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STATE OF COLORADO
<br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY
<br />Department of Natu21 Resources
<br />1313 Steelman SL, Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />Plwne: (303) 8663567
<br />FAx: (303) 832106
<br />July 13, 2006
<br />Ron Velarde
<br />NW Regional Wildlife Manager
<br />Colorado Division of Wildlife
<br />NW Regional Service Center
<br />711 Independent Ave.
<br />Grand Junction, CO 81505
<br />Re: Colowyo Coal Mine (Permit No. C-1981-019)
<br />Permit Revision Application No. 2 (PR-2)
<br />Expansion of the Existing Permit Boundary
<br />Located to the West and South
<br />Dear Mr. Velarde:
<br />COLORADO
<br />DIVISION O F
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<br />GEOLOGY
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<br />Russell George
<br />Executive Director
<br />Ronaid w. canals
<br />Division Director
<br />Natural Resource Trustee
<br />Area to Include Approximately 6,050 Acres of Land
<br />The Division of Minerals and Geology hereby issues notice, in accordance with Title 34, Article 33, Section 1 18,
<br />Pazagraph 3, of the Colorado Revised Statutes, that on July 13, 2006, an application to revise coal mining
<br />operations at the Colowyo Coal Mine was considered complete for the purposes of filing. All review and
<br />comment periods as provided in the Act and the Regulations initiate from this date of filing.
<br />The Colowyo Coal Company has submitted an application for Permit Revision 2 (PR-02) for the Colowyo Mine.
<br />The proposed revision is for the extension of mining in the South Taylor Creek (to the south of the current
<br />operations) and Lower Wilson Creek (to the west of the current operations). The revision includes 6,050.1 new
<br />permit acres, of which 3,826.7 acres are private lands and 2,223.4 acres are federal lands. The mineral ownership
<br />includes 830.9 acres of private mineral rights and 5,219.2 acres of federal mineral rights. The revision proposes to
<br />disturb an additional 905.0 acres and affect 914.2 acres with multi-seam surface and highwall mining methods.
<br />The operator is also requesting variances from contemporaneous reclamation and approximate original contour for
<br />[he South Taylor mining area, There will be an increase in the reclamation liability associated with this revision.
<br />The Surface coal mining operation is on land located approximately 28 miles South of Craig, Colorado. The
<br />permit area is further described as follows:
<br />All or portions of Sections 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, IQ 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 and T3N, R93W; and Sections 13, I5, 22, 23,
<br />24, 26, 27, 28, 33 and 34, T4N, R93W; 6th Prime Meridian.
<br />The above-mentioned tracts of land are shown on USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangle map of Axial and Nine Mile Gap.
<br />Because the above referenced permit revision application would incorporate additional lands into the permit area
<br />or might otherwise alter previously approved permit conditions or mitigation measures, we are requesting your
<br />agency's evaluation of the proposal. Your comments and concerns relating to the adequacy of fish and wildlife
<br />resources information, the fish and wildlife plan, and the reclamation plan as it relates to fish and wildlife
<br />considerations, including potential impacts to threatened or endangered species, are requested. Your evaluation of
<br />Office of Office of Colorado
<br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines Geological Survey
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