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West Elk Mine <br />Open Coal Stockpiles <br />The stockpiles are compacted and may be sprayed as necessary to eliminate particulate emissions <br />created during coal handling. <br />Fish and Wildlife Plan - 2.05.6(2) <br />The baseline wildlife information collected on the property indicates that the mine facilities area is not <br />of prime significance to major wildlife species. The affected area is not known to be critical habitat for <br />big game, except small areas of critical winter range for elk and mule deer along the North Fork <br />and Minnesota Creek. The North Fork corridor also provides winter concentration areas for <br />federally listed (threatened) bald eagles, but no roost sites or other critical habitat features for <br />bald eagles exist in the permit area. Fragmentary and relatively low -quality habitat for federally <br />listed (threatened) Canada lynx is identified in the permit area, but lynx are not known to occur <br />there and at best an occurrence or use would be peripheral to occupied range to the south. No <br />identified critical habitat features exist in the permit area for other raptors, migratory birds,,or <br />other threatened or endangered species. Cliffs in the permit area are not known to provide <br />important nesting or roosting habitat for raptors or other cliff -dependent wildlife. Water <br />depletions to the Colorado River Basin, if they occur, could adversely affect populations and <br />downstream critical habitat for four species of federally listed (endangered) Colorado River fish. <br />Water depletions of less than 100 acre-feet per year are considered adequately mitigated by <br />USFWS. <br />Using the best technology currently available and applying it to the extent reasonably feasible, <br />disturbances and adverse impacts of mining and related operations on fish, wildlife, and related <br />environmental impacts are miinirnized. Where practicable, enhancement of such resources is achieved. <br />In so doing, MCC will report to the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) the presence of any <br />threatened or endangered animal or plant species listed or proposed to be listed by the State or <br />Secretary of the Interior; any critical habitat of any threatened or endangered animal or plant species <br />listed or proposed to be listed by the State or Secretary of Interior; or any Bald or Golden Eagle, or nest <br />thereof, of which MCC becomes aware and which was not previously reported to the CDOW. The <br />electric power lines and other transmission facilities used for MCC's underground coal alining <br />operation on the permit area will be designed and constructed to prevent electrocution hazards to <br />large birds. <br />In compliance with the USFWS's "Windy Gap Process" (a determination of effect of water depletions <br />in the Colorado River Basin on four endangered fish species), MCC has calculated the net depletion of <br />water from the North Fork as a result of West Elk Mine's current and projected operations, including <br />production from the Jumbo Mountain and Box Canyon lease tracts and South of Divide area (Exhibit <br />67). This calculation is affected by any significant increase in production rates, but not by an increase <br />in the areal extent of coal to be mined. Should the rate of production or other factors affecting the net <br />depletion calculations change, the calculations would be revised. <br />MCC has taken the following factors into account to protect wildlife on the affected area: <br />1. Since the area is not a prune wildlife area, it is generally possible to operate and locate roads so <br />as to avoid and minimize impacts on fish and wildlife species. <br />2.05-102 Revised June 2005 PRIG, Rev. March 2006; Rex .4pril2006 PRIO; hfaj, 2006 PRIG, Nov. 2006 TR107, Sep. 2007PR-12,-Feb. 2008PR-12 <br />