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On September 14, 1999, the Division received an application for a permit revision, PR-O5, to add an <br />additiona1476 acres to the New Horizon Mine 2 azea. Final adequacy issues were resolved on April <br />14, 2000, and the proposed decision for approval was issued on April 24, 2000. <br />On December 21, 2001, the Division approved a partial Phase III bond release on 221.8 acres of the <br />Mine 1 area, leaving 98.6 acres known as the Rice Tract. <br />On September 27, 2002, the Division received an application to renew a valid existing permit to <br />conduct coal mining operations in Colorado. The application was found to be complete, November <br />25, 2002. Adequacy issues were finally resolved on Mazch 21, 2003. <br />Description of the Environment <br />Introduction <br />At this time, the New Horizon Mine 1 permit azea encompasses approximately 98.6 acres and is in <br />the final two yeazs of the phase III bond release period. <br />The New Horizon Mine 2 area encompasses approximately 823.56 acres. Approximately 653.5 <br />acres will be disturbed due to mining or related activities at Mine 2. The majority of this findings <br />document pertains to the Mine 2 area since the activities at Mine 1 have ceased with the exception <br />vegetation monitoring of the Rice Tract, <br />The topography is gently sloping with a few small ridges and swales. Most of the land surrounding <br />the permit azea is agricultural and is used primarily for irrigated and non-imgated farmland that <br />generally produces alfalfa or pasture grasses. <br />The mine is located within the southeast portion of the Colorado Plateau. The region is chazacterized <br />by broad and fairly smooth surfaced plateaus and mesas with gently dipping slopes which aze <br />dissected by steep canyons. Surface elevations at the New Horizon Mine 2 azea range from a high of <br />5,795 feet (MSL) in the northeast part to a low of 5,555 feet in the northwest part along Tuttle Draw <br />for a total relief of about 240 feet. <br />Climate <br />The regional climate of the New Horizon azea is typical of intermountain regions. The climate is <br />chazacterized by cold winters, hot summers, low rainfall, and short growing seasons. The mine <br />receives approximately 12 inches of precipitation in an average yeaz. The majority of the <br />precipitation falls between October and May. <br />Regional Geology <br />The New Horizon Mine is located near the axis of the Nucla Syncline (San Miguel Syncline), a <br />shallow, broad synclinal fold running northwesterly for 65 miles. No evidence of faults has been <br />observed in drill holes at New Horizon Mine 2 area. The Nucla Syncline is 10 to 15 miles southwest <br />of the major regional geologic feature of the area, the Uncompahgre uplift. The region lies in the <br />