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DECISION MEMO <br />Mountain Coal-Company, LLC <br />Dry Fork Federal Coal Exploration License (COC-67231) <br />USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region <br />Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, Gunnison National Forests <br />Paonia Ranger District <br />Gunnison County, Colorado <br />Background <br />On September 11, 2003, Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC) submitted an application <br />to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office for the Dry Fork <br />Federal Coal Exploration License (Dry Fork CEL) (project file). The area covered by the <br />proposed exploration license is entirely on National Forest System (NFS) lands on the <br />Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) in western <br />Colorado. Under the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976 and implementing <br />regulations at 43 CFR 3410, the BLM has authority and responsibility for issuing coal <br />exploration licenses, and the Forest Service, as Surface Management Agency, can <br />prescribe conditions for any coal exploration licenses issued by BLM on NFS lands. <br />Purpose and Need for Action <br />The Forest Service (FS) has determined a need to prescribe certain conditions (Appendix <br />A) on activities that would be permitted under the proposed Dry Fork CEL. The <br />conditions are related to the use and protection ofnon-mineral interests in the area of the <br />proposed license. <br />Nature of Proposed Drv Fork CEL <br />The area of the proposed Dry Fork CEL includes approximately 1,358.75 acres and lies <br />within portions of T. 14 S., R. 90 W., 6th P.M., in Gunnison County, CO (see attached <br />Map A). MCC proposes to drill 5 exploration holes, construct approximately 0.23 miles <br />of new temporary roads, and recondition approximately 1.40 miles of existing road (see <br />Map A). Total disturbance for drill pads and temporary road construction is estimated to <br />be 2.71 acres. <br />Specifically, the Dry Fork CEL is proposed in <br />Township 14 South, Range 90 West. 6`h Prime Meridian: <br />Section 1: ALL; <br />Section 2: ALL; <br />Section 11: N% N %; <br />Section 12: N% N %. <br />The exploration holes would be located as follows: <br />1. Drill hole CCC - T. 14 S., R. 90 W., 6`h P.M.: Section 11: NE % NE ''/a; <br />2. Drill hole DDD - T. 14 S., R. 90 W., 6`h P.M.: Section 12: NE'/a NE '/<', <br />3. Drill hole EEE - T. 14 S., R. 90 W., 6`h P.M.: Section 1: NE %4 NW '/4; <br />