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<br />Soils in the permit area are thin, and in places non-existent, with the exception of the drainage <br />valleys, where soils are moderately well developed. Clay loam, with a low infiltration rate, <br />describes the majority of soils in the area. <br />Vegetation is dominated by an oak/pinyon community in the lower elevation areas to the north <br />and by coniferous forest in the higher elevation areas to the south. 15,738 acres, or 88%, of the <br />permit azea is comprised of these two vegetation communities. Most of the land in the permit <br />area, with the exception of the canyon bottoms and a few small grassland meadows, would be <br />rated poor for suitability as rangeland. <br />Numerous wildlife species occur through the pernut area. The entire permit area is important <br />year-round habitat for elk, deer, bear and turkeys. A variety of small mammals and reptiles are <br />also found in the permit area. Fish are generally limited to perennial sections of streams and <br />game fish are entirely limited to the Purgatoire River. Raptors utilize the permit area and 39 <br />species of other birds were noted during bird surveys. <br />Climate in the area is semi-arid, with approximately 15 inches of precipitation annually. Forty- <br />four (44) percent of the total annual precipitation comes in the form of rainfall during the months <br />of May, July and August, and sixty-seven (67) percent occurs between May and October. Wind <br />speeds average slightly over 8 miles per hour on an annual basis and are out of the southwest one <br />third of the time. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />Soth surface and underground mining will be conducted at the Lorencito Canyon mine. The life <br />of the mine is approximately 20 years, based on an annual production of 2.5 million tons. The <br />total anticipated affected azea is 4.989 acres and the surface disturbed area for the entire <br />operation will be approximately 1,140 acres. Map 2.05.3-1 of the permit application depicts the <br />mine plan and the life-of-mine plan. <br />Disturbance at the site will begin with haul road construction up Jeff Canyon and over the ridge <br />into Cow Canyon. Underground mining will commence at the P3 portal site in lower Cow <br />Canyon, beginning with portal construction and initial entry into the coal. Next, underground <br />portal construction and initial coal entry will occur at the R1 location in upper Cow Canyon, <br />following haul road construction to this location. Surface mining will also begin in year one, as <br />will coal loadout and rail spur construction. Surface mining will be conducted using <br />mountaintop removal techniques. <br />Coal mined using conventional underground mining methods will be conveyed to the surface and <br />stockpiled at the portal locations. One or two days production will be stockpiled prior to haulage <br />by 50-75 ton trucks to the loadout facility at the mouth of Lorencito Canyon. <br />Surface mining will commence at the low point in the ridge between Cow and Jeff Canyon. <br />After the initial cu[ is established, subsequent cuts will be made along the north side of Jeff <br />12 <br />