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United States Department of the Interior <br /> • FISH AND WQ.DLIM SERVICE <br /> 9 Feowska Services <br /> we"M Colorado o16u <br /> 329 25%Road.Suite 1W 13 <br /> Grand lun 604 CO 8150541" <br /> Phone:(303)243.2779 FAX(M)245-69U <br /> IN RMY RFJTA TO: <br /> ES/BLM-Montrose District X 1AXf Arl <br /> MS 65412 GJ rf <br /> July 2, 1993 Received ,� 1993 8LM <br /> Mgntrose Colo. <br /> Ir <br /> �sJ <br /> Memorandum <br /> hERW <br /> To: District Manager, Montrose District, Bureau of Land Management, <br /> Montrose, Colorado <br /> From: Assistant Colorado State Supervisor, Ecological Services, Fish <br /> and Wildlife Service, Grand Junction, Colorado <br /> Subject: Formal Consultation, Biological Assessment for Proposed Coal <br /> Lease; Mountain Coal Co. COC-54558 <br /> • This responds to your May 21, 1993 request for formal consultation under <br /> authority of the Endangered Species Act regarding Mountain Coal Company's <br /> application to lease approximately 1,012 acres in Delta and Gunnison <br /> counties, Colorado. <br /> Bob Leachman of this office has cdardinated with Bob Welch of your staff to <br /> determine the history of this activity and whether formal consultation is <br /> appropriate at this time. The following issues were identified: <br /> 1) It is not known whether Mountain Coal Company will be awarded <br /> the lease. <br /> 2) It is not known whether a net depletion of water will occur <br /> from the upper Colorado River basin as a result of the <br /> proposal . The Bureau recognizes water depletion as a <br /> possibility in the biological assessment, but does not estimate <br /> a water depletion amount. <br /> 3) Formal Section 7 consultation for West Elk Coal Company's Mt. <br /> Gunnison Mine (the predecessor to Mountain Coal Company) was <br /> completed by the Service on August 20, 1985, for a depletion <br /> amount of 11.9 acre feet. <br /> • 4) Mr. Terry Ireland of this office has been coordinating with the <br /> Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology regarding Mountain <br /> Coal Company's water use and projected water depletion <br /> associated with their mining operations. <br />