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-6- At Paonia, the climate is semi-arid with annual precipitation averaging about 15 inches per year. Mean annual precipitation increases with elevation, reaching over 40 inches per year near the summit of Crater Peak. The May-September pre- cipitation is 5 inches for the lowlan~s and I3 inches for the mountain peaks. This indicates that snowfall patterns play an important part in determining the hydrology of the area. Temperature extremes at Paonia have ranged from -28°F in January to 100°F during July and August. The average annual temperature is approximately 49oF. Snowfall averages 58 inches per year. The general area in which the Blue Ribbon Mine is Located is characterized by steeply sloping mountains covered either with tall shrub vegetation, particularly oakbrush and serviceberry, or stands of pinyon and juniper trees. Drainages in the area are Lined with riparian vegetation communities along the stream banks. Some of the more level areas have been cleared and support limited livestock grazing. However, for the most part, the surrounding land is undeveloped and is used primarily as wildlife habitat. Recreational activities such as big game hunting, trapping, fishing, and off-road driving also occur in the general area. Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan The general direction of mining will be northward and eastward to extract coal from the "E" or Hawk's Nest Seam of the Upper Coal member of the Mesaverde Formation. This seam is the uppermost of five commercial coal seams in the Iease area and averages six feet in thickness. The total anticipated Life of the Blue Ribbon Mine is 5.5 years, with the expected termination date being the second quarter of 1987. The current annual production rate is aoproximately 192,000 tons per year. The Blue Ribbon P1ine is a drift mine which is mining down the dip of the coal. Mining will be carried out using room and pillar methods with continuous mining equipment. The coal is removed from the mine via a conveyor system to the surface, where it is screened and loaded onto trucks for shipment to market. The coal is weighed at a truck scale facility located along State Highway No. I33, approximately 2 miles west of Hubbard Creek. For further discussion of the operations plan, see Section XIV, "Operations Description", page 53 of this docu- ment, and Section 205.2, page 98 of the permit application. Permanent reclamation of the mine surface facilities site and truck scale facility will commence immediately upon termination of mining activities. All surface facilities wiZZ be removed, and the mine portals and ventilation shafts will be sealed according to P1SHA requirements. Reclamation of the portal bench area, which has been determined to be a steep slope mining situation, will commence by moving the bench material upslope and against the highwall. The highwall will be eliminated and the backfilled surface will be contoured to a stable configuration with a demonstrated safety factor equal to or greater than 1.3. The same back filling scheme will be carried out for the mine haul road as well. The backfilled areas will then be smooth graded, and compacted areas will be ripped or scarified to eliminate slippage surfaces, establishing a suitable bond for overlying seedbed material. Topsoil was not completely salvaged from all disturbed areas. Much of the mine site was disturbed prior to any such statutory or regulatory requirement, and, therefore, no obligation existed to salvage topsoil. However, soil surveys con- ducted by the operator have indicated that the existing disturbed soils are suit- able as a plant growth medium. This material will be stripped prior to the