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<br />Fish and Wildlife Protection Plan. GEC Minerals, Inc. has provided <br />a description of the wildlife resources within the permit area and <br />adjacent area in Section 2.04.11 of this application. Because of <br />the past surface and underground mining activities in the area and <br />due to the activities of previous landowners, wildlife populations <br />in the area are quite low. However, impacts in these wildlife <br />resources are minimized by concentrating the mining activities <br />within two relatively small areas at any one time. Also, because <br />the previous surface and underground mining in the area, no fish or <br />aquatic biology resources are found within the permit area. In all <br />instances, disturbance has been limited for only those areas <br />required for actual coal extraction, overburden backfill area, coal <br />processing, maintenance, and administrative activities. The <br />following relates the impacts of the mining operation on the <br />various wildlife resources and related environmental values and how <br />it will be avoided or minimized. In addition, a review and enhance- <br />ment of such resources is also covered. <br />• <br />Disturbance of Soils. Disturbance of soils in the areas that GEC <br />Minerals, Inc. plans to mine is kept to a minimum through the <br />positioning of haul roads and access roads within the pit area <br />itself. The direct impact on animals with a subterranean habitat <br />will result from soil removal and storage in the redistribution <br />period. However, this impact will be temporary as ground bearing <br />wildlife will come back quickly into the reclaimed areas. <br />Destruction of Vegetation. Vegetation will be destroyed prior to <br />removal of soil materials during the clearing and grubbing operation. <br />As stated in Section 2.05.4 GEC Minerals,Inc. plans to restore all <br />the disturbed areas to a condition at least equal to or better than <br />the pre-mining land use. In the case of those areas which have <br />surface disturbance because of abandoned underground mines or <br />surface mines an increased availability of food supplies will be <br />realized due to reclamation of these additional areas. Subsequently, <br />• wildlife populations will undoubtedly increase. <br />2.05-37 <br />