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• _8_ • Soils near the ephemeral drainage and at the mouth of the drainage are deeper and have a finer texture. These soils are of the Fort Collins and Limon- Gaynor mapping units. Textures of these soils range from loam to silty clay loam with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Large areas of the existing bench and parking area have red dog and cinder material on the surface that is four feet deep in places. Two primary vegetative cormnunities dominate the area which has been disturbed by mine-related activities for over 125 years. At the mouth of the ephemeral Starkville drainage (below 6900 feat) and to the west of the immediate mine area, a grass/low shrub community is dominant. warm season grasses and low shrubs are the major life forms found in this type. On the north and south-facing sides of the drainage at the mine proper, a shrub community characterized by pinyon pine, juniper, and Gambel's oak is found. Dominance of individual species is variable and determined by abiotic (slope, aspect), and biotic (grazing pressure, species tolerance) factors. No characteristic vegetative community exists in the vicinity of the ephemeral Starkville drainage. Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan The applicant intends to permit 415 acres. Of this total, 27 acres will be disturbed by the following surface facilities: a refuse disposal site, truck scales, diversion ditches, a sediment pond, haul and access roads, an office, a shop and bathhouse, portals, a substation, topsoil stockpile, conveyors, a preparation plant, a ventilation fan, breaker, and coal stockpiles. At this titre, the majority of the 27 acres have been disturbed by previous mining activities. Very few of the necessary facilities exist on-site. New surface disturbances are planned for development of the new portals and the refuse disposal site. The permit term for this application is 5 years. The anticipated mine life is 10 years. Coal will be mined by continuous and conventional methods. The portals will be excavated into the Lower Starkville seam. Some mining of the upper seam is anticipated, but it will be accessed from the Iower workings. Raw coal wi1Z be produced at a rate of 125,000 tons for the first year and then at a rate of 375,000 tons per year for the remainder of the permit term. Of this total, approximately 20~ of the tonnage will be removed as refuse during processing. This refuse will be deposited on the surface in the refuse disposal area.