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<br />The vegetation within the vicinity of the mine is characterized as open sage <br />brush-grassland which consists of sagebrush and grasses with scattered stands <br />of aspen. This area is used primarily for grazing during the summer months <br />and for wildlife habitat. The mine is postitioned near a boundary of the <br />Gunnison National Forest. <br />Description of the Mining and Reclamation Plan <br />The O.C. Mine No. 2 is an underground operation located aporoximately 16 miles <br />north of Gunnison, Colorado and produces approximately 7,000 to 10,000 tons of <br />coal per year from Federal Coal Lease No. CO-069942. The O.C. Mine No. 2 was <br />opened in 1943 and operated until 1962 when it voluntarily closed. Henry <br />Weaver reopened the mine in July, 1968 and operated the mine until October, <br />1978, at which time Macar ~`iining Corporation sub-leased the mine property. <br />Macar operated the mine under the sub-lease agreement until July 15, 1981. <br />The Weavers again took over the operation at that time and were issued Permit <br />No. 79-38 under the interim program on October 25, 1979 by the Colorado Mined <br />Land Reclamation Board. An approved permanent program permit (N0. C-80-002) <br />was issued on January 18, 1982. <br />The O.C. Mine No. 2 mining operation has disturbed 3.2 surface acres. No <br />additional surface disturbances are planned. The surface facilities for the <br />operation consist of a tipple, shop, office, and explosives storage area. <br />There are two roads at the mine site. One leads to the portal bench area and <br />the other serves the tipple area. <br />O.C. Mine No. 2 employs conventional two-entry room and pillar underground <br />mining methods. For this permit the operator is mining 80 acres, The <br />operator has recently been granted a ]ease modification to add an additional <br />120 acres to the existing Federal Lease. This lease modification will require <br />a revision of the mine plan which has not been developed nor proposed as a <br />part of this permit renewal. The present mine plan calls for reclamation to <br />begin in approximately 1993, following the completion of mining. <br />Reclamation will consist of regrading the disturbed area to approximate <br />original contour, topsoiling with one to two inches of soil, and seeding with <br />native species to achieve the post-mining land use of grazing and wildlife <br />habitat. The only topsoil available for reclamation, since the majority of <br />disturbance occurred prior to reclamation laws is that salvaged in 1980 during <br />construction of the sediment control system. This depth of topsoil should be <br />sufficient to achieve successful reclamation due to the good quality of <br />subsoils. In addition, as the area of d isturbance is small (3.2 acres), <br />natural reinvasion from surrounding native vegetation will greatly enhance <br />revegetation efforts. <br /> <br />-5- <br />