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<br /> <br /> <br /> 8 <br /> <br />The NHN mining operations area is divided into three separate parcels, with three individual <br />landowners. The southern parcel, owned by Garvey, comprises 160 acres (SW¼ Section 25). To <br />the north of Garvey is the 80-acre Meehan parcel (S½ NW¼ Section 25). The northern most parcel <br />(N½NW¼ Section 25), also 80 acres in size, is owned by Glasier. The remaining 8.7 acres consist <br />of the equipment corridor and the light use road used to access Pond NH1-001. <br /> <br />NHN is in close proximity to the New Horizon Mine (formerly Nucla Mine), permit number C- <br />1981-008. The New Horizon Mine is divided into two mining areas: New Horizon 1 (NH1) and <br />New Horizon 2 (NH2). NHN overlaps 98.6 acres of the NH1 permit area and this is known as the <br />Rice Tract. See the Mine Location Map at the end of this document for clarification. The <br />equipment corridor and light use road for Pond NH1-001 are part of the NHN permit but the area <br />between the road and corridor is not part of the NHN permit. <br /> <br />Land Use – Section 2.04.3 of the permit <br /> <br />The Garvey property is dominated by grazingland-reclamation across its southern extent. This <br />area was mined and reclaimed to dryland pasture by Peabody/WFC as the Nucla Mine, C-1981- <br />008. There are some minor inclusions of subirrigated land, where irrigation water has been <br />allowed to flow across the surface. The northeast corner was an area of grazingland–sagebrush. <br />The contour of this site lies above the elevation of the Second Park Lateral of the Colorado <br />Cooperative Company (CCC) Ditch, with the result that the area has never been irrigated. The <br />northwestern portion consisted largely of the intensively managed irrigated pasture land use, and <br />some irrigated pasture. <br /> <br />The Meehan property is bisected by “Meehan Draw”, which flows from east to west across the <br />property. South of Meehan Draw, the majority of the area falls within the irrigated pasture land <br />use category, due to its proximity to the Second Park Lateral Ditch located uphill to the south. <br />Meehan’s land to the north of the Draw has not been improved, and is classified as grazingland <br />sagebrush. Land use within Meehan Draw is classified as grazingland – subirrigated. <br /> <br />The Glasier property has a blend of land uses: irrigated pasture in the northwest, dryland pasture <br />(where older irrigation structures have not been recently used and are in disrepair) in the center, <br />and grazingland-sagebrush in the west. The “Glasier Draw” drainage, identified as grazingland- <br />subirrigated, crosses the northwest corner of the property, and will not be disturbed by mining <br />operations. <br /> <br />Cultural and Historic Resources – Section 2.04.4 of the permit <br /> <br />Lands in the vicinity of the NHN have previously been the subject of at least three formal cultural <br />resource investigations, which are illustrated on Map 2.04.4 of the application. In 1979, the <br />southern portion of the permit area was surveyed for the initial permitting of Peabody’s Nucla <br />Mine. A second survey was conducted in 1984 for a series of coal exploration drill holes. History <br />Colorado records indicate that a third survey was conducted in 1985, for exploration holes located <br />within and to the east of the proposed permit area. The majority (approximately 80%) of the <br />surface within the permit area has been previously disturbed by either coal mining or agricultural