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CMA <br />November 25, 2008 <br />Page 3 of 4 <br />Snowcap Coal Company, Inc., (Snowcap) is deserving of recognition for permitting and implementation <br />of an alternative land use reclamation plan involving a steep slope variance from approximate original <br />contour. The plan allowed for retention of a mine bench and various facilities to accommodate a <br />commercial postmining land use. Implementation of the plan included portal backfilling and highwall <br />elimination, construction of a buried French drain system, demolition of mine related facilities that were <br />not related to the commercial use, construction of a new access road and grading and seeding of areas not <br />needed for the commercial use. The project area is immediately adjacent to Interstate 70, in Debeque <br />Canyon, a few miles east of Palisade. Reclamation was completed in early 2008. <br />The new landowner, a local fruit grower with orchards nearby, is now using the property for his large <br />scale organic fruit operations. A former mine office on the lower level has been renovated and converted <br />to a roadside retail fruit stand, that has operated for the last two years, while an adjacent former <br />cafeteria/training building was converted to a refrigerated fruit storage using solar power. On the upper <br />level, a former mine shop and warehouse is being used for equipment and supply storage. Various <br />graveled and paved location are being used for additional storage and parking areas. <br />The project resulted in successful clean-up and stabilization of a former mining site, and through proper <br />planning and implementation, allowed for retention of various existing facilities to facilitate a commercial <br />postmining land use. <br />Excellence in Steep Slope Reclamation <br />Munger Canyon Mine - Permit No. C-1981-020 <br />CAM Mining, LLC J.E. Stover & Associates <br />P.O. Box 98 P.O. Box 60340 <br />Loma, CO 81524 Grand Junction, CO 81506 <br />970-858-3960 970-2445-4101 <br />Contact: Gary Issac Contact: Jim Stover <br />CAM Mining, LLC (CAM) and J.E. Stover & Associates are nominated for excellence in steep slope <br />reclamation at the Munger Canyon Mine. Munger Canyon is a small underground mine located in the <br />Bookcliff's, an area dominated by steep cliff and canyon topography. The mine portal and access road, <br />covering nearly 11 acres, were constructed pre-SMCRA. A decision was made to permanently reclaim <br />the mine in 2007. <br />Significant challenges associated with the project included construction of stable backfill slopes at grades <br />up to 2H:1 V, restoration of ten stable, high gradient ephemeral channels, and the need for effective <br />stabilization measures to minimize erosion on the steep backfill slopes. These challenges were addressed <br />through development of detailed reclamation specifications for bid documents, selection of a reclamation <br />contractor with the proper equipment, operators and expertise to complete the project on schedule and in <br />compliance with the approved specifications, and conscientious oversight of the project by CAM's <br />reclamation and permitting consultant, J.E. Stover & Associates. All slopes were extensively roughened <br />by track-hoe gouging, and a quick growing annual cover crop was hand broadcast immediately following <br />completion of surface roughening. Dormant season seeding of the permanent perennial seedmix was <br />hand broadcast, followed by hand spreading and crimping of certified noxious weed-free straw mulch. <br />Small stacks of straw bales had been scattered throughout the site by the contractor as grading operations <br />were completed, since there was no vehicle access to most of the site following completion of grading.