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The climate within the area is semi-arid with an annual precipitation of <br />14.6 inches. Approximately 45 percent of this precipitation occurs <br />during the growing season of April though September. Temperatures are <br />generally extreme, ranging from 85°F in July to 3.6°F in January. <br />Two broadly classified soil complexes exist within the permit area. <br />These are Typic Paleoborolls - Borollic Camborthids and Argic <br />Cryoborolls - Cryic Paleoborolls. All soils except for approximately <br />three acres have already been disturbed by surface mining. However, <br />prior to mining the Typic Paleoborolls - Borollic Camborthids soils <br />covered the disturbed area. They occur primarily on uplands and are <br />formed in materials weathered in place from soft shale. These clayey <br />soils are moderately deep to deep, well drained and usually contain less <br />than 35 percent rock fragments. Permeability is slow, shrink-swell <br />potential is high and potential frost action is moderate to high. These <br />soils are used for rangeland, non-irrigated cropland, and irrigated hay <br />and pastureland. <br />Vegetation in the vicinity of the mine is characterized by four major <br />communities: grassland, mountain shrub, big sagebrush, and cropland; and <br />by two sub-types: aspen and mountain shrub-rock outcrop. Within the <br />Foidel Creek Mine disturbed area the prominent vegetation types prior to <br />disturbance were big sagebrush and cropland (dryland small grains). <br />Numerous wildlife species inhabit the general area. The most predominant <br />are elk, mule deer and grouse. Other wildlife species include: black <br />bear, cougar, rabbit, coyote, bobcat, red fox, rodents, bats, skunks, <br />waterfowl, amphibians and reptiles. Two golden eagle nests are located <br />on sandstone cliffs adjacent to the disturbed area within the permit <br />boundary for CYCC Permit No. C-81-071. There is critical winter habitat <br />for elk, an elk migration corridor and elk calving grounds and critical <br />sage grow habitat within and adjacent to the proposed permit area. Sage <br />grouse critical habitat is located outside of the disturbed area. <br />Cultural and historic resources within the permit area include three <br />historic sites and one prehistoric or protohistoric site. The historic <br />sites are undistinguished homesteads with no important architectural <br />features and which are not associated with persons important in history. <br />The latter site is a rock art site. <br />Land uses within the proposed permit area are cropland, pastureland, and <br />rangeland. The surface disturbed area is a previously mined area of the <br />Energy No. 1 Mine. Prior to mining the land was classified as cropland. <br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan <br />The currently permitted Foidel Creek Mine is an underground operation <br />employing room and pillar mining on privately owned coal within a 924 <br />acre permit area. TCC has referred to the original permit as a pilot <br />-7- <br />