2016-08-04_PERMIT FILE - M2016009 (18)

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M 08-04-16;09;50AM; July 31, 2016 ;7'9-947-3364 RECEIVED AUG 042016 ' 310N OF RECLAMATION Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety MIN',NG AND SAFETY 1313 Sherman Street Room 215 r Cmme20t calved Denver, CO. 80203 " offi. RE: "Pueblo County Aggregate Project" at or near Section 19, Township 21 South, Range 62 West, 6t6Prime Meridian, Permit No. M2016009 Sear Sirs/Madams, 1 am contacting you to express my opposition over issuance of a Construction Materials Operation Reclamation permit to Fremont Paving and Redi-Mix Inc. of Cation City (Fremont Paving). I am familiar with the area --known locally as the Badger Hills—where Fremont Paving wishes to extract gravel. This area is immediately adjacent to a prime agricultural region of eastern Pueblo County. The soils in this area arc classified as "prime irrigated soils of national importance". The Bessemer Ditch, which irrigates these lands flows from the Pueblo reservoir nearly 40 miles to the Huerfano River. Approximately 20,000 acres are irrigated by this ditch. The area where Fremont Paving proposes to set up their operation is uphill of and within a couple hundred feet of this irrigation ditch. In recent years, Pueblo County has had some devastating flood events as a result high rainfall in short periods of time. For example two of the last three years, we had 4-5" of rainfall within a 24 hour period. These events resulted in severe erosion around the County and major issues for the Bessemer pitch. The location of the "Pueblo County Aggregate Project" is situated in an ecologically fragile area, which is highly susceptible to erosion. I am very concerned that the proposed operation will cause high levels erosion and directly and adversely impact production farmers. In addition, reclamation in this area will be exceedingly difficult due to scant annual rainfall and the soil type. During dry years we have witnessed first-hand the failed reclamation efforts of other projects in Pueblo County that have resulted in dust -bowl type condition in eastern Pueblo County. Dry years will surely return and a large-scale project such as the "441' Lane Project" will undoubtedly contribute significantly to blowing dust and destructive erosion, both during and after operations conclude. In summary, this is an and and ecologically fragile area that contains some of the best irrigated agricultural land in the western United States. On behalf of the farmers of Pueblo County, I strongly discourage the Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety from issuing a permit to Fremont Paving on the basis of unacceptable threats to local farming operations and the extreme difficulty of reclaiming the landscape after proposed mining operations conclude. There are many places where construction materials can be safely extracted with minimal impact to production agriculture, but this proposed site is not one of them. Neither this letter, nor my previous letter were written at the recommendation of the Board of SPSCD, but I signed both letters with my position on the Board to give credence to my knowledge of the subject. Thank you for your consideration, Ryan Froman President, South Pueblo Soil Conservation District