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Inc., 1987, 1989, 1993, 7/94, 8/94, 11/94, 1996, 1997) and (Archeological Environmental Research
<br />Corp., 1990). The surveys were completed under the Federal Exploration License Numbers COC-
<br />51751, COC-5381, COC-53793, COC-58219, COC-60622, and those described in the 1996
<br />revision of the West Elk Mine, CDMG Permit No.C-80-007. No cultural resources were identified
<br />in those investigations. Additional cultural resource reports titled, “Mountain Coal Company’s
<br />West Elk Mine Gob Vent/De-gas Boreholes Class III Cultural Resource Inventory T13S, R90W,
<br />Sections 23, 26, 27, 34, and 35 Gunnison County, Colorado, June 2001”, and “Mountain Coal
<br />Company, West Elk Mine, Block Cultural Resource Inventory (140 acres) for Five Drill Pad
<br />Locations and Access, T13S, R90W, Gunnison County, Colorado, August 2001”, also showed
<br />negative results. Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. completed a cultural resource inventory
<br />of Mountain Coal Company L.L.C.’s E Seam MDW Drilling for Panels 10, 11, 12, E 1, E 2, and
<br />E 3, Gunnison County, Colorado. The attached survey was completed June 28, 2007 and no
<br />cultural resources were identified. This survey was sent to the USFS Archaeologist and the
<br />Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO). Other previous cultural resource surveys
<br />for the adjacent drilling are titled “Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine, Drill Pads for Panels
<br />16, 17, 17S, Class III Cultural Resource Inventory, Gunnison County, Colorado“ and “Mountain
<br />Coal Company, West Elk Mine, Drill Pads for Panels 18 to 24, Class III Cultural Resource
<br />Inventory, Gunnison County, Colorado“. No cultural resources were identified in these
<br />investigations.
<br />
<br />A Cultural Resources Survey (Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mine, Methane Drainage Wells
<br />19-09, 19-10 and 19-11 and Access Corridors, Cultural Resource Inventory, Gunnison County,
<br />prepared by Greystone Environmental Consultants) of a nearby area (within approximately one-
<br />half mile) was conducted and the results indicate that, “Pad location 19-09 is on an area of
<br />reasonably flat ground but it is on a high, inaccessible ridge top far from any reliable source of
<br />water. The other two locations are on a small, moderately sloping portion of steep slopes above
<br />an unnamed gulch. Most of the access is along extremely steep slopes with no reliable source of
<br />water and no distinctive or abundant resources. None of these locations have any potential for
<br />undiscovered subsurface cultural materials.” Greystone Environmental Consultants, Inc.
<br />submitted the report to Susan Collins, the Colorado State Archaeologist June 7, 2005.
<br />
<br />In total there have been 19 Archaeological and Cultural Resources surveys completed in the area
<br />and none have resulted in a finding of cultural resources. See the attached references in the
<br />attached Alpine Archaeology Consultants, Inc., E Seam MDW Drilling for Panels 10, 11, 12, E 1,
<br />E 2, E 3, Gunnison County, Colorado.
<br />
<br />PROPOSED LOW-VOLUME ROADS and INGRESS/EGRESS ROUTES
<br />
<br />The project will be ingressed from the mine which is off State Highway 133 and Sylvester Gulch
<br />Road, as much as possible. MCC has a Road-Use Permit (attached) with the USFS to use
<br />existing USFS classified roads. Sylvester Gulch Road is covered by MCC’s Road-Use Permit.
<br />Approximately 0.17 miles of road will be required to complete the accessibility to B Panels 26-1
<br />through 26-4 mine ventilation boreholes. In addition approximately 1 mile of existing ATV
<br />trails will be improved to drill road specifications. These low-volume roads will be designed as
<br />described in AASHTO Guidelines for Geometric Design of Very Low-Volume Local Roads,
<br />2001 or as directed in the field by USFS engineering and roads personnel. Document FSH
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