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<br />Wildlife species found within the permit area include mule deer (Odocoileus <br />hemionus) antelope (Antilocapra americans), and sage grouse (Controcercus <br />urophasianus). Numerous raptor species have been identified in the area. <br />Species include the ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis>, turkey vulture <br />(Cathortes aura), marsh hawk (Cireus cyaneus), American kestrel (Falco <br />sparverius>, sharp-shinned hawk (Accipter shiatus>, burrowing owl (Spestyto <br />cunieulaira), red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicaensus), and golden eagle (Aquila <br />chrysauetos). Bald eagles (Hliaeetus leucocephalus) and peregrine falcons <br />(Falco seregrinus) are known to migrate through the area. Large white-tailed <br />prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) towns exist in the area of the refuse disposal <br />sites. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />The Deserado Mine is an underground operation utilizing both continuous miners <br />and longwall mining equipment to extract the "D" (upper) and "B" (lower) coal <br />seams. Mining operations conducted during the present term will extract the D <br />seam in the northeast portion of the permit area. B seam mining is projected <br />to commence in 2005. <br />Raw coal is transported out of the mine by conveyor to the D-Portal Area wash <br />plant where the coal is crushed and cleaned. The coal is then transported 3.1 <br />miles to the rail loadout facility via an over-land conveyor system. The coal <br />is conveyed to the slot storage building, which can store up to 40,000 tons of <br />coal. From this building coal is conveyed one third of one mile to the <br />loadout area. Clean coal is then transported by rail to the Bonanza Power <br />Plant in Vernal. Utah. <br />Coal processing waste generated at the wash plant facility is trucked <br />approximately 3.6 miles to the refuse disposal area located east of the rail <br />loadout in the northeast portion of the permit area. The refuse disposal area <br />includes eleven subareas of refuse deposition. The first subarea was <br />reclaimed in late 1990, implementing a revegetation study that involved <br />variations from the required four feet of cover. Refuse areas 2-3 and 4 are <br />active, the remaining subareas have yet to be developed. Noncoal solid wastes <br />are disposed of at the Halandras dump in the northwest portion of the permit <br />area. The first six pits of that dump have been reclaimed, and pits 7 and 8 <br />are active. <br />With the exception of the refuse and landfill areas, surface area disturbance <br />will not be reclaimed until all mining has ceased. Mine related surface <br />disturbances to be reclaimed at that time include the D-Portal area <br />facilities, water storage area, overland conveyors, slot storage area, loadout <br />area, east intake ventilation area, and the alluvial well field at Scullion <br />Gulch. All access roads in the permit area will be reclaimed, County Road 65 <br />and a portion of the refuse area haul road extending south to County Road 65 <br />being exceptions. With the exception of the D-Portal area sediment pond <br />(DP-1), all sediment ponds controlling runoff from various surface facilities <br />will be retained until vegetation on reclaimed areas is sufficient to control <br />erosion. The D-Portal pond will be removed at the time of structural <br />demolition and regrading of the facilities area. <br />-5- <br />