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_~ <br />Ms. Christine Johnston <br />Mr. James Pendleton <br />Mr. David Berry <br />December 7, 1994 <br />Page 3 <br />Jim Pendleton stated that the two most important PHC issues for the tracts are <br />impacts to springs and seeps and potential impacts to riparian corridors. In <br />particular, the wide ripazian corridor along Box Canyon has been designated as <br />"no surface occupancy" (NSO) by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in the Draft <br />Box Canyon Lease Tract Environmental Assessment. As a result, CDMG is <br />obligated to carefully evaluate riparian corridor impacts. <br />6. CDMG suggests that WWE involve the USFS with scoping questions for the PHC <br />evaluation. In particular, CDMG suggests that we walk Box Canyon with the <br />USFS to put the impact issues into perspective there. Christine Johnson noted <br />that, as matters stand presently, the "NSO" designation for the riparian corridor <br />in Box Canyon is shown as a wide strip on the USFS environmental assessment <br />map. For this reason, she is obligated to look closely at riparian corridor <br />impacts. <br />7. After some discussion about the geology of mini-SOD, including observations by <br />John Rold from recent visits to the site, it was agreed that the area is not <br />characterized by landslides. <br />8. Jim Pendleton stated that, with respect to PHC in the mini-SOD, the real issue <br />is how changes in springs and seeps will affect the USFS carrying capacity <br />calculations for public uses (i.e., cattle, etc.) Jim Pendleton noted that PHC is <br />much more of a concern when he looks at mining throughout the South-of-Divide <br />permit area, rather than at just the mini-SOD area due to the potential impacts on <br />a "perennial" stream system. <br />9. Jim Pendleton noted that it is very significant that MCC data for Well 38-H-1 <br />above panel 1 shows "healing." (Due to the importance of this healing <br />phenomenon, we have attached figure 1, which shows that Well 38-H-1 has <br />completely recovered to pre-mining levels.) While still not convinced that <br />swelling of shale answers the reasons for this phenomenon, Jim Pendleton, <br />challenged WWE to consider explanations from knowledge outside the subsidence <br />arena to explain this occurrence. <br />