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United States Department of the Interior <br /> <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING <br />Reclamation and Enforcement <br />BrO0A5 -fON'Cr5 <br />1020 15th Street <br />Denver Colorado 80202-2348 <br />,V~ <br />MEMORANDUM <br />T0: Director <br />I\' RF.PLI'REFER TO <br />THROUGH: Deputy Director <br />FROM: Acting Assistant Director, Western Support Center <br />SUBJECT: Recommendation for Approval with Conditions of the Bear <br />Coal Company's Bear Mine Mining Plan Modification for <br />Federal Lease C-42481, Gunnison County, Colorado <br />I. Recommendation <br />I recommend approval with conditions of the Bear Mine mining <br />plan modification for Federal lease C-42481. This is a <br />• mining plan modification for a underground coal mine being <br />permitted under the Federal lands program and the approved <br />Colorado State program and cooperative agreement. My <br />recommendation to approve the Bear Mine mining plan <br />modification is based on: (1) Bear Coal Company's (BCC) <br />complete permit application package (PAP), (2) compliance <br />with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, (3) <br />documentation assuring compliance with applicable <br />requirements of other Federal laws, regulations, and <br />executive orders, (4) comments and recommendations or <br />concurrence of other Federal agencies, and the public, (5) <br />the findings and recommendations of the Bureau of Land <br />Management with respect to the resource recovery and <br />protection plan and other requirements of the Federal lease <br />and the Mineral Leasing Act, and (6) the findings and <br />recommendations of the Colorado Division of Minerals and <br />Geology with respect to the PAP and the Colorado State <br />program. <br />Approval of this modification will authorize mining of <br />approximately 650,000 additional tons of Federal coal within <br />the approved mining plan area covering 165 acres within <br />Federal lease C-42481, as shown on the maps included with <br />this decision document. Certain elements of BCC's proposal <br />require special conditions to comply with Federal law. <br />These special conditions are incorporated into the proposed <br />• mining plan approval document. The State Historic <br />Preservation Office noted that no cultural resources <br />occurred in the permit revision area, however a condition is <br />