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reptiles are also found in the permit area. Fish are generally limited to perennial sections of streams and game fish aze entirely limited to the Purgatoire River. Raptors utilize the permit and adjacent area and 39 species of other birds were noted during bird surveys. Climate in the area is semi-azid, with approximately 15 inches of precipitation annually. Forty- four (44) percent of the total annual precipitation comes in the form of rainfall during the months of May, July and August, and sixty-seven (67) percent occurs between May and October. Wind speeds average slightly over 8 miles per hour on an annual basis and are out of the southwest one third of the time. Description of the Activities Resulting in Reclamation Surface mining proceeded under the approved plan from about October 2001 till June 2002. At that time, the mine entered a brief period of temporary cessation before deciding to cease all operations and reclaim the disturbed azea. Three excess spoil fills were constructed as per the design plan and all highwalls were backfilled and eliminated. Drainage control was established above and adjacent to the fills as well as along permanent roadways and along selected highwall azeas in accordance with the approved plan. With the exception of three small azea exemptions (office area, service area, and topsoil stockpile #2), all disturbed azeas drain to sediment ponds. Roads leading to and passing through the surface mine azea were preexisting and were widened in only a few places to accommodate traffic. With the exception ofhydro-seeding the road embankments and maintaining the road berms to accommodate drainage function, roads will remain for activities consistent with the approved land use of rangeland and to accommodate pre- existing activities of coal bed methane extraction and transport. Surface mining began at the eastern side of the ridge between Jeff Canyon and the Purgatoire River. Mining progressed to the west, with development of a highwall and fill construction in the small side drainages. Overburden material was moved using a combination of dozers, trucks and loaders, and cast blasting. Sediment control structures were constructed in advance of the disturbance in each watershed. Overburden material was regraded to approximate the original contour prior to re-application of subsoil and/or topsoil material. Following backfilling and grading, topsoil will be re-applied to approved depths. Three borrow areas were approved due to the eazly termination of mining. The revegetation plan has three main objectives. The first is to assist in controlling excessive erosion and sedimentation. Secondly, the objective is to establish a vegetative cover that is ecologically comparative to the native, pre-mine community. A final objective is to restore wildlife, grazing, watershed, and aesthetic values to meet the post-mining land use. The mining permit was approved as a Mountain Top Removal operation. As such, the operator is exempt from the requirements of Rules 4.14.1-4.14.5 regarding restoration of lands affected to approximate original contour (AOC). However, the approved post-mining topography calls for a ridgeline to be reconstructed in a surface configuration that maintains the same geomorphic northeast-southwest trend, maintains original watershed basin boundaries, and will in places complement drainage patterns of the surrounding terrain. Furthermore, although the original plan called for mining of the entire fraction of the mountain above the lowest coal seam to be 6