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<br />¢"®'"~~ United States Forest Paonia P.O. Box 1030 <br />~~E Department of Service Ranger District N Rio Graude Ave. <br />Agriculture PHONE NO. 970-527-4131 Paonia, CO 51428 <br />FAX 970-527-4151 <br />File Code: 2$2Q <br />Date: February 7, 2002 <br />Mr. Phil G. Schmidt <br />Manager of Engineering and Environmental Affairs FiEC~iVED <br />Mountain Coal Company, L.L.C. <br />PO Box 591 <br />5174 Highway 133 <br />Somerset, CO 81434 <br />FEB 12 2002 <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />Dear Mr. Schmidt, ~~ <br />Representatives from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) attended a meeting at the West Elk Mine <br />regarding the new Sylvester Gulch road proposal. The attendants of the meeting included <br />Wendell Koontz, and Henry Barbe of Mountain Coal Company (MCC). Kim Kaal, Doug <br />Mazah, George Goehl, and John Williams of the USFS. Tom Griepentrog of Buckhorn Geotech, <br />and Byron Walker of the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG). <br />During the meeting, the proposal for the Sylvester Gulch road was presented by MCC and <br />Buckhorn Geotech of Montrose Colorado. The proposed road alignment was also field verified <br />and appeazed to be flagged by surveyors. <br />Some of the observations made by the U.S. Forest Service Engineers and Geologist, were that <br />the proposed road appeared to be within 100 feet of the stream, in the riparian area, and that the <br />road was located in proximity to slopes with northerly and easterly exposure. These slopes <br />appeared slide prone with visible and active slide scarps on the western Sylvester Gulch slope, <br />and appear to be wet and heavily vegetated. Based on the field observations made on January <br />30, 2002, the Forest Service is rejecting the new proposed Sylvester Gulch Road alignment. It <br />was a consensus opinion of all on the field review that the proposed route will not meet the <br />environmental or engineering requirements of the USFS nor CDMG, and will not prcvide a <br />stable, long-term access. <br />Observations made during the field inspection indicated the slopes with southerly and westerly <br />exposure were steep, but reasonably dry and stable, and had predominantly oak vegetation (with <br />one isolated stand of Cottonwood trees). This potential road comdor was described by the USFS <br />and discussed with Henry Barbe, Mountain Coal Company Environmental Engineer. The USFS <br />will require road construction to be out of the riparian areas as much as possible, with close to <br />right-angle crossings of Sylvester Gulch, and if necessary the road maybe constructed in the <br />areas with 40% or greater slopes if they have a southerly or westerly dry exposure. <br />The Forest Service is imposing the following requirements for the new proposed Sylvester Gulch <br />road: <br />Road Specifications <br />ups ~~ <br />Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycletl Paper <br />