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Ms. Candace Thompson <br /> Page two <br /> lands. Our statement was "that if subsidence does occur, based <br /> on a worst case hypothesis, there will be no material damage or <br /> diminution of reasonable forseeable use of renewable resource <br /> lands. " That determination was not accepted by MLRD. <br /> An additional requirement of the monitoring program was to deter- <br /> mine the actual angle of draw as it would then determine how <br /> close to coal lease boundaries mining would be allowed. This <br /> requirement no longer exists since the Gunnison National Forest, <br /> the surface manager for all the areas adjacent to the lease <br /> boundaries, has approved our request to extend the permit area a <br /> sufficient distance beyond the lease boundaries to account for <br /> any subsidence that might occur outside the lease areas. See <br /> attached letter. from the Paonia District Ranger, Gunnison National <br /> Forest. We have, therefore, extended the permit boundadries <br /> approximately 1000 yards to cover the hypothetical 20. 5 angle of <br /> draw situation for mining near lease boundaries at depths up to <br /> 2800 feet. <br /> Now, after four years of difficult and expensive monitoring of <br /> subsidence (by helicopter) along the extremely rugged Huntsman <br /> Ridge area, the cumulative amounts of subsidence for the six <br /> monitoring points that indicate some subsidence vary from 2. 12 ' <br /> to 0. 481 . This is not discernable in any manner on the surface <br /> and is certainly not causing any damage to grazing or aquifer <br /> replenishment. <br /> It should be absolutely clear to everyone that the small amount <br /> of subsidence occurring above the underground workings in Coal <br /> Basin can not possibly result in "diminution of reasonably <br /> forseeable use of renewable resource lands" . Accordingly, I urge <br /> you to honor the request in the first paragraph of this letter. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> George E. Wear <br /> Director, Special Projects <br /> GEW:rm <br /> Enclosure <br /> I <br />