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~~i iiii~~iii~~uii~ <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1317 Sherman Sr. Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone 130778663567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 <br />February 3, 1999 <br />Michael G. Altavilla <br />Seneca Coal Company <br />N.O. Drawer D <br />Hayden, CO 81639 <br />Re: Seneca ll-W Mine (Permit No. C-82-0~7) <br />Review of 1997 Annual Reclamation, Shrub Establishment Monitoring, and Revegetation <br />Monitoring Reports <br />UI Vl510N QF <br />MINERALS <br />-&- <br />GEOLOGY <br />NEC LPnAiIOH <br />nln in G•SniETT <br />B~II Owens <br />Governor <br />Greq E Watcher <br />Fxecuuve D~recror <br />Ixachael B Long <br />D~retmr <br />In association with the most recent midterm pen»i[ review, the Division has reviewed the following Seneca <br />II-W 1997 annual report documents, Annual Reclamation Repon, dated March, 1998; 1997 Reclamation <br />Studies and Shrub Establishment Monitoring at Seneca II and Seneca 11-W Mines, dated January 28, 1998; <br />and 1997 Revegetation Monitoring Report, dated April, 1998. Some concem.s with the annual report <br />information were identified and addressed in our mir;t^.rm revie[t docun;ent dated August 7, 1993. Seneca <br />Coal Company (SCC) has provided n response to these concern; anG these issues were reviewed by the <br />Division as discussed in our letter dated January 25, 1999. In addition to responding to that letter, please <br />be sure to address these concerns in association with the 1998 annual report submittals. <br />One item of note which was net mentioned in our midterm review, is that SCC has initiated long term <br />studies on woody plant establishment plots 95 W- I, 96 W-I, and 97 W-l. 1997 vas the first year of cover <br />and woody plant density data collection on 95 W-I, as it was replanted in la[e 1996. 1997 was also the first <br />year of data collection for 97W-I, and was rte second year of data collection for 96W-I. Items of note for <br />95 W-1 were infestation of Canada this[le anti high percentage of browsed shrub transplants. Some <br />volunteer snowberry and rose were present. 96-I had relatively high survival of planted species, and low <br />cover of noxious weeds. Browse percentage was high, [hough not as high as 95W-1. 97W-1 had been <br />planted only recently. Presence of several volunteer native shrub species tvas noted. <br />SCC consistently performs thorough and well thought out revegeta[ion monitoring at their Routt County <br />mines, and has incorporated monitoring as a component of the reclamation process. These eft-orts are <br />commendable. <br />Thank you for your cooperation. I f you have any questions please call. <br />Sincerely, / <br />Sandra L. Brown <br />Environmental Protection Specialist <br />c:~ Dan Mathews <br />