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previously classified as AVF's. Detailed discussion concerning alluvial valley floors can be found in <br />Section B, part XVIII of this document as well as Exhibit 7j of the permit. <br />The local climate is semi-arid with a mean annual precipitation of 14.6 inches. Approximately 45 percent <br />of this precipitation occurs during the growing season of April though September. High temperatures <br />generally range from 70-80°F in the summer months to below freezing in the winter months. Normally, a <br />significant snowpack resides on the ground for 4-5 months during the winter. <br />Two broadly classified soil complexes exist within the permit area. These are Typic Paleoborolls - <br />Borollic Camborthids and Argic Cryoborolls- Cryic Paleoborolls. However, prior to mining, the Typic <br />Paleoborolls - Borollic Camborthids soils covered the disturbed area. They occur primarily on uplands and <br />are formed in materials weathered in place from soft shale. These clayey soils are moderately deep to <br />deep, well drained and usually contain less than 35 percent rock fragments. Permeability is slow, <br />shrink-swell potential is high and potential frost action is moderate to high. These soils are used for <br />rangeland, non-irrigated cropland, and irrigated hay and pastureland. <br />Vegetation in the vicinity of the mine is characterized by four major communities: grassland, mountain <br />shrub, big sagebrush, and cropland; and by two sub-types: aspen and mountain shrub-rock outcrop. <br />Within the Foidel Creek Mine disturbed area, the prominent vegetation types prior to disturbance were big <br />sagebrush and cropland (dryland small grains). <br />Numerous wildlife species inhabit the general azea. The most predominant are elk, mule deer and <br />Columbian Sharptail grouse. Other wildlife species include: black bear, cougar, rabbit, coyote, bobcat, <br />red fox, rodents, bats, skunks, waterfowl, amphibians and reptiles. Two golden eagle nests are located on <br />sandstone cliffs adjacent to the disturbed area within the permit boundary. There is critical winter habitat <br />for elk, an elk migration corridor and elk calving grounds and critical sage grouse habitat within and <br />adjacent to the permit area. Sage grouse critical habitat is located outside of the disturbed area. <br />Cultural and historic resources within the permit area include three historic sites and one prehistoric or <br />protohistoric site. Two of the historic sites are undistinguished homesteads with no important architectural <br />features and which are not associated with persons important in history. The other historic site, the Foidel <br />Canyon Schoolhouse, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is located in the general area <br />of the main facilities along Foidel Creek. It will not be undermined or subsided and is protected <br />appropriately. The prehistoric site (SRT345) is a rock art site located on the outcrop of the Twentymile <br />Sandstone directly north of the main mine facility area. Mining approved under PR-02 (Southwest Mining <br />District) undermined and subsided SRT345. Stipulation No. 33 was attached to the PR-02 approval and <br />Twentymile Coal Company took appropriate measures, as determined by the United States Bureau of Land <br />Management (BLM), prior to undermining this site. Mitigation measures required by the BLM involved <br />extensive research and documentation of this site. The site has since been destroyed by subsidence and <br />subsequent rockfall. <br />Pre-mining and post-mining land uses within the permit azea are pastureland and rangeland. Some of the <br />surface was previously disturbed by surface mining methods under Mine No. 1, Mine No. 2, and Eckman Pazk <br />Mine (C-81-071) and Energy Mine No. 3 (C-84-062). <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />The Foidel Creek Mine was originally permitted as an underground operation employing room and pillar <br />mining on privately owned coal within a 924 acre permit area. TCC referred to the original permit as a <br />pilot project designed to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of underground mining operations <br />