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rangeland. Three and one-half acres were removed from the bond release request, resulting in request of release of 1449.2 acres of reclaimed rangeland and 408.5 acres of cropland. The land surface within the bond release area was private and state owned. Coal mined in the associated bond release azea was federal, state, county and private lease coal. The Division approved SL-04 November 18, 2003. The approval released reclamation liability only. No money was returned to the operator, An application for a partial Phase I bond release, SL-O5, on 823.9 acres was received by the Division on October 27, 2004. Due to snow cover on the drainages in the bond release area, the bond release inspection was scheduled to occur in the spring of 2004, when the snowpack had melted off. The bond release inspection was conducted April 13, 2004. Trapper Mining Inc. personnel, an Office of Surface Mining representative, and DMG personnel participated in the bond release inspection. The land requested for bond release is privately owned by Trapper Mining Inc., and by the State of Colorado. The coal mined had been federally and state owned. The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Colorado State Land Board (SLB) were both notified of the inspection time and date. Both BLM and SLB declined to accompany the inspection. No public comments were received during the review of SL-O5. II. CRTTERIA AND SCHEDULE FOR BOND RELEASE PHASEI Rule 3.03.1(2)(a) states, "Up to sixty percent of the applicable bond amount shall be released when the pezmitee successfully completes backfilling, regrading, and drainage control in accordance with the approved reclamation plan." With regazd to Phase I bond release, TMI applied for a partial phase I bond release of 2511.7 acres with SL-Ol. The partial Phase I bond release was approved on February 12, 1998. SL-OS requests partial Phase I bond release for 823.9 acres reclaimed between 1987 and 2002. The requested areas aze associated with pits A, D, F and A. The post-mining land use for a11823.9 acres is rangeland. III.OBSERVATIONS The bond release inspection was conducted April 13, 2004. Bond release pazcel areas were observed on the ground and regraded topography compared to permit Map 12 "Post-Mining Topography". Drainages were found to be located as approved and contours followed the approved post-mining contours. Minor gully formation was observed in parcels D-AB-97 and D-AB-00 that Trapper Mining Inc. will include in mine site repairs. TMI added check dams in a reconstructed drainage in parcels F- AB-Ol and F-AB-02. This drainage follows the approved contours but needs to be placed on the Annual Reclamation Map. Trapper Mine, SL-05 Findings 4 6/17/2004