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~ ~ 2. The present Cameo Mine is the most practical and economic location of a mine site <br />to access and extract the reserves within C-01538. No outcrop or low cover (less than <br />200 to 300 feet) access will be possible from private land if the existing Cameo Mine <br />workings aze abandoned. The Cameo B bed does not outcrop anywhere within the <br />present C-01538 lease boundary, and all low-cover areas occur in narrow canyons <br />unsuitable for construction of the necessary surface facilities. The only outcrop access <br />outside C-01538 lies within lease C-037277, currently held by Pitkin Iron Corporation. <br />3. The majority of C-01538 lies within the Little Bookcliffs Wilderness Study Area <br />(WSA). Any new lease within the WSA would have to await Congressional exclusion of <br />the WSA from the Wilderness System. (The BLM has not recommended the WSA for <br />inclusion, primarily due to the underlying coal resource potential.) <br />4. It is unlikely that a future lessee would express an interest in or be able to mine <br />reserves immediately adjacent to the present mine workings. Presently-leased reserves <br />not included in a future lease would be permanently lost due to loss of access. <br />5. Other resource values would be adversely impacted by accessing the C-01538 reserves <br />from federal lands. A review of the Grand Junction Resource Area Resource <br />Management Plan shows these federal lands contain the following sensitive surface <br />resources: wild horse range, visual resources, peregrine falcon nesting habitat, deer and <br />elk winter range, and cultural values. Impacts to these surface resources can be avoided <br />~"•'a or mitigated through the recovery of the coal resource from Powderhorn's existing <br />°.,/ Cameo Mine and surface facilities. <br />Accordingly, we have determined that a suspension is in the interest of conservation, will <br />maximize recovery, avoid or minimize waste or loss of the leased mineral resource, and <br />will avoid or minimise damage to other natural resources. Therefore a suspension of <br />operations and production is granted for a period of 5 years, effective November 8, 1991, <br />subject to annual recertification as required by Stipulation 3 of this decision. <br />The following lease terms and conditions are suspended during the effective term of the <br />suspension: <br />1. Payment of rental effective November 1, 1991; <br />2. Beneficial use of the lease effective November 8, 1991; <br />3. The diligent development commercial quantities requirement; <br />4. Continued operation production requirement; and <br />S. MLA section 2(a)(2)(A) commercial quantities requirement. <br /> <br />