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C. <br />• <br />2.04.3 <br />(2)(b)(i) Most of the land within the permit area is not irrigated and is used for <br />recreational purposes and wildlife habitat. The rocky soils of the <br />Torriorthents -Rock outcrop, which make up a significant portion of the permit <br />area, have limited value for grazing and are used mainly for wildlife habitat <br />and recreation. <br />A small portion of the land is suitable for most of the orchard crops. The <br />principal orchard crops are apples, pears, peaches and cherries. Because of <br />shortness of the growing season and frost that occurs early in spring, crops <br />can be severely damaged. <br />Under a high level of management, including irrigation, portions of the land <br />within the permit area are capable of producing 75 - 100 bushels per acre of <br />Barley, 24 tons per acre of silage, 5 tons per acre of alfalfa hay and 4 tons <br />per acre of grass hay. The rangeland productivity of the land is between <br />1400 and 3000 pounds per acre. The rangeland vegetation includes Gambel <br />Oak, serviceberry, mountain bromegrass, Elk sedge, wheatgrasses, <br />needlegrasses, bluegrasses, Snowberry and sagebrush. Most of the land in <br />the area has never met its maximum capability because the land is situated <br />above the elevation of the irrigation ditches in the area. <br />(3) <br />PR -12 <br />APPRovED <br />Under a high level of management, the land suitable for orchard crops could <br />yield 750 bushels per acre of apples, 550 bushels per acre of peaches, 800 <br />bushels per acre of cherries or 500 bushels per acre of pears. <br />The foregoing discussion of land capability and productivity was <br />predominantly obtained from the Soil Survey of Paonia Area published by the <br />Soil Conservation Service. <br />Map 25, Previously Mined Areas shows the areal extent of mining on the <br />permit and adjacent areas. <br />The location and extent of acreage disturbed within the permit area by <br />previous surface coal mining and reclamation operations is presented on <br />Map 26. The production information in the following discussion was obtained <br />from the Colorado Division of Mines. <br />2.04 -3 06/10 <br />