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Prime Farmlands <br />1.0 Introduction <br />This section contains all aspects of the DRMS permit for the New Horizon 2 Mine that relate to <br />prime farmland, with the exception of the Prime Farmland determination. That is found in <br />Section 2.04.12, and all non -prime farmland areas of the New Horizon Mine are addressed in <br />other, more appropriate, sections of the permit (ex: Section 2.05.4(2)(e) for revegetation plans). <br />Any element of the mining or reclamation on prime farmland that does not require specific prime <br />farmland procedures is discussed in the most appropriate section of the permit for that activity <br />(i.e. Backfilling & Grading in Section 2.05.3(3)). <br />The information in this section is for the express purpose of satisfying Rules 2.06.6 & 4.25 of <br />the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety coal rules <br />All Prime Farmland in the New Horizon Mine permit area will be reclaimed as Irrigated <br />Cropland. However, not all Irrigated Cropland is Prime Farmland. This is why the revegetation <br />plan is the same for all Irrigated Cropland, but the Revegetation Success Criteria are not the <br />same for Prime Farmland and Non -prime Farmland. <br />2.0 Identification of Prime Farmlands <br />2.1 Morgan fields south of BB Road and west of 27.00 Road <br />The fields southwest of the intersection of BB Road and 27.00 Road have prime farmland soils <br />(98E), over roughly 87 acres of the Morgan Property (87.03 acres). Section 2.04.12 contains the <br />prime farmland determination. The area is also shown on Map 2.04.9-1. <br />2.2 Small area in northwest portion of permit area on WFC Property <br />There are 4.76 acres of 98A (northwest corner of permit) on the WFC property which is basically <br />in a low lying bend area of Tuttle Draw. This area is considered prime farmland soil according to <br />the June 27, 2008 NRCS letter, located in Attachment 2.04.9-6. A portion of this area was <br />stripped of soil in order to create Pond 013 prior to the prime farmland soil designation of this <br />area in February of 2008. The total disturbed area of prime farmland soils in this area will be <br />3.96 acres. Although Pond 013 will be in place until after Phase II bond release has been <br />obtained on its reclaimed watershed area, WFC will reconstruct 3.96 acres of prime farmland in <br />the Pond 013 area after reclamation of the pond. All soils handling, stockpiling and replacement <br />will be done according to the soil handling criteria described in Sections 2.04.9 and 2.05.4(2)(d). <br />This area can be seen in detail on Map 2.05.4-9. <br />January 2016 (TR -70) 2.06.6-1 <br />