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United Stater Forexl Paonia P.O. Box .1030 <br />Department of Service Ranger I)i trier N Rio Grande Ave. <br />Agriculture PHONE NO. 970-527-0131 Paonia, CO 87428 <br />' ~ ~ t .FAX 970-527.41$] <br />• File Code: 2$2Q~ <br />Bate:' pecember 3, 2004 <br />Mr. Dave Barry <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology <br />1313 Sberman Street, Room 215 1. <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Dear Mz. Bairy, <br />Tlris letter is ro follow up a Jerre 29, 2004, joint £eId review.of reclaimed coal mine drilling sites <br />on`tlie Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre=Gunnison National Forests: (GMUG). Sahdy' Brotun from the . <br />Division, and Ryan Taylor, Liaae Mattson, Justin McConkey. and Dave;B.iatifoid from the <br />GIYIUG loved several sites in Mountain Coal Comp'ariy's ~'erlnit'areii for [kit: West Ellz Mine that <br />.are on national forest system (NFS) lands., <br />~i`. <br />The GMUG and the Division have.had on-going'discussions.ahout seed=tii <br />:.coal=mining ielated surface disturbance oii NESlands. As ytiti'aie Bluai't:. <br />Oiibow Ivlinitrg and Mountain Coal CoinpaiEy have fedeial coat-keasesait'd <br />.. . <br />.licenses av NF$ lands administered liy:the E`iMiJG; atldtherEfdre a13'o-l`ra~v~ <br />teei,~.-tw,. C4.:11_nM~rnvott'~nnrin~t-~r>ee:firm.T~T7:'C'rdtvie':._Trie!'a~kA~a6.iitiW~tr6 <br />Lev@get2Ee : ~. <br />nrrec ~: ~~ .. <br /> <br />i.. ,' <br />,~ - <br /> :'„'. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />tkie companies not achievii{a, reel'amation'bdrid release: - - <br />As fbe.srirface managing agency, the GMUG piesciik~s reclainat¢n;piactites~~d seedmizes: <br />tharsupport the primary land uses described in the Forest PIan, arid: w8ichsupport Fottist Plan ` <br />'standards, The GMUG makes these decisions, and prescribes how a n>}tung.coinpatiy can use <br />NFS lauds through stipulations on the federaPcoa4lcases ar exploiaiion licenses, attd tkiiougli ' <br />'conditions of approval' identified for speciFc surface disturbing activities: The ]case <br />stipulations and conditions of approval aze derived through the eiivironmentak':aitalyses the <br />GMUGmnst conduct to comply with the National F.nviromnental;~'olicy'AcY.(NEPA)>.T'ht: <br />fcdesat coal leases br exploration licenses, and the GMUG's NEPA itycksioits atfr* `condition's of <br />approval' applied to those decisions for surface disturbing activities, authorize the [Wining <br />cotnpatties to enter NFS lands as related to the Division's permitting actions: . <br />Under 30 CFR, Part 906 -Colorado, the Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA) has the <br />responsibility to ensure that the mine permit applicant's Bost-mining land use is consistent with <br />the land management plan and identify if the applicant's measures are adequate to protect federal <br />resources (Appendix A, Sections iV,C.l and V.D.I). The FLMA also has a concurrence role ' <br />with respect to post-anining lands use and adequacy ofprotection measwes (Appendix A, Section <br />VLC.). <br />• U~ <br />Caring for the Land and Serving Feopte <br />r <br />Rlnirtl an Rrcyoea wvp. ~« <br />