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• of the area for livestock and big game ranges widely depending on the type of soil, topography, and vegetation present. Annual production vaned from 250 to 3000 pounds per acre of air-dry understory vegetation in the Gunnison National Forest lands. Private Lands Private lands within the West Elk Mine permit area are either owned by or leased to Mountain Coal Company. Pre-mining land uses on these lands included cattle grazing, wildlife habitat, and dispersed recreational activities (hunting, trapping, off-road vehicle. use). These uses are consistent with adjacent public lands. Owners of these lands have not specifically quantified the capability or productivity of their lands based on the land uses identified above. Productivity and capability of these private lands should be expected to be comparable with analogous lands on the adjacent Gunnison National Forest. Annual production of between 250 to 3000 pounds per acre of air=dry understory vegetation could be expected, based on the soil type, vegetation community, and topography. On all azeas affected, Mountain Coal Company proposes to reclaim the azeas to capability and productivity consistent with the identified land uses of rangeland and wildlife habitat. This is accomplished through successful revegetation, as outlined in the reclamation plan in Section 2.05.4. Previous Mining: West Elk Permit and Adjacent Area The North Fork of the Gunnison River has been a coal mining district since at least 1902 when • operations at the Somerset Mine began. The mine was sold and ceased operation on December 31, 1985. The facilities of the Somerset Mine were reopened in 1991 with the development of the Sanborn Creek Mine to the east of the town of Somerset. The Hawk's Nest Mines, just east of the West Elk Mine, opened in 1912 and ceased operation in January of 1983. Bowie Resources Limited, formerly Cyprus Coal Company, Inc. and Colorado Westmoreland Inc., currently operates the Bowie Mine No. 1 (formerly the Orchard Valley Mine), just north of Paonia. The east portals opened in 1976 and the west portals in 1982 In addition, several small mines have operated for varying periods of time including the Bowie, Clazk, Converse, Edwards, Oliver, Farmers, and more recently the Blue Ribbon Mine. Except for the Blue Ribbon Mine, none of these mines operated for long. The Blue Ribbon Mine ceased operation in 1984. Since 1935, the Beaz Coal Company has operated coal mines near the West Elk Mine's permit area. From 1935 until 1982, the Beaz No. 1 and No. 2 Mines operated in the C-Seam of the Mesaverde Formation. This seam lies approximately 400 feet below the F-Seam in the same geographical azea as the West Elk Mine. Consequently, the Bear No. 1 and No. 2 Mine workings partly underlie the West Elk Mine workings. Map 5 shows the Beaz No. 1 and No. 2 mine workings that lie entirely on leases held by Mountain Coal Company. The Beaz No. 1 and No. 2 Mines were room and pillaz type mines. Because the Beaz Coal Company began mining the C-;Seam 45 years before Mountain Coal Company obtained its leases, it has been allowed to mine the~C-Seam under an assignment of operating rights from Mountain Coal Company. However, the Bear Coal Company must consider the subsequent recovery of the multiple seams above the current workings. The Beaz Coal Company currently operates the Beaz No. 3 Mine. This mine was opened in 1982 next to the West i• Elk Mine. The Beaz No. 3 surface facilities are located on property owned by Mountain Coal Company and leased to Bear Coal Company. The Beaz No. 3 Mine is mining in the B-Seam 2.04-4 Revised Jan. 1994 PROS; Revised Dec. 1994 TR74; Revised Jun. 1995 PR06; November 2004 PRI /