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..? . , 3480(170) COC 22644 COC 081330 COC 26914 Mr. Henry Austin U. S. Dept. of Interior Office of Surface Mining Western Regional Coordinating Center 1999 Broadway, Suite 3320 Denver, CO 80202-5733 Dear Mr. Austin: This letter is in response to your telephone request for concurrence with two decisions of Colorado~Division of Minerals and Geology to release all or parts of reclamation bonds held by Cyprus Yampa Valley Coal Corp. These decisions are identified as SL-03 and SL-O5 in Mine Permit No. C-81-071. SL-03 proposes to approve Phase II(III bond release for Block C. This area encompasses approximately 173 acres within part of federal coal lease C-22644. SL-OS proposes to approve Phase I bond release for 601 acres within Areas 51 and 61, including parts of federal coal leases C-22644,C-081330, and C-26914. The affected surface estate for both decisions is entirely privately owned. According to the written findings statement prepared by Kent Gorham of the Division of Minerals and Geology on October 31, 1996, "the lands have been successfully restored to the approved land use of pasture land; the revegetation success has been achieved and the lands are stable, revealing no evidence of erosion, slides, or damage; and there is no remaining reclamation to be completed within the area delineated as Block C." A review of the affected lease C-22644 indicates no conflict with the proposed bond release and the terms of the federal lease. Therefore, we have no objections to the proposed bond release SL- 03. The written findings document prepared by Janet Binns on December 6, 1996, states that "Colorado Yampa Coal Company [sic] has completed backfilling, grading and drainage reestablishment in mine plan areas 51 and 61 at the Eckman Park Mine in accordance with the approved reclamation plan." The proposed decision will release CYCC from liability for backfilling, grading, and drainage re-establishment on the subject portions of 601 acres of Areas 51 and 61 with the one