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Summary <br /> The Review Process <br /> AMC's application for Successive Renewal No. 9 (RN-09) of Permit C-1980-004 was received by <br /> the Division on February 16,2021. The application included a renewed certificate of insurance, in <br /> addition to the required application form and proposed newspaper public notice. The application <br /> was deemed complete on February 26, 2021, and notices were provided to various local, state, and <br /> federal agencies on that date. Verification of the Office of Surface Mining's Applicant/Violator <br /> System was conducted on June 25,2021. No problems were found. <br /> The Division received comments regarding this RN-9 for the McClane Canyon Mine. The <br /> Colorado State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) submitted a letter dated March 5, 2021. The <br /> letter stated SHPO had made a finding that the proposed renewal had no adverse effects on any <br /> historic archeological sites. The Division also received notification on April 6, 2021 that Colorado <br /> Parks and Wildlife (CPW)would like to conduct a site inspection of the McClane Canyon Mine. <br /> A joint inspection involving CPW,AMC and the Division occurred on April 27, 2021. CPW <br /> inspected the site to observe the vegetative conditions and weed management practices at the mine. <br /> The Division received CPW's comment letter on May 18,2021. CPW's Comment letter contained <br /> recommendations for the operator that the Division forwarded to ACM in the June 6, 2021 <br /> Adequacy Review Letter. <br /> Description of the Environment <br /> The McClane Canyon Mine is located approximately 20 miles north of Loma, Colorado, at an <br /> elevation of approximately 5,800 feet. Land use within the permit and adjacent areas is rangeland <br /> supporting both livestock grazing (cattle) and wildlife habitat. There is some irrigated agriculture <br /> in the East Salt Creek Valley adjacent to the permit area. Livestock grazing is generally confined <br /> to the lower lying canyon bottom lands. The steep canyon sideslopes and rugged uplands are <br /> primarily used by wildlife. Both mule deer and elk utilize habitat within and adjacent to the permit <br /> area in various seasons, and are the most common large mammals. Black bear and mountain lion <br /> also occur in the area, along with numerous smaller mammals, songbirds, raptors, mourning doves <br /> and chukar partridge. <br /> McClane Canyon is located in the Book Cliffs area just north of the Grand Valley. This area is <br /> northeast of the Garmesa Anticline and on the southern flank of the Piceance Basin. Local strata <br /> strike north-northwest and dip to the northeast into the Piceance Basin at between 2 and 3 degrees. <br /> The surface geology of the permit area is made up of the Mesa Verde Group of Upper Cretaceous <br /> Age,the Wasatch Formation of Lower Tertiary Age, and alluvium and colluvium of Quaternary <br /> Age. All local coal seams are in the Mount Garfield Formation of the Mesa Verde Group. The <br /> Mount Garfield Formation consists of fine grained to medium grained sandstones, gray shales, and <br /> coal bearing zones. The Sego Sandstone underlies the Mount Garfield Formation. Overlying the <br /> Mount Garfield Formation is the Hunter Formation,which contains massive cliff-forming <br /> sandstones that outcrop along the canyon walls of East Salt Creek. The Mount Garfield Formation <br /> v <br />