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Descrintion of the Environment The mine site is located three miles south of Trinidad, Colorado in an azea characterized by dissected plateaus. Elevation at the mine site ranges from 6400 feet to 6700 feet. Land use in the area is classified as highland agriculture by local planning and land use officials. This use basically comprises mountainous grazing and watershed protection. In the immediate azea of the site, mining has been a previous land use. Evidence of these past mining activities can be found in most of the small canyons in the azea. Due to disturbances from past mining activities, use of the azea for grazing, proximity to the town of Trinidad and proximity to a major highway (I-25), the utility of the azea as wildlife habitat is somewhat limited. Lazge, undisturbed azeas lie to the south and east of the mine that offer suitable habitat. However, following reclamation, indigenous species such as elk, mule deer, and turkey aze frequent visitors to the reclaimed azea. The Raton Creek Mine is located in the eastern limb of the Trinidad-Raton Basin syncline. The coal seam to be mined (Lower Stazkville seam) occurs in the Vermejo Formation and dips to the west three to four degrees. Some minor faults have been noted in old underground workings. The Stazkville seam outcrops in the mine azea slightly above the Stazkville drainage. The Raton Formation lies stratigraphically above the Vermejo Formation, and includes some coal seams of minor importance. stratigraphically below the Vermejo Formation is the Trinidad sandstone, an aquifer of regional significance. The main mine facility is located in the Starkville drainage. This drainage flows only in response to rainfall or snow melt. Stazkville Gulch drains into Raton Creek, which is tributary to the Purgatoire River. The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate. Prevailing winds aze from the southwest at an average speed of ten knots. The mean annual precipitation is 15 inches. The growing season is approximately 156 days. Native soils are derived from the sedimentary materials which comprise the foothill slopes. The soils on the side slopes of the mine site aze chazacteristically shallow, being derived from pazent sandstone and shale layers which outcrop in the area. The soils aze neutral to slightly alkaline, clay to clay-loam in texture, and have low concentrations of salts and organic water. Soil mapping indicates soils of the Midnight-Rombo and Louviers-Rombo-Travessilla variety. Soils neaz [he ephemeral drainage and at the mouth of [he drainage aze deeper and have a finer texture. These soils aze 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. Two primary vegetative communities dominate the azea which has been disturbed by mine-related activities. At the mouth of the ephemeral Starkville drainage (below 6400 feet) and