PERMFILE70714

• Permit No: C1981029
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 12/11/2001
• Section_Exhibit Name: 2.05.5 POST-MINING LAND USES
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

III I III II I II IIII III Doc Date:12111/2001
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jlE 2.05.5 POST-MINING LAND USES
Sun Coal Company has returned all areas disturbed by mining to a
combination of swales, benches, uplands, and steep uplands as
discussed in Section 2.05.4 and shown on Map 19 and Map 20.
Prior to mining, the area was steeply sloping (10~ to 15~) and
covered predominantly by Mountain Shrub communities. Cover for
wildlife was plentiful; however, forage quality and availability
for livestock and wildlife were limited primarily by the low
palatability understory of grasses, sedges, and shrubs. Future
land use options were severely limited by steep slopes and the
highly erosive topsoils (see Section 2.04.3).
in response to these concerns, Sun Coal Company constructed the
post-mining topography in selected areas to be less steep in order
to create a larger pasture to support ranching activities. In
addition, to minimize rill and gullies forming on the backfilled
area, Sun Coal installed sediment control structures. Shrub
species were transplanted in scattered areas as mature clumps.
The long-term effect will be to produce high quality forage both
for livestock and wildlife. The "edge" created between the
reclaimed pasture and surrounding shrublands will increase use by
small non-game species. A detailed description of the techniques
and strategies utilized to reclaim the mined area is presented in
the preceding section.
The post-mining land use is consistent with land use plans of
the Routt County Regional Planning Commission. The present zoning
of the land is AF, Agriculture and Forestry, under the County
Zoning Resolution. No change in zoning is necessary to legalize
the proposed post-mining land use. None of the existing leases
suggest that the company should prepare the land for different

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