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y i ~ r: <br />Because of the previously disturbed nature of this site, it was not possible <br />to obtain a pre-mining inventory for vegetation. However, a review of the <br />surrounding areas was undertaken which identified three vegetation <br />communities: pinyon-juniper, mountain shrub, and cropland. The majority of <br />the surface facilities affected the pinyon-juniper community while the <br />sediment pond is located in the cropland area. No threatened or endangered <br />plant species were identified in the La Plata No. 1 Mine area. <br />A variety of wildlife utilize the area surrounding the La Plata No. 1 Mine. <br />Because of the disturbed nature of the land, wildlife utilization of the <br />surface facilities area encompassing about seven acres is almost <br />non-existent. A survey of the area by the Colorado Division of Wildlife <br />identified the general area as mule deer summer range. No threatened or <br />endangered species were identified. <br />The Operations and Reclamation Plan <br />La Plata Coal Corporation proposes to permit 192.97 acres of which 111 acres <br />will be affected by mine development activities. A total of seven (7) acres <br />of the proposed permit area have been disturbed by the surface facilities that <br />support the underground operations. These seven (7) acres have been <br />previously disturbed as mining commenced at this site around 1905. All 192.97 <br />acres of this proposed permit are privately owned. <br />Surface facilities either existing or proposed include an office trailer, a <br />bath-house, a shop, a powder magazine, a fuel storage area, a mine exhaust <br />fan, a guard trailer, an overland conveyor system, a coal crusher, four <br />storage bins, a weight scale, two leach fields, and a drainage control <br />system. Also, there is an access road leading from La Plata County Road 120 <br />to the upper mine bench area. <br />Coal removal operations will occur in the upper or "A" coal seam of the <br />Menefee Formation. Anticipated coal production is 61,200 tons per year with a <br />total five-year permit term production of 306,000 tons. Coal, which is <br />privately owned, will be mined utilizing conventional mining methods. The <br />coal will first be cut using a cutting machine, then drilled, blasted, and <br />loaded onto a conveyor system for transport out of the mine. This same <br />conveyor will transport the coal from the upper mine bench area down to the <br />coal crushing, storage, and loadout area. The coal will run across a shaker <br />screen and then be crushed prior to storage in one of four bins. The four <br />products proposed to be stored at the La Plata No. 1 Mine are lump, nugget, <br />stoker, and fine coal. <br />Once mining activities have been completed, the portal entries will be <br />backfilled and graded. The area will be graded to the approximate original <br />contour. Following final backfilling and grading operations, the area will be <br />covered with the best suitable soil material found on site. The redistributed <br />medium will then be fertilized, seeded, and mulched. The proposed final land <br />use will be cattle grazing with incidental wildlife usage for the areas north <br />of La Plata County Road 120 and cropland for the Hay Gulch areas south of this <br />County road. <br />-7- <br />