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United States Forest Paonia P.O. Box 1030 <br />USDA Department of Service Ranger District N Rio Grande Ave. <br />Agriculture PHONE NO. 970-5274131 Paonia, CO 81428 <br />FAX 970-5274151 <br />• <br />File Code: 2820-4 <br />Date: March 24, 200 8 <br />Carl Johnston <br />Office of Surface Mining <br />PO Box 46667. <br />Denver, CO 80201 03 - 2 7 o:, <br />Dear Carl <br />By this letter the GMUG gives it's concurrence to OSM recommending that the USDI - Assistant <br />Secretary for Lands and Minerals approve the mine plan modification needed for Mountain Coal <br />Company's Permit Revision 12 (PR-12) for the West Elk Mine. The revision adds lands in <br />federal coal lease COC-67232 to the permit area, which are in their entirety, National Forest <br />System lands. The GMUG, the BLM and OSM cooperatively prepared an environmental impact <br />statement (EIS) for the leasing action associated with these lands. It is our understanding that <br />OSM has copies of the EIS and related documents. <br />The GMUG advised the Colorado Division Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS) that the <br />initial permit boundary brought forward by the permittee in their application included lands <br />outside the lease boundary that had not been contemplated in the EIS, and therefore right of <br />entry for the lands outside the lease cannot be given. The DRMS has since informed us that <br />permittee requested a contraction of the permit boundary to match the boundaries of federal <br />coal lease COC-67232, and that the DRMS proposed decision is consistent with that request. <br />If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ryan Taylor of my minerals staff at 970- <br />527-4131, or via email at rztaylor@fs.fed.us . <br />Sincerely, <br />j? 1 <br />LEVI K. BROYLES <br />District Ranger <br />cc: Tom Kaldenbach, Henry Barbe <br />0- <br />S Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper