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Colorado. The site is also located within the historical range of the Gray Wolf and Grizzly Bear, and historical nesting range of the Greater Sandhill Crane. No reporting of these species have been made in recent years. The only threatened or endangered wildlife species which may occur in the mine azea aze wintering northern bald eagles and it is the opinion that the mine operations will not impact the species. Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan -Rule 2.05.3 and 2.05.4 The Blue Ribbon Mine is an underground mine which began operating in 1977. Prior to that time, the old Blue Ribbon Mine operated from 1952 to 1963. The portals were sealed in 1985 and the majority of the surface reclamation was completed in the fall of 1986. There aze two areas that aze included in the Blue Ribbon Mine permit application. The area of the portals and office/shop facilities located in the Hubbard Creek drainage, and the truck scale facility along State Highway 133. However, the scale facility was removed from the permit azea in 1989, as the State Highway Department acquired the land for the construction of an upgraded highway. The operator removed the facilities and graded the azea prior to release. Blue Ribbon Coal Company mined the E, or Hawk's Nest, seam. The total anticipated life of the mine was 5.5 yeazs. The production rate was approximately 192,000 tons per yeaz. The Blue Ribbon Mine was a drift mine, and was mining down the dip of the coal. Mining was done using room and pillar methods with continuous mining equipment. The coal was removed from the mine via a conveyor system to the surface, where it was screened and loaded onto trucks for shipment to mazket. The coal was weighed at the truck scale facility located along Highway 133. Access to the Blue Ribbon Mine site is provided by the Hubbard Creek Road. The entrance to the road is off the old State Highway 133. The Hubbard Creek Road enters the southwest corner of the permit azea and continues across the permit area in a northerly course as a Forest Service Access Road. Maintenance of the road is the responsibility of Delta County and will not be subject to reclamation. The Blue Ribbon Mine site contains a haul road, which is now reclaimed and an access road, which provides access to Pond No. 5 and the mine bench. Once the pond is no longer necessary to control sediment at the site, the road will be reclaimed. Surface water runoff from disturbed azeas is now controlled by three sediment ponds. Pond No. 5 holds runoff from the mine bench azea and replaced Pond No. 1 when it was reclaimed in 1986. Pond No. 4 receives water from the reclaimed coal stock pile azea and Pond No. 3 holds runoff from the reclaimed haul road. Pond No. 2 was eliminated with the bench stabilization project. Upon cessation of mining activities in 1985, all surface disturbance except ponds 3, 4, and 5, the access road, and the Hubbazd Creek crossing was reclaimed. These areas will be reclaimed after successful revegetation is assured, and the sediment control structures are no longer needed. The three mine portals were sealed, surface facilities removed in late 1985, and foundations and other non-combustible, non-toxic material was used to backfill the portal bench in 1986. Reclamation around the lower stockpile and two scale locations was done in 1986. 8