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i -6- Access road - Parts of the S 1/2, Section 35, T19S, R70W of the 6th P.M. (approx. 3 acres) Reclamation of Twin Pines No. .1 - Parts of W 1/2 NW 1/4 Section 1, T20S, R70W of 6th P.M. (approx. 4 acres) Following is a brief description of the environment and of the operations and reclamation plans. More detailed information pertaining to a specific discipline, such as ground water hydrology is found in this findings document within the specific discipline subsections. In both the permit application and this findings document, the existing environment is described at three different scales: the 9e~neral~area, the structural basin of the Canon City Coal Field, is approxima e-t~y 5 mires wide and 12 miles long; the adjacent area encircles the permit area as a band approximately one mile in wi th; an the permit area itself is 120 acres in the west-central portion of the Canon City Coal Field. (See Figure 1) Extensive post-mining disturbances characterize the general area, the adjacent area and the proposed permit area for the Twin Pines No. 2 Mine. The Inactive Mines Program has identified 177 abandoned mines with 600 acres of existing associated surface disturbances within the Canon City Coal Field. Previous mining in the adjacent area is shown on the attached Figure 2. As can be seen on this figure, the Twin Pines No. 2 Mine entries will be driven in the barrier pillar between two abandoned underground mines. Furthermore, the proposed portal bench and surface facility area of 10 acres is an abandoned contour strip mine. Characterization of the environment prior to any mining is, therefore, difficult. However, Twin Pines Coal Company, Inc. has provided baseline information which characterizes the existing environment. As presented in the permit application, the existing environment of the general area was described as a semi-arid, foothill basin located on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. This basin, the Canon City Coal Field, ranges in elevation from 8,000 feet near the Wet Mountains on the west to 5,500 feet near the Arkansas River in the northeast. The proposed mine is located in the west-central portion of the coal field at an elevation of 5,800 feet. Land uses in the general area are primarily coal mining, grazing and wildlife habitat. Coal mining was extensive and small municipalities grew near the major mining areas. Some agricultural activities take place near the towns and water sources. In particular, land uses within the permit and adjacent area were grazing and wildlife habitat prior to mining. No farming has taken place within the permit area; there is no prime farmland.