Laserfiche WebLink
or neaz the study azea. The possibility exists for nesting to occur along the North Fork of the <br />Gunnison River. <br />Loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), Federal category 2 species, use has not been recorded <br />on the study area, although potential breeding and nesting habitat is present. Loggerhead shrikes <br />are dependent upon sagebrush and gambel oak shrub communities for breeding and nesting <br />habitat in this region during spring and summer. They aze uncommon in the azea during winter. <br />For specific information regazding study azeas, methods for identification and counting of the <br />various wildlife present in the azea, see Section 2.04.11 of the permit document. <br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan -Rule 2.05.3 and 2.05.4 <br />Mining at the West Elk underground mine began in 1982. The West Elk Mine leasehold consists <br />of mineable coal reserves in six Federal coal leases, one private lease and other fee coal <br />properties. The permit azea encompasses approximately 15,638 acres. <br />Six major coal seams exist on the West Elk Mine property. The seams aze identified by the <br />letters A through F, in ascending stratigraphic order. Bed thickness that sepazates the seams <br />varies from I S feet to more than 250 feet, depending on location. MCC's leasehold has <br />economically minable coal reserves in two of the seams, the B Seam and the E Seam. Mining <br />was by room-and-pillaz methods until 1990 when longwall mining began in the B Seam. <br />The mine plan for the B Seam is shown on Map 52. MCC has completed mining in the B Seam <br />in the following four leases: D-044569, COC-54558, COC-0117192, and C-1362. As of eazly <br />2007, MCC is longwall mining the B Seam in the Box Canyon portion of lease COC-56447 <br />(approved in PR-08) and is conducting development mining in a fee lease azea in Sylvester Gulch <br />in Section 15-T13S-R90W (approved in TR-107). B Seam mining has previously been <br />approved for COC-67011 (PR-11), located in the West Flatiron azea. There aze B Seam mineable <br />reserves in a portion of C-0117192 where the F Seam is mined out. <br />The mine plan for E Seam is shown on Map 51. As of eazly 2007, MCC maintains active <br />development entries in the E Seam in leases COC-56447, D-044569, and C-1362. These entries <br />will provide access to E seam longwall panels 1 through 9 that aze to be mined in lease C-1362 in <br />the South of Divide azea, as approved in PR-10. MCC will access the E seam in the South of <br />Divide azea through the mine's existing F to B seam slopes and will utilize the existing surface <br />facilities near State Highway 133; consequently, no additional surface facilities or associated <br />surface disturbance were proposed in PR-10. E Seam mining of longwall panels 10, 11, and 12 <br />was approved in PR-6 and is planned to occur prior to the mining the underlying B Seam panels. <br />Mountain Coal Company mined in the F Seam from 1982 to 1991 from leases D-004569 and <br />C-0117192. This mining was only mazginally successful. Poor mine roof conditions, sandstone <br />channels, low coal azeas, poor coal quality azeas, and other unfavorable conditions have <br />negatively affected mining and rendered the F Seam uneconomic under past and present mazket <br />conditions. Mining in the F Seam has been discontinued, until mazket conditions improve so that <br />this seam can be economically mined. <br />34 <br />