2012-07-09_REVISION - C1981022 (2)

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United States USDA Department of Agriculture Brock Bowles Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety 1313 Sherman St, Rm 215 Denver, CO 80203 Dear Brock, The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forest (GMUG) has completed its review of Oxbow Mining's Technical Revision 72 (TR 72). The technical revision would provide for the relocation of 7 previously approved methane drainage wells, and their associated access roads, necessitated by a change in the mine plan due to widening of barrier pillars required by the Mine Safety Health Administration. As a result of our review of the adequacy of measures to protect federal resources and the post mining land use, we identified that the impacts of this technical revision are essentially identical to those already analyzed in Oxbow's previous TR 64 and TR65. Attached is a list of conditions needed to protect federal resources and to support the post mining land use of aspen management, as defined by the GMUG Forest Plan, which are similar to the conditions submitted for the previous technical revisions. Of note is one additional condition related to operations in an Inventoried Roadless Area and Colorado Roadless Area (Condition #2). This condition is needed to satisfy recent decisions in roadless area management, as well as foreseeable future changes to coal mine operations in roadless areas. The area affected by TR 72 is within the "North Fork Coal Mining Area" as identified in the Colorado Roadless Rule FEIS. Please contact me with any questions you may have. Sincerely, /s /Levi K Broyles LEVI K. BROYLES District Ranger Forest Service Paonia Ranger District PHONE NO. 970 - 527 -4131 File Code: Date: P.O. Box 1030 N Rio Grande Ave. Paonia, CO 81428 FAX 970 -527 -4151 C°s LOZZ 2820 July 3, 2012 JUL Recetv ED 0 9 7017 Division 0I r cedamatio n, Mining and Safety �i+ Caring for the Land and Serving People Printed on Recycled Paper