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STATE OF COLORADO
<br />Bill Ritter, Jr., Governor
<br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
<br />DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
<br />AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
<br />Thomas E. Remington, Director
<br />6060 Broadway
<br />Denver, Colorado 80216
<br />Telephone: (303) 297-1192
<br />wildlife. state. co. us
<br />August 27, 2009
<br />Tom Kaldenbach
<br />Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety
<br />Department of Natural Resources
<br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215
<br />Denver, Colorado 80203
<br />RE: Peabody Sage Creek Mine (Permit No. C-2009-087)
<br />New Permit Application
<br />Dear Mr. Kaldenbach:
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<br />For Wildlife-
<br />For People
<br />The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has reviewed the Sage Creek Coal Company LLC request to
<br />conduct underground coal mining operations on land approximately 9 miles SE of Hayden in all or
<br />portions of Sections 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, and 22 of Township 5 North, 87 West;
<br />and all or portions of Sections 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 of Township 6 North, Range 87 West,
<br />Routt County, Colorado. CDOW appreciates the opportunity to comment on this mining permit
<br />application and would like to provide the following information.
<br />General Information
<br />The Peabody Sage Creek Mine is comprised of a 10,169 acre permit area and encompasses the majority
<br />of the reclaimed Seneca II Mine (east of RCR 27) and additional acreage on the west side of RCR 27. The
<br />surface ownership consists of 5,213 acres state, 80 acres of federal and 4,876 acres of private
<br />ownership. The portal and the majority of the surface disturbance will be east of.Routt County Road 27.
<br />This is an area that has existing facilities from previous mining activity. Existing vegetation is
<br />predominantly sagebrush, grassland, mountain shrub, mined and reclaimed mine, and crp lands.
<br />This coal mining operation is to be underground and therefore the majority of the impacts will exist
<br />around the surface disturbance area(s). Currently this surface disturbance with facilities, stockpile
<br />areas, access and haul roads encompass 232 acres adjacent to Little Grassy Creek. The majority of the
<br />surface disturbance will be located on the reclaimed Seneca II Mine site. Although the remainder of the
<br />permit area will experience subsidence over time, this is anticipated to have negligible impact on the
<br />vegetative community, and therefore the wildlife resources of the area. The underground mining
<br />operation will pass under and to the west side of Routt County Road 27. A private land parcel on the
<br />west side of this road is currently under an exchange of use with the State Land Board for hunting and
<br />fishing access (Twenty Mile State Trust Land/ State Management Area). An adjacent State Land Board
<br />parcel, the Grassy Creek State Trust Land, is also leased for hunting and fishing recreation.
<br />DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, Hams D. Sherman, Executive Director
<br />WILDLIFE COMMISSION, Brad Coors, Chair • Tim Glenn, Vice Chair • Dennis Buechler, Secretary
<br />Members, Jeffrey Crawford • Dorothea Farris • Roy McAnally • John Singletary • Mark Smith • Robert Streeter
<br />Ex Officio Members, Harris Sherman and John Stulp
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