2020-09-22_REVISION - C1992081 (7)

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Municipal/residential areas are generally confined to the town of Hayden and its immediate vicinity. However, isolated family structures or farmsteads exist irregularly throughout the area. Commercial/industrial uses include the Yampa valley Airport, the Hayden Generating Station, and five active or inactive surface coal mining activities (Figure 1). Scattered oil, gas, and methane drilling activities were prevalent in the mid-1980's. Table 4-1 presents typical productivity figures and livestock stocking numbers for the various agricultural land uses in Routt County. The dominant land use in the county is livestock grazing on approximately 450,000 acres of rangeland. Per acre stocking rates can not be given due to insufficient production data on the numerous and highly variable vegetation types and individual operator objectives. Another regional land use category is fish and wildlife habitat which incorporates land uses given over wholly or partially to the production, protection, or management of fish and wildlife species. While there are no specific intensively managed uses of this type present, the area is part of the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Big Game Management Unit . No. 13. Most wildlife related use occurs simultaneously with the other land uses in the area. Land Use Within and Adjacent to the Permit Area Historic land use in and adjacent to the loadout facility was agriculture, rangeland, industrial and wildlife habitat. Cropping and livestock grazing have been the most intensive uses. The primary land use within the proposed permit area following construction of the loadout and rail loop in 1979 has been industrial. In January of 2020, the Town of Hayden entered a lease with Hayden Gulch Terminal, LLC and Sage Creek Land & Reserve, LLC for 225 acres of the permitted area for recreational use. The area is currently available for both summer and winter recreation activities such as running, walking, snow shoeing and cross-country skiing. The Town of Hayden has also integrated this recreational area into its planning and budgeting processes to accommodate current recreational activities while planning for further development of the area as the town expands. The Permittee, in collaboration with the Town of Hayden, has expended resources in the development of the recreational space, including construction of a parking area to the north of the terminal, removal of all rails and ballast, surface grading and fence repair. Agriculture. Dryland cropping was practiced along the northern portion of the rail spur in section 10 (T6N R88W) and south of the loadout facility and access road (see Exhibit 4-1 and Tab 10 for further information. These practices continue on the portion of the permitted area retained by the Permittee. Historically, dryland crop production was a primary land use in the western portion of section 14 (T6N PR-02 3 Revised 09/20