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The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board, along with representatives of various public <br /> interest groups and interested individuals visited the site in August. This public meeting <br /> provided an opportunity for Board members and the public to visit first hand the reclamation <br /> projects completed in 1995 and 1996, as well as to view on-going projects. The public also had <br /> the opportunity to address the Board on-site about any questions, comments or concerns they had <br /> regarding Division management of the site. <br /> Part of the reclamation plan being implemented at Coal Basin is to plant trees upon completion <br /> of other reclamation phases. In order to accomplish this objective, and to continue to enlist local <br /> support for the reclamation efforts at Coal Basin, two volunteer tree planting projects were <br /> organized by the Division. Each project was built around the core support of local schools. <br /> Community support was enlisted for each of the planting dates to supplement the local school <br /> volunteers. Additionally, staff from the Divisions' Denver office and from the Office of Surface <br /> Mining helped with organizing school children and in planting trees. Of the approximately 5,000 <br /> trees planted in Coal Basin in 1997, 4,000 were planted by volunteers. <br /> Discussions regarding future uses of Coal Basin have intensified during the past eighteen <br /> months. The Redstone Community Association has been particularly interested in the fate of the <br /> roads within the Basin. The Division hosted a tour of the site for the RCA, which focused on the <br /> issues of on-going road maintenance and environmental considerations to be taken into account <br /> when deciding on futures road uses. <br /> ADDITIONAL RECLAMATION FINANCING <br /> The Division has been very active in seeking to augment the available reclamation funds from <br /> various sources. Due to a concern that the funds being provided by the liquidation plan may be <br /> insufficient to accomplish all of the reclamation required at the mine, the Division has applied for <br /> supplemental funds from various sources. This augmentation of funds has generally taken the <br /> form of grant proposals. The Division has applied for at least six grants from various State, <br /> Federal and Private organizations since 1996. <br /> Most recently, the Division and Pitkin County have entered into a partnership to control a <br /> noxious weed infestation near the lower elevation portions of the mine. A grant proposal was <br /> jointly submitted in mid-December, 1997 to the Colorado Department of Agriculture in order to <br /> begin control efforts in the spring of 1998. Other grants which have been applied for include a <br /> Challenge Cost Share project in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service to conduct watershed <br /> restoration work near the mine bench outslopes, and a grant from the Office of Surface Mining to <br /> accomplish remedial work on a portion of the Old Refuse Pile near the Warehouse vicinity. <br /> The Division has received approval for some grants already. The National Arbor Day <br /> Foundation has committed to providing $7,500 for the purchase of trees to be planted on <br /> Federally managed lands. The Office of Surface Mining has approved a grant request for <br /> $115,000 to construct the Dutch Creek Diversion. The National Community Conservation Corps <br /> 7 <br />