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<br /> <br />STATE iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii <br />999 <br />OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Depanmem of Natural Resources <br />I I I f Shrrman SL, Room 21; <br />D I v 15 l o N O F <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 MINERAL S <br />Phone: ('.031 866-3567 & <br />FA%: (307) H32-8106 GEOLOGY <br /> 0.EClAM AiION <br /> MINING•SAfE7Y <br />May I5, 2000 <br /> Bil I Owens <br />Mr. ferry Nettleton euvemor <br />Montgomery Watson Greg E. Walther <br />1475 Pine Grove Road, Suite 109 Eaecuuve D~reaor <br />Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 Michael e. Lung <br /> Division Drtector <br />RE: Matr Mine, 1999 Reclamation Monitoring Report <br />Dear Mr. Nettleton: <br />DMG has looked at the reclamation monitoring report, dated February, 2000, for the reclamation <br />at the Marr Strip Mine. The report was very well done and provides both Kerr Coal Company <br />and the DMG with valuable information regarding the status of the revegetation efforts. Based on <br />this report, i[ appears the 720 reclamation and [he Pit 1 reclamation are well on their way to <br />achieving reclamation success. Vegetative cover, production, shrub density and species diversity <br />exceed the standards at this point. <br />As we have discussed, reclamation in the pre-1986 areas does not meet the standard for <br />vegetation cover or woody plant density. Vegetation cover is the standard that must be achieved <br />for a Phase II bond release request. The cover is well below the standard at this point. Kerr has <br />some options to attempt to increase the cover. First, it may help to graze the areas. There have <br />been some publications recently that claim properly managed grazing reduces vegetative litter <br />and helps to increase vegetative cover and also increase shrub density. I know that Kerr has <br />attempted to graze this property in the past and would like to have cattle graze this summer as <br />well. I encourage you to pursue your efforts to graze the property in hopes that the cover and the <br />shrub density would increase. Please submit grazing plans to DMG before initiating the grazing. <br />Kerr Coal Company may also want to consider interseeding this fall in an attempt to increase the <br />vegetative cover. However, by interseeding, the ten year liability period would be reinitiated <br />(Rule 4.15.7(5)). <br />Please contact me if you have other ideas for managing the pre-1986 reclaimed areas or if you <br />have questions regarding this letter. <br />Sincerely, <br />Sandra L. Brown <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />cc. George Patterson <br />John Mossman <br />