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their lands and in order to encourage "prompt establishment of vegetative cover and recovery of <br />productivity levels compatible with the approved postmining land use" (Rule 4.15.1(2)). <br />Irrigated Pasture and Intensively Managed Irrigated Pasture will be established on areas <br />identified as corresponding in these two vegetation and land use types in Sections 2.04.3 and <br />2.04. 10 baseline land use and vegetation studies. The various plans for backfilling, grading, and <br />topsoil redistribution (Sections 2.05.4(2)(c) and (d)) will provide the basis for the potential <br />productivity of the reclaimed lands. Upon meeting successful revegetation requirements for the <br />irrigated pasture and release of NHN's regulatory liability, these lands may be converted by the <br />landowners to other vegetation or land use types based upon the desires of the surface owners. <br />Successful revegetation of Dryland Pasture and Irrigated Pasture will ensure that the reclaimed <br />lands are capable of supporting the highest possible uses which they were capable of supporting <br />before mining. <br />Wildlife will continue to make an important secondary use of the NHN Mine permit area during <br />mining and following reclamation activities. <br />Letters from the three original landowners within the NHN Mine permit area, George Glasier, <br />Thomas Meehan and Stan Garvey, approving the postmining land uses are provided in Appendix <br />2.05.5-1. However, WFC has since purchase the Meehan property from Thomas Meehan. <br />Therefore, the Meehan landowner letter is provided in Appendix 2.05.5-1 for historic reference. <br />Inquiries to these owners as well as adjacent landowners and individuals during 2008 and 2009 <br />baseline land use and vegetation studies and discussions with local residents pertaining to NHN's <br />postmining land use, indicated that the postmining land use and establishment of Dryland Pasture <br />are compatible with local wishes. <br />On the WFC -Meehan property, the previous landowner Thomas Meehan requested that the <br />Irrigated Pasture be reclaimed to Dryland Pasture and the current landowner WFC concurs with <br />this request. As documented in Section 2.04.3, on this property as well as on the Glasier <br />property, there have been declines in the amount of irrigated pasture as the land has been sold <br />and either through the sale of the water rights or the absence of an owner who lives on the <br />property, there have been significant declines in the amount of irrigated pasture present on these <br />two tracts. On the Garvey property, due to abundant water rights and the fact that they have <br />previously lived on the land, there will be no conversion of irrigated pasture to dryland pasture. <br />NHN submits since the current Montrose Co. land use classification of these lands as "General <br />Agricultural District A" does not distinguish between irrigated and dryland pasture land uses, the <br />conversion of irrigated pasture to dryland pasture will be consistent with adjacent land use <br />patterns and trends as well as the policies of Montrose Co. Conversion of the irrigated pasture <br />areas to dryland pasture will not present an actual or probable hazard to public health or safety, <br />Section 2.05.5 Page 4 April 2016 (PR -01) <br />