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Currently, agriculture and seasonal tourism related to hunting are the primary uses in the area. <br />The uranium industry has been essentially dead and the ore processing plant once operated by <br />Union Carbide (now UMETCO) at Uravan is in the final stages of eradication and reclamation. <br />As of 2009, there are some indications that the uranium industry could be active once again in <br />the area. <br />2.0 Adjacent Land Use <br />Land use adjacent to the New Horizon Permit area is either irrigated agricultural land (irrigated <br />pastureland or irrigated cropland), abandoned cropland or native rangeland used for livestock <br />grazing and wildlife habitat. Specifically, lands to the west and north of the permit area are <br />predominantly irrigated or abandoned irrigated cropland, while lands east of the permit area are <br />predominantly native rangeland, irrigated pasture or residential sites. Lands to the south of the <br />permit area are dominated by both irrigated and abandoned irrigated agricultural land, as well as <br />native rangeland until south of Calamity Draw, where irrigated agricultural land dominates once <br />again. <br />Active cropland and irrigated pasture areas are irrigated because of the very dry climatic <br />conditions experienced in this region. Irrigation water is delivered to the area by the Colorado <br />Cooperative Ditch. Systems of lateral ditches deliver water to the irrigated fields whereupon it is <br />spread on the individual fields. One of these laterals, the West Lateral, bounds or traverses <br />portions of the permit area. Improvements are generally limited to land leveling, where soils are <br />deep enough, or to more efficient delivery/water spreading systems. Agricultural land has been <br />abandoned in several areas because of either poor water availability, poor site characteristics <br />related to topography and flood irrigability or poor economic return. Poorer sites or areas with <br />shallow soils are in irrigated hay/pasture production while the deeper soils areas are in crop <br />production or crop/hay rotations. Crops normally grown are annual grains, alfalfa or corn for <br />silage. Irrigated hay or pasture is predominated by alfalfa with grasses such as smooth brome <br />(Bromus inermis), orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) or introduced wheat grasses (Agropyron <br />sp.) included in varying degrees of composition to improve forage quality. <br />Native rangeland areas are used for livestock grazing and by wildlife. Classes of livestock in <br />order of importance are cattle, sheep and horses. In terms of land use, the more important <br />wildlife species are mule deer and elk. However, a wide variety of small mammals, predators, <br />passerine and upland game birds, and raptors frequent the area. While mule deer may be found in <br />the immediate area year round, elk are more likely to be found in the area during the winter <br />season after migrating from summer season range located in the adjacent high country. In the <br />fall, the quality of big game hunting and the natural beauty of the area draw a large number of in- <br />state and out-of-state hunters to the area, providing a sizeable boost to the local economy. Both <br />in -permit and out of permit lands of all classes support seasonal wildlife population. Predominant <br />June 2016 (TR -73) 2.04.3-2 <br />