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<br />Talvitie, Marcia <br />From: Liane Mattson [Imattson@fs.fed.us] <br />Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 1:47 PM <br />To: Talvitie, Marcia <br />Cc: Ryan Z Taylor; Levi Broyles <br />Subject: Oxbow Mining LLC TR-63 <br />Dear Marcia, the Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison NFs (GMUG), via District Ranger Levi Broyles, offers the following <br />comments on Oxbow's TR-63, Ventilation Boreholes. Holes GVB-LW 10--03B and C, and GVB-LW-16-06, GVB-LW-16- <br />07, GVB-LW-16-08 are on national forest lands within federal coal lease COC-61357. As a federal land managing <br />agency, the GMUG has the role and responsibility in the CDRMS permitting process to determine consistency of the post- <br />mining land use with the land management plan, and to determine the adequacy of measures to protect federal <br />resources. <br />_ In our review to date of Oxbow's TR-63, we have questions about the consistency of the proposed operations with the <br />stipulations on the federal coal lease, specifically if Oxbow will need relief from any of the stipulations in order to conduct <br />the operations. <br />Further, GVB-LW-16-06, GVB-LW-16-07, GVB-LW-16-08 and their proposed new access roads lie within an Inventoried <br />Roadless Area (IRA) on the national forest. The Forest Service and the State of Colorado are currently in process of <br />creating the Colorado Roadless Rule. As part of this effort, any project in an IRA is required to go through a consultation <br />between the Forest Service Regional Office in Lakewood and the Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources roadless staff. As <br />a result of this required consultation, the GMUG cannot identify specific protection measures for this project until we have <br />received authorization to proceed from our Regional Office. We will send information to our Regional Office today so that <br />they can start the consultation process. <br />Please contact Ryan Taylor or me if you have any questions. Thank you. <br />Liane L. Mattson <br />Leasable Minerals Program Leader <br />Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison NF <br />Delta, CO <br />Phone: (970) 874-6697 <br />Fax: (970) 874- 6698