmot, coyote, red <br />squirrel, and bat. Species identified by sign, but not observed, were badger, beaver, and skunk. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation <br />The coal was mined by surface mining methods, beginning in the northern section of the permit <br />boundary, then progressing south in subsequent permit terms. The majority of the coal was <br />mined from the Wadge seam, the exception being the mining area located in the southwest part <br />of Section 20 and the northeast part of Section 29, where Wolf Creek Coal was also mined. The <br />initial boxcut, developed in October 1996, was located in the northeast area of Section 17, and <br />progressed upgradient to the southeast. Mining continued in the neck area, moving southward <br />through the eastern portion of Section 17. Mining was completed in Sections 19 and 20, in <br />February of 2006. <br />The Wadge coal seam is overlain by 50 to 60 feet of sandstones, with interbedded shales and <br />siltstones. The thickness of the Wadge coal that was mined was 9 to 13 feet. The Wolf Creek <br />coal seam is overlain by 150 to 215 feet of sandstones, shales, siltstones, and thin coals. The <br />Wolf Creek seam, in the area that was mined, ranges from 12 to 18 feet in thickness. <br />Production rates at the mine for the operational period ranged from 137,000 tons per year to <br />1,031,330 tons per year. The mine operated through 2006, averaging 730,000 tons per year for a <br />total of 7.7 million tons of coal. <br />The mining process included clearing of vegetation, topsoil removal, overburden blasting and <br />removal, and coal blasting and removal. Reclamation was contemporaneous with mining, and <br />included backfilling, grading, topsoil redistribution, and reestablishment of vegetation. <br />Vegetation was cleared and either disposed of in the active pit, or placed on reclaimed areas for <br />use by wildlife as cover. <br />10 <br />