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TAB 23 <br />• <br />FISH AND WILDLIFE PLAN <br />Introduction <br />In the development of the Seneca II-W Mine, fish and wildlife resources have been studied to provide a <br />baseline upon which to develop mitigation plans to protect and, where feasible, enhance fish and <br />wildlife resources and related values. Details of the baseline studies are found in Tab 10, Vegetation, <br />and Tab 11, Wildlife Resources. The following mitigation plan was developed based on the results of <br />these studies and consultation with the Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOWI and the U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife Service (USFWSI. The plan addresses the requirements of Rule 2.05.6121 and 4.18 of the <br />Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. <br />Mine Area <br />The total acreage within the mine permit area is approximately 4,100 acres. The total acreage to be <br />disturbed is approximately 1,610 acres. Thus, approximately 60 percent of the area within the permit <br />area will not be disturbed. The majority of the undisturbed ground within the permit area is contiguous <br />with undisturbed ground adjacent to the permit boundary Isee Exhibit 20-11. Given that the permit area <br />is not heavily utilized by wintering big game populations, undisturbed land, reclaimed land within the <br />permit boundary, and adjacent lands outside the permit area are expected to be capable of supporting <br />any wintering big game which would be displaced by mining operations. <br />For those areas disturbed by mining, the proposed Grading Plan (Tab 201 will create a topography <br />which will maintain surface undulations to provide shelter for wildlife. These undulations will enhance <br />the topographic diversity and mitigate the temporary loss of shrub cover habitat for a variety of wildlife <br />species. <br />A general review of how the postmining topography is developed is beneficial at this point. After the <br />coal is removed and backfilling and grading is initiated, postmine drainage patterns are established. <br />After drainages are established, the remaining overburden is graded and shaped between drainages. <br />The design contours are based on an average projected swell factor, distance to transport fill material, <br />and blending of postmine contours with adjacent, undisturbed areas. The stream channels are designed <br />and act as a control for the final overall reclaimed topography. Localized variation in swell factor, spoil <br />pile size, and backfill available for final grading introduce a diversity of topography in the "inter-stream" <br />areas which cannot be accounted for on a 1"=400' scale map. The result is site-specific variability in <br />the postmine topography, which creates humps, small swales, and other topographic diversity. A <br />prime example of this is at the Seneca II Mine five miles to the east, which was evaluated by W.D. <br />Clark (CDOW) in a letter to V. Ptannenstiel IPCCI, June 11, 1981, which said, "Finally, I want to <br />• mention how good the landform looks on some of your reclaimed areas. I am confident that some <br />Revised 9/98 <br />