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• to the northwest of the permit area. There is a possibility of finding methane in the coal seams. <br />There are no oil and gas leases located on or near the application area. <br />B. Vegetation <br />The vegetation of the application lands is comprised of thick stands of gambel oak and common <br />serviceberry with an understory of mainly sedge and bluegrass. There are stands of aspen on the <br />northern half of the tract. Riparian vegetation exists along East Roaicap Creek. <br />C. L n <br />The topography is characterized as very steep south facing slopes on the southeastern margin of <br />Grand Mesa. The application lands are immediately north of the North Fork of the Gunnison River <br />at elevations ranging from 8,200 to 9,100 feet above sea level. The application lands support two <br />principal land uses, wildlife use and livestock grazing. <br />There are no rights-of-way located on the application lands. <br />The scenery is fairly common in the region; it contains no outstanding features and is seldom seen. <br />Visibility from the highway is restricted by steep foreground slopes and ridgelines. Consequently, <br />the Visual Resource Management designation is Class IV, which allows dominant modifications of <br />moderate contrast but must incorporate visual elements of the characteristic landscape. <br />D. Transportation <br />The application area is accessed by Colorado State Highway 133 and the Stevens Gulch Road. <br />• Coal is hauled approximately 3.5 miles from the portal by truck to the loadout tipple on fee lands. <br />The loadout facility is served by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. This spur is used solely for <br />coal haulage. The line ends just past the West Elk Mine and connects loadout facilities of several <br />coal mines along the route. Currently five 100-car train loads of coal use the tracks between and <br />Grand Junction and return every week. The trains haul coal from the Bear Mine, West Elk Mine, <br />Orchard Valley Mine and the Sanborn Creek Mine. Coal cars are sided at loadout facilities until <br />they are filled with coal. <br />E. Climate and Air Quality <br />The climate can be described as having moderate summer and cold winter temperatures and <br />receiving a moderate amount of precipitation. Maximum summer temperatures generally do not <br />exceed 9° F; winter low temperatures are frequently less than 15° F. Annual precipitation is <br />variable ranging from 7 to 25 inches. West winds predominate, however, there is a noticeable <br />diurnal wind pattern of upslope during the day and downslope at night. <br />Air quality in the vicinity of the application lands is typical of undeveloped regions in the western <br />United States; ambient pollutant levels are usually near or below the measurable limits. Notable <br />exceptions in the Delta County area include high, short-term concentrations of total suspended <br />particulates related to local winds, ozone, non-methane hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, <br />especially in communities. <br />Average visibility is about 54 miles with greatest visibility occurring during spring and summer <br />months. This portion of the North Fork of the Gunnison River has been designated as a Class II <br />area. There are no major stationary sources of air pollution in the immediate vicinity, nor is the <br />• train and vehicular traffic along the North Fork of the Gunnison River of a magnitude so as to <br />constitute a significant source of air pollution. There is coal dust generated from adjacent existing <br />mines. <br />Page 5 <br />