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MAR-17-2003 MON 08;20 AM FAX N0. P, 02 <br />03-19-03 C9:1SPM FROIi FORE6T SERVICE 10 PAONIA AD <br />DECISION MEMO <br />Mountain Coal Company, W est Elk Minc <br />OeotccJmical and Geophysical,Survaya in Sylvrurrtwlph <br />USllA-Forest Service <br />Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests . <br />Peoria Ranger District <br />Gunnison County, Colorado <br />I. INTRODUC'1'IUIV <br />Mountain Coal Company,(MGC) operatgs the Wcst Elk Mine, pit undyrgrouad coal misse <br />near Ylre town of Somerset, in Gunnison.County,Colosado. MCC mince coal from <br />several fodorat leases, some pf which ttndgrlie surface lands shat are a~+mtr+~~~ed~bylhe <br />USDA-Forest Service, Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forest (GMU~i), <br />Paonia Ranger District. <br />Since 2001, MCC has barn implementing a,program to install methane drainygy walk, <br />(MDWs) over ]ongwall panc-s in theundergrotuuimiac for the purposes of liberating. <br />cxcosa meibanp gas. It12Q02, the izMUG issued aIaecisian Notir~ and Finding ef.No <br />Sigrtilicant Impact (DN/FONSI, Coal Methane Drainage Project, Panels 16 to 24) that. <br />~tiwrired MCC to install 54'NIDWe, and oonsuuct the needed t'oads' T'ttatd3csisien ' <br />included authorization for MCC to build a road in 5ylvestcr Gulch; provided it could be , <br />placed on the canyon slopes outside the riparian corridor and water influence wne (WIZ) <br />in rho bottom of the dtaingge: Fio}d efforts in summer.2Q02 were' n~!~rrPSafi,1 in finding , <br />a feaeihle route on.the.canyon.siopea. . <br />in fn11,2002, MCC approached the GMUG with a proposal for a tnute in the bottotn of. <br />5ylvcstcr.Gulch. TheGMUGadvised;idCCthattLeywopldaeedtopresearr~tnpdlis~• <br />evidence thatsuch a route would be feasible, including,geotechnical datnto suppor6that <br />such a route would he stable.given the existing landslide activity in the gulch, <br />MCC proposed ageoteohnical and geophysical data gatlteri~ effortlo cvHccl the needed• <br />inforntation oa soil and slops stability in 5ylvestcr Gulch. <br />P02 <br />The portion of Sylvester Gulch to be surveyed is located in.the NE'/., N8'/.,.~Scction 28 <br />and the no~tb'/:, Sectiart27, T 13 S, R 90 W, shown on-the~artaohed:nep, <br />