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• III. General Settinc The proposed lease area lies in the eastern Williams Fork Mountains, immediately south of Twentymile Park and north of Eckman Park (lisp 2). Topography of the proposed lease area in section 36 is gently sloping to the northwest with elevations ranging from 7,200 feet above sea level to 6,800 feat at Fish Creak in the northwestern corner. Section 31 ie dominated by the cliffs of the Twentymile Sandstone. Routt County Road 27 runs along the northern section line of section 36, then southward through a gap along the line between sections 36 and 31, and eastward through the S~N-! of section 31. Dominant vegetation communities consist of cultivated wheat fields, rangeland, and the reclaimed surface mine to the south. The entire proposed lease ie privately-owned surface estate. In section 36 and the NWT of section 31, the United States retained the mineral rights to coal only, whereas all minerals were reserved in the W11NE~ of section 31. There is no federal surface within 2 miles of the proposed lease tract. Affected surface owners are CWCC, Robert K. Perry, Jr., Robert H. Perry, Barbara P. Coeel, Peter Coeel, Robert V. Coeel, Jr., and Kennard P. Perry (Cyprus Twentymile Coal Co., Jan. 7, 1992). Beet available data indicates the following resources do not exist within the affected area: salable and locatable minerals, areas of critical environmental concern, wilderness values, wild and scenic • rivers, recreational, federal livestock allotments or permits, forestry, wetland or riparian values, wild horse and burro management areas or prime and unique farmland. Climate The climatic regime of the area ie described se arid- to semi-arid, characterized by mild summers and very cold winters. Harsh winter storms are not unusual in the region; however, severe weather occurrences such as tornados and hail are infrequent. The aridity of the area is largely controlled by the presence of the region's mountains (Critchfield, 1983). According to Critchfield, winter precipitation ie mostly snow, which~ie typically a result of the occasional frontal-storms. Summer rainfall results primarily from convection cells and orographic effects. These eu:mser storms are often intense and short-lived in nature. Saved on data collected by the U.S. Department of Commerce from Hayden and Steamboat Springs weather stations, annual precipitation is approximately 16 inches with monthly ranges from 1.13 inches in July to 1.63 inches in April. Temperature extremes range from -50°F to 100°F with an average annual temperature of 39°F. Additional detailed information on the climate of this area ie contained in the Site Specific Climate and Air Quality Analysis, Fish Creek Tract, prepared by Radian Corporation, (1953). Air Quality Particulate levels are generally lees than the Federal and Colorado standards of 75 micrograms per cubic meter (annual average and 150 micrograms per cubic meter (24-hour average). Annual background • particulate matter air quality levels are estimated for the area based on 1981 data from high-volume samplers located at the Edna