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I. PROCEDURES AND SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS Trapper Mining, Inc. (TMI) applied for a Phase III bond release under the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act following reclamation of a portion of the Trapper Mine. The mine is located in Moffat County, approximately 6.5 miles south of Craig, Colorado. The mine area is located in portions of Section 5 and 6 of TSN, R90W, portions of Sections 1, 4 and 5 and all of Sections 2 and 3 of TSN, R91 W, portions of Sections 30 and 32 and all of Section 31 of T6N, R90W. The Division approved a full release of reclamation liability for the Craig Generation Plant Loadout in December 1985. That approval was for release of reclamation liability only. No money was returned. Bond release application SL-O1 was submitted September 9, 1996. Bond release SL-O1 requested Phase I bond release on 2511.7 acres, and Phase II bond release on 1570.5 acres. The Division approved the Phase I on February 12, 1998 for backfilling and grading of 2511.7 acres of the bond release pazcel. The Phase II portion of the bond release application was reviewed sepazately from the Phase I request. The Division approved the Phase II bond release for 1548 acres, on December 14, 1998. The two approvals released reclamation liability only. No money was returned to the operator. Bond release application SL-02 was submitted October 6, 1999. Bond release SL-02 requested Phase II bond release on 319.5 acres of rangeland seeded in 1984, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 in the Ashmore, Derringer and Hawken pits. SL-02 was approved December 23, 1999. The approval released reclamation liability only. No money was returned to the operator. TMI submitted an application for a Phase II bond release, SL-03, that was received by the Division on October 1, 2001. The approved post-mining land use is cropland. During the review process, a neighboring landowner, Mr. Francis Lux, voiced concern regarding dimunition of flow from a natural spring, the Lippazd No. 2 Spring, located downslope from the Phase II application area. The Division required TMI to demonstrate that the Lippard Spring No. 2 was not impacted by mining activities. TMI provided geologic cross-sections and detail regarding the hydrologic stratigraphy. Upon review of TMI's information, the Division determined that the diminution of flow of the Lippard Spring No. 2 is not a result of mining impacts. Two aquicludes in the stratigraphic sequence act as hydraulic barriers between the pits and the Lippard Spring No. 2. Precipitation for 2001 was somewhat lower than average, which may have lowered the potentiometric surface of the 151 White Sandstone aquifer. A drop in only a few feet of the 15` White Sandstone aquifer potentiometric surface might have resulted in the surface expression of the spring to dry up. On April 19, 2002, the Division approved Phase II reclamation liability release on 592.7 acres of reclaimed land in the Ashmore, Browning, and Colt pits. The approval released reclamation liability only. No money was returned to the operator. TMI submitted an application, SL-04, for a Phase III bond release on April 17, 2003. The application requested final bond release on 408.5 acres of cropland and 1452.7 acres of rangeland. Three and one-half acres were removed from the bond release request, resulting in request of release of 1449.2 acres of reclaimed rangeland and 408.5 acres of cropland. The land surface within the bond release area was private and state owned. Coal mined in the associated bond release area was federal, state, Trapper Mine, SL-07 Findings 3 May 16, 2006