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United States Forest Crand Mesa, 2250 Highway 50 <br />CO 81416 <br />Delta <br />US~~ Department of Service Uncompahgre and <br />~ , <br />Voice: 970-874-6600 <br />Agriculture Gunnison <br />~ <br />National Forests TDD: 970-874-6660 <br />~~ ,~. ~ ~~ ~ File Code: 2820-4 <br /> Date: April 21, 2008 <br />APR ~' °~ X008 <br />Division or ~eciamation, . <br />Mining and Safety <br />Notice of Opportunity to Comment <br />Federal Coai lLease COC-61~571l~odification, Tract 4 <br />The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) and the BLM <br />Uncompahgre Field Office (BLM) are seeking comments on an application filed by Oxbow <br />Mining LLC., to modify an existing federal coal lease by adding 147 acres, more or less. The <br />lease modification application contains National Forest System (NFS) surface lands managed by <br />the GMUG and Public lands managed by the BLM. The coal estate is administered by the BLM. <br />The lease modification application will be processed according to procedures set forth in 43 CFR <br />3432. <br />The proposed lease modification'is located Section 32, Township 12 South, Range 90 West, and <br />Section 5, Township 13 South, Range 90 West in Gunnison County, Colorado (approximately 9 <br />miles north/northeast of Paonia, Colorado), and is shown on the attached map. The coal in this <br />lease modification would be accessed and recovered by underground longwall mining methods. <br />Oxbow applied for this lease modification to compensate for more logical changes in mine <br />design, and to increase the amount of economically recoverable coal. <br />This notice (including maps) is also available on the GMUG website at <br />t~rw~~~.fs.fed.us/r2/tm~u~policy under Mining. <br />Purpose and Need <br />The GMUG and BLM have identified the need to consider issuing a coal lease modification for <br />federal coat lands immediately adjacent to exiting federal coal lease COC-61357. The purpose <br />for. the lease modification is to compensate for more logical changes in mine design, and to <br />increase the amount of economically recoverable coal. <br />The BLM, charged with administration of the mineral estate on these Federal lands, is required, <br />by law, to consider leasing Federally-owned minerals for economic recovery. The USDA-Forest <br />Service (FS), as one of the surface management agencies, considers consenting to the BLM <br />leasing reserves underlying lands under its jurisdiction (approximately 141 acres), and prescribes <br />conditions (as stipulations) for the protection of non-mineral resources. The BLM will prescribe <br />conditions for lands under their jurisdiction (approximately 6 acres). This action considers <br />modifying one existing federal coal lease. Under 43 CFR 3432 (as amended by the Energy <br />Caring for the Land and Serving People PriMea on Rocyded Paper ~~ <br />