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Fish and Wildlife Information - <br />Detailed fish and wildlife information is presented within Section 2.04.11 of the Bowie No. 2 Mine <br />permit application document. This summary is derived from the referenced permit document section. <br />A detailed list of wildlife species known to occur within the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit area is presented in <br />Volume 111, Exhibit 9 of the permit application document. The Bowie No. 2 Mine area is located in an <br />area designated as critical range for deer and elk. The surrounding cliffs are possible nesting and/or <br />roosting sites for all species of raptors. The Colorado Division of Wildlife and the United States Fish and <br />Wildlife Service were both involved with the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application review. <br />Correspondence from both agencies regarding the proposed Bowie No. 2 Mine is contained within <br />Volume 111, Exhibit 9 of the Bowie No. 2 permit application document. <br />Specific site surveys were conducted to ascertain the presence of and potential impacts on threatened or <br />endangered wildlife species. The field surveys did not identify any such species, or predict any such <br />impacts. <br />Description of the Operation and Reclamation Plans <br />Detailed information regarding the operation and reclamation plans for the Bowie No. 2 Mine is presented <br />in Section 2.05 of the Bowie No. 2 Mine permit application document. Section 2.05 of the permit also <br />contains numerous references to maps and other information related to the Bowie No. 2 Mine operations <br />and reclamation plans, which are contained in various sections of the permit application document <br />binders. The following summary is derived from the information presented in the Bowie No. 2 Mine <br />permit application document. <br />The Bowie No. 2 Mine is an underground coal mine, and the coal was originally extracted using the room <br />and pillar mining method. Retreat mining of some of these sections has occurred. Approval of Permit <br />Revision No. 3 allowed the mining method to change to longwall mining. Mining is currently being <br />conducted only in the D-2 coal seam. The construction of a coal wash plant was approved in Technical <br />Revision No. 27. Approval of Permit Revision No. 7 permitted the construction of support facilities in <br />order to mine the B-2 coal seam. The initial mine plan approval to mine the B-2 coal seam was obtained <br />through Permit Revision No. 8. In Permit Revision No. 9, the B-2 coal seam mine plan was amended. A <br />third panel was projected in the west section of the mine. The permit boundary was expanded to <br />encompass the entire Federal coal lease (COC 61209) boundary and two proposed lease modification <br />areas. No mining under Terror Creek was proposed. <br />The D-2 coal seam was accessed from three (3) entries which were constructed at an elevation of 6880 <br />feet above sea level. This is the elevation where the D-2 coal seam generally outcrops, within the Bowie <br />No. 2 permit area, and this elevation is approximately 800 feet above the old State Highway 133. The <br />main entries have been driven down-dip to the north, with the sub-mains being driven east and west from <br />the mains. <br />The B-2 coal seam is currently being accessed through three (3) mine entries. The B-2 coal seam portals <br />are located below and just to the east of the D-2 coal seam portals, at an approximate elevation of 6630 <br />feet. The development mining and longwall mining of the B-2 coal seam were approved in Permit <br />Revision No. 8. The B-2 coal seam mine plan was amended in Permit Revision No. 9. Approval of PR-10 <br />will extend the B-seam mining to the north but still within the Federal Coal Lease COC-61209 boundary. <br />Currently, total annual coal production has been capped at 6 million tons per year. <br />17