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The original 1981 permit has been renewed five times prior to this permit renewal application. Three <br />permit revisions and two technical revisions expanded the original permit area of 2,283.5 acres to <br />8,859.9 acres. Permit Revision No. 4 reduced the permit area to its current 5,431 acres. <br />Four bond release applications have been submitted for the Bowie No. 1 Mine. The first, SL -1, was a <br />Phase I bond release request for the West Mine area that was subsequently withdrawn by the operator. <br />SL -2, approved in 2004, granted Phase I bond release on the West Mine area. SL -3, approved in 2008, <br />granted Phase I bond release on the Unit Train Loadout. SL -4, currently under Division review, is a <br />Phase I request for the East Mine area. <br />Summary of the Bowie No. 1 Mine Operation <br />Description of the Environment <br />The Bowie No. 1 Mine is situated in the northeastern portion of Delta County, Colorado, and is located <br />approximately four (4) miles north of Paonia, Colorado, along the Steven's Gulch Road. The western <br />extremities of the Bowie No. 1 Mine permit area are bounded closely by the East and West Roatcap <br />Creek drainage divide, and the northern boundary is located near the Morrell Cow Camp area. The coal <br />loadout facilities are located approximately one mile northeast of Paonia along State Highway No. 133. <br />The general area of the mine is characterized by a semi -arid environment of steeply sloping mountains. <br />Both the main mine portal facilities (East Mine) and the loadout were constructed in the 1970's, prior to <br />the passage of the Colorado Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act (the Act). The West Mine <br />facilities were built in late 1986 and early 1987 to provide an alternate access to the coal being mined <br />after a fire in the East Mine precluded access through the East Mine portals. <br />Land Use - Rules 2.04.3, 2.05.5, 4.16 <br />The discussion of land use is in Volume 1 of the permit application package in Sections 2.04.3 and <br />2.05.5. A land use appendix is located in Volume 9, along with Map No. 9 -1, "Land Use Information <br />Map." <br />The permit area can be divided into two general land use categories. The loadout is within an area <br />historically used as cropland or, more specifically, orchard land. The permit area north of Highway 133 <br />is used as short term grazing and wildlife habitat. Grazing tends to be short term due to the low <br />productivity of the pinon juniper and oakbrush vegetation. Some recreational use, hunting and hiking in <br />particular, occurs within the mine area. There are also a few summer homes, cow camps, and even a <br />restaurant that has been used intermittently. <br />The pre- mining land use classifications on the area are: (1) grazing land for domestic livestock and <br />wildlife, (2) orchard land in the area of the loadout facilities, and (3) previous mining disturbances. <br />After mining, BRL plans to return the land to the pre- mining land uses of grazing for livestock and <br />wildlife for the mine sites, and orchard land for the loadout facilities. <br />Cultural and Historic Resources - Rules 2.04.4, 2.05.6(4) <br />Cultural, historic, and archaeological studies have been conducted over the life of mine and adjacent <br />areas in April and May of 1977, August 1980, August 1981, July 1982, May and September of 1984, <br />and July 1986. The methodology and results of these surveys are set forth in detail in the <br />Archaeological Appendix in Volume 9B. The State Historical Preservation Officer reviewed the 1983 <br />Page 6 of 42 <br />