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• SOILS <br />Soils on West Flat Iron Mesa is a silty and sandy loam mainly derived from the Wasatch <br />Formation. A sandstone and conglomerate bedrock is present throughout most of the <br />mesa extent as observed from the rock outcropping azound the mesa. <br />By limiting the size of drill sites to 100' x 200' and salvaging topsoil for reclamation <br />purposes, revegetation should not be a problem in this area. The revegetation of the <br />previous drill pad sites has been very successful and in adjacent exploration areas. <br />WILDLIFE <br />The project area is an important range for deer, elk, and bear. Other animals in the project <br />area include coyote, rabbit, porcupine, beaver, squirrel, mice and other rodents. The <br />proposed gob vent de-gas borehole project will be managed to avoid conflicts with the <br />deer and elk on winter range and user conflict during big game hunting season. <br />Operations will be located such as to not interfere with raptor nesting sites, including <br />Golden and Bald Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon. <br />THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES <br />• Previous Threatened and Endangered (T&E) clearance surveys have not identified <br />threatened or endangered plant or animal species on West Flat Iron, Dry Fork, or within <br />adjacent coal exploration areas of Ravens Gulch or Sylvester Gulch. <br />The gob vent / de-gas borehole pads are within the area covered by the Final West- <br />Central Colorado Coal Environmental Statement prepazed by the U.S. Department of the <br />Interior, BLM, 1979. The portion applicable to this section is covered on pages 573 <br />through 582. The EIS concluded that no threatened or endangered plants (pp.573-577), or <br />aquatic species (pp. 580-582) exist in the area. The only endangered wildlife species is <br />the bald eagle, which does inhabit the North Fork Gunnison Valley during the winter <br />months. <br />Several Environmental Analyses have been conducted on the Ravens Gulch Exploration <br />Area which encompasses the proposed gob vent / de-gas pads. The most recent analysis <br />was completed in 1998 for 19 drill holes and associated temporary access roads. The <br />Decision Memo and Finding of No Significant Impact, Mountain Coal Company, <br />Proposed Coal Exploration License, as approved by Mr. Ray L. Kingston, Paonia District <br />Ranger (4-13-98), stated "The proposed action will not adversely affect an endangered or <br />threatened species or its critical habitat." The proposed activity of this project is nearly <br />identical to the approved activity on the Ravens Gulch Exploration License. <br />The proposed borehole drilling will occur in the late spring 2001 and avoid riparian <br />• habitats to the extent possible. Operations will be located such as not to interfere with <br />