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reclamation concepts which the Division will implement within the <br /> 405 acre facilities area. The Forest Service offered ideas and <br /> suggestions to modify the concepts, and where appropriate, these <br /> are being adopted by the Division. At the end of the construction <br /> season, the Division and three Forest Service representatives <br /> toured the roads reclaimed north of the Rock Tunnel. The Forest <br /> Service generally approved of the reclamation efforts undertaken <br /> along roads E, F, G. The Forest Service disagreed with the <br /> Divisions decision to leave one culvert in place on Road G, and <br /> recommended changes be made to the rolled dip construction <br /> specifications. However, the Forest Service stated that the <br /> majority of their concerns regarding road reclamation which they <br /> have expressed over the past four or so years had been addressed. <br /> Representatives of the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) visited the <br /> site on at least four occasions during 1996. The OSM <br /> representatives viewed areas reclaimed during 1995, reclamation <br /> construction occurring in 1996, and discussed future reclamation <br /> projects with Division staff. The concepts and construction <br /> practices were carefully explained to the OSM staff, with benefits <br /> and downfalls of any particular reclamation method or concept <br /> openly discussed. At no time did the OSM representatives express <br /> dissatisfaction with the progress of the reclamation, or with the <br /> outcome of the final land forms. In fact, the opposite was true. <br /> Most of the representatives voiced support for the projects <br /> undertaken and the underlying concepts being employed. This <br /> sentiment was expressed throughout the season by technical and <br /> management staff at OSM. <br /> Finally, the Division has attempted to better keep itself informed <br /> of what is being undertaken at Coal Basin. In early July, a <br /> comprehensive memo to the staff was issued which discussed the <br /> reclamation of the site in 1995 and progress anticipated to be made <br /> in 1996. This was followed by a visit to the site by the Coal <br /> Staff in October, 1996. <br /> PRE-CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES <br /> The spring of 1996 was consumed by preparing bid documents for <br /> three of the four 1996 reclamation projects, monitoring the spring <br /> runoff, accomplishing site maintenance, initiating field work for <br /> the 1997 bids, and accomplishing various other tasks at the mine. <br /> In 1996, four projects were scheduled: Mines 1 and 2; the Rock <br /> Tunnel; Rock Tunnel Waste Dump; Roads C,E,F,G. The bid for Mines <br /> 1 and 2 was awarded the previous fall, so only three of the four <br /> jobs were bid in the spring of 1996. <br /> During the winter, the Division determined that certain portions of <br /> the approved reclamation plan were not adequate to achieve the <br /> 4 <br />