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• represents an improvement with regard to wildlife habitat. This has been the case at <br />several mines, including the Blue Ribbon mine (located near Somerset, CO) which is <br />surrounded by oak brush vegetation. DMG inspectors noted that elk and deer were <br />selectively foraging the reclaimed area. An herbaceous reclaimed site of the size that <br />exists at North Thompson Creek, which is very similar in size to the disturbed area at Coal <br />Ridge, increases the habitat diversity for that locale, and as such, is valuable to wildlife. <br />The surrounding woody dominated matrix is very common habitat - it is not a rare and <br />endangered one. Therefore, reestablishing woody plants is not particularly beneficial or <br />necessary. <br />Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I will be back from <br />vacation in mid-June if you wish to visit the site before making a determination. <br />Sincerely, <br />Matthew S. Hayes <br />President <br />Jim Sto_v_er ('MOQ EC, Ific�Dan Mathews (Division of Minerals and Geology). <br />4-651 v <br />9/98 <br />RN -03 <br />7R—zd <br />