Laserfiche WebLink
<br />the slopes above 7,200 feet, while the grasslands are found on the terraces and toe slopes and in <br />the bottom of Ciruela Canyon. <br />The grassland type contains the dominant graminoid blue grama with several additional grasses, <br />forbs, and a sedge comprising the herbaceous component. Sage and snakeweed comprise the <br />woody component. Total vegetative cover is moderate 118 percent) and productivity is moderate <br />(565 Ib/acre). <br />The pinon-juniper forest community is dominated by pinon pine and Rocky Mountain juniper. The <br />understory is comprised of graminoids, forbs, and shrubby species and is much higher in species <br />composition than the nearby grassland. Sideoats, grama, blue grama, and mountain muhly are <br />dominant understory species. Total cover is low (ten percent), as is productivity (240 Ib/acre). <br />Soils in the area range from very shallow on the steep side slopes to deep, well drained loams <br />with adark-colored surface layer in the valley bottom along the Purgatoire River. <br />D_e_scription of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />Currently, 9,068 acres are permitted with a surface disturbance of about 59 acres. Federal <br />acreage is 962 acres. Coal extraction is by the longwall method, north of the Purgatoire River. <br />Coal is transported by belt to the surface. Here, the coal is minimally processed with the waste <br />being trucked to the coal processing waste area. Coal is hauled by truck to the New Elk Mine, <br />located about four miles to the west. Here, the raw coal is processed further and than loaded <br />and shipped by rail. The permittee has a 10- to 15-year contract for approximately 1.2 million <br />tons/year of coal, starting in July of 1994. <br />Due to the continuing use of the surface facilities, most areas will not be cleared of structures <br />and reclaimed until mining is completed. At that time, portals will be sealed and backfilled. <br />Bench areas will be graded to approximate original contour. Building removal will involve <br />salvaging and selling all usable scrap and disposing of the rest in an approved land fill. The <br />disturbed areas will then be topsoiled to the extent available material permits, then seeded and <br />mulched to establish vegetative cover. <br />7 <br />