Laserfiche WebLink
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR <br />OFFICE OF SURFACE MINING RECLAMATION AND ENFORCEMENT <br />SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT <br />For <br />Trapper Mine <br />Federal Coal Leases C-07519 and C-079641 <br />Mining Plan Modification Decision Document <br />A. Description of the Proposed Action <br />The proposed action is a decision by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Land and Minerals <br />Management, to approve, approve with conditions, or disapprove a mining plan modification. <br />Trapper Mining, Inc. submitted a permit application package for a permit revision, "Permit <br />Revision Application No. 6 (PR-6) Proposed Trapper Mine Plan for 5 Year Permit Term 2008- <br />2012" for the Trapper mine to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />(CO-DRMS) on February 11, 2009. <br />The Trapper surface coal mine is located in Moffat County, Colorado, approximately six (6) <br />miles south of the town of Craig, Colorado on State of Colorado, and private lands. The mine <br />has been in operation since 1977. The Trapper mine extends across the northern slope of the <br />Williams Fork Mountains between elevations of 6,500 to 7,800 feet above sea level. The crest of <br />the Williams Fork Mountains forms a ridge running east-west at elevations between 7,400 to <br />7,800 feet above sea level. The mining operations use a combination of dragline, truck/loader, <br />and limited highwall miner mining methods. The average production rate is approximately 2.3 <br />million tons per year from eight coal seams of the Williams Fork Formation but could reach a <br />maximum production rate of 2.6 million tons per year. <br />The Yampa River flows generally east to west a short distance from the permit area and the <br />Williams Fork River skirts the south side of the permit area and flows into the Yampa River <br />approximately one mile west of the permit area. Within the permit area, on north facing slopes, <br />portions of the Buzzard, Coyote, No Name, Johnson, Pyeatte and Flume Gulches flow generally <br />south to north primarily in response to snowmelt or heavy rains and all discharge eventually into <br />the Yampa River. Drainages within the southern portion of the permit area include portions of <br />Ute, Castor, Deer, Elk, and Horse Gulches which flow generally southward into the Williams <br />Fork River. <br />The mountain shrub community within the permit area gradually thins in term of density and <br />cover from east to west giving way to a community of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentatal) and <br />grasses to the western side of the permit area. Descending northward from the ridge of the <br />Williams Fork Mountains at elevations above 7,200 feet Gamble's oak (Quercus gambelii) <br />dominates the mountain shrub community and serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) and <br />chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) are less abundant. Snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus) is <br />the most prominent understory component with occasional big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), <br />rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa) or bitterbrush (Purshia tridentate). Gamble's oak <br />becomes less dominate at lower elevations giving way to sagebrush, serviceberry, and <br />-1-