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• <br />Section 810.2 (j) Continued. <br />Kerr Coal realizes the importance of a balance between protection <br />of the environment and agricultural productivity, and the Nation's <br />need far coal as an essential source of energy. Coal is the Na- <br />tion's key for attaining energy independence. Failure to receive <br />approval for mining in the Kerr Mine Area will result in serious <br />production shortfalls and adverse social and economic impacts in <br />Jackson County, Colorado, not to mention hardship to the customers <br />of Kerr Coal. <br />It is important to note that the mine plan proposed by Kerr Coal <br />will not involve any significant expansion of its annual produc- <br />tion, nor will additional equipment or additional labor be required <br />to implement the plan. Rather, approval of the proposed mine plan <br />will simply allow Kerr Coal to maintain its operations at approxi- <br />mately its current levels. Thus, neither the socioeconomic nor the <br />environmental status quo will be changed by approval of the mine <br />• plan. <br />(k) Protection of endangered and threatened species and their critical <br />habitats as determined by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 USC <br />1531, et seq.). <br />Kerr Coal regards the protection of endangered and threatened <br />species and their critical habitats as determined by the Endangered <br />Species Act of 1973 (16 USC 1531, et seq.) with the highest concern. <br />However, there are no such species within the mine plan or adjacent <br />areas. Fish and wildlife information is found in Section 779.20, <br />Section 780.16, and Section 816.97. <br />J <br />810-5 <br />