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• WILDLIFE <br />The proposed modification area is diverse in wildlife <br />habitats. Although the proposed modification area is <br />primarily composed of the mountain shrub type vegetative <br />community, large portions are also covered by pinon-juniper <br />and pasture types as well. The occurrence of this relatively <br />diverse vegetative structure provides habitats for a rich and <br />abundant faunal component. <br />The proposed modification area is located in important winter <br />range for deer and elk as evidenced by the observed hedging on <br />browse species. <br />LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION <br />The entire surface estate of the proposed modification area is <br />in private ownership, except for a reservation for ditches and <br />canals constructed under the authority of the United States <br />(see Map 3). The coal estate is the only mineral reserved to <br />the United States on all of the proposed modification area <br />except for the E'hNEy. of Section 6. The E'hNE'/. of Section 6 has <br />coal and oil and gas reserved to the United States. <br />The proposed modification area is utilized for livestock <br />grazing. Alice Paulek, Fred Paulek, Loretta Lee and Linda <br />Matticks are indicated as the surface owners of the proposed <br />modification area within Section 5. Lawrence Huntington, <br />Ronald Crawford, Norris Crawford and Marc Crawford are <br />indicated as the surface owners of the proposed modification <br />area within Section 6. There would be no change of the <br />surface use if the modification were issued. <br />SOCIOECONOMICS <br />National King Coal, Inc. has a strong local hiring policy. <br />Management feels that local people are more stable and <br />dependable, and therefore, more likely to stay with the mine <br />than imported labor. For these reasons they prefer to train <br />local people to meet their needs. <br />The total employment a: the King Coal Mine is currently 53 <br />people. The employment by National King Coal is important <br />because one hundred percent (1000 of the employment in the <br />coal mining sector is attributed to King Coal. In addition, <br />it is economically important in that National King Coal is one <br />of the largest single employers in LaPlata County. <br />r~ <br />U <br />11 <br />