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• CHAPTER II <br />DESCRIPTION OF THE ALTERNATIVES <br />A. Primary Alternatives Under Analysis <br />1. Alternative 1: Approval of the Proposed Mining Plan <br />Modification with Special Federal Conditions. <br />Under this alternative, the Assistant Secretary would <br />approve the mining plan modification for Federal leases <br />C-1362, C-0117192, and D-044569 proposed by WECC subject to <br />the following two special conditions: <br />At such time as OSM, in consultation with the Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Division and the SHPO, <br />determines that subsidence within the permit area may <br />adversely affect known or unrecorded cultural sites, <br />additional cultural resources studies may be required. <br />This determination will be based on new subsidence or <br />new cultural resources information. <br />Surface disturbance or underground mining operations <br />that may result in subsidence (i.e., mining in the 1S, <br />• 2S, and 3S panels off the Northwest Submain Entries) <br />may not occur in the Cooper's hawk nest buffer zone <br />(i.e., 1/8 mile on either side of the drainage bottom, <br />from the 6760-foot contour to the ridgeline above the <br />nest that is located in the SW1/45E1/4NW1/4 of section <br />16) without obtaining specific written approval from <br />the Bureau of Land Management for such disturbance. <br />Prior to obtaining such approval, the operator must <br />submit to Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division, <br />OSM, and the Bureau of Land Management a demonstration <br />that subsidence or other surface disturbance will occur <br />only when the Cooper's hawk nest is inactive or at <br />times other than the breeding and rearing season. <br />The four conditions of the previous mining plan approval <br />also are being carried forward in the proposed mining plan <br />approval document. The first is identical to the first <br />condition proposed for approval of this mining plan <br />modification. The second condition of the previous mining <br />plan approval is reiterated in a more specific manner for <br />approval of this mining plan modification. <br />The modifications to the mining plan, as proposed by WECC, <br />include: <br />(1) Adjustments to the sequence and layout of the <br />• currently approved room and pillar mining in the F seam. A <br />