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• 18. Fish and Wildlife Resources Information. Because of <br />the permit area's extensive mining activities, and the <br />current state of dilapidated buildings and unsightly remnant <br />mine facilities, and proximity to U. S. Highway 160, there <br />is no evidence that deer, elk or other large wildlife animals <br />frequent the proposed portal areas or affected area. The <br />lack of running water precludes the existence of fish. <br />19. Prime Farm Land Investigation. The nature of the <br />affected premises is high, steep, rocky, not irrigated and <br />previously heavily mined. Insofar as the applicant is able <br />to ascertain, the permit area has never been considered for <br />farm lands, and the state of soil and availability of water <br />is such that use for farm land is virtually non-existent. <br />20. Coal Operation Plan. Applicant's proposed operation <br />will be principally an underground, drift mine using room <br />and pillars, short wall, long wall, continuous or other <br />othodox methods of extraction. Entries into the coal will <br />be from a portal or portals in potentially two points as <br />designated on Map B, though the tentative upper portal <br />entryway P-2 is not expected to be used. In addition, on <br />Map A-1, there is shown an area designated s III s a <br />potential portal entrance and surface planne -ar~~ A <br />decision on this portal entrance is waiting an examination <br />of the underlying B-4 coal seam. <br />• Excavations will continue in the vicinity of the Green <br />Pond and run northwesterly to the point of the portal entry. <br />Surface and near surface coal will be recovered, if possible, <br />from all of these excavations. Entry drifts wil] be driven <br />horizontally or slightly upgrade into the coal seam or <br />seams. Drifts from the main entries will be driven right <br />and left into the coal seam possibly every 200 feet from <br />which the room and pillar method of coal development and <br />extraction will be applied. Preliminary plans are for <br />development drifts at intervals of about 200 feet and pillars <br />at about 50 foot spacing. Pillar dimensions will be 50 x 50 <br />feet initially, but this•may be altered for purposes of <br />efficiency or mine safety. Drifts 15 feet wide would give <br />about 50~ extraction of coal. <br />The coal seam will be undercut and possibly topcut with <br />a mechanical coal cutter, then drilled and shot with approved <br />explosive. The broY.en coal will be loaded with a scoop <br />loader, hauled to a belt conveyor or dumped into underground <br />haulage vehicles, either of which will convey the coal to <br />the portal and the surface plant outside the mine. The rata <br />coal will be screened and the various sizes of coal stock- <br />piled ready for shipment to customers. Roof bolts will be <br />used throughout the mine. <br />. At any particular time, the active coal extraction <br />- 1.1 - <br />