Laserfiche WebLink
816-.133 POSTMIidING LAND USE (v3, :pp. 816-170 to 816-173) <br />A. Description of the Existing Environment <br />Land use in the proposed permit area is described in <br />Sections 779.22(a) and 779.22(b) and illustrated on <br />i4ap 31. The predominant uses include range and pasture, <br />limited crop production, and surface mining. For those <br />areas not previously mined, the extent of each use is <br />shown oc~,t4ap 31, and the productivity and yields of <br />the various land cover types are presented. Productivity <br />and carrying capacities of the lands are low and on- <br />going reclamation of previously mined lands has generally. <br />resulted in increased plant cover and plant production <br />from pre-mining levels (v3,P816-170). <br />For those areas that were previously mined, the extent <br />of various land uses can be generally determined from <br />aerial photos taken by Energy Fuels prior to .1962. These <br />and interviews conducted with long-time area residents <br />revealed that uses were similar to those in the surrounding <br />area; grazing land and some cropland. <br />Nearly all of the unmined area is classified as either <br />rangeland or pasture. The rangeland is unimproved vrhere- <br />as pasture has been seeded in the past and has sometimes <br />been cut for hay. Cattle grazing is the dominanti <br />activity on the pastures whereas sheep and cattle nay <br />be~grazed on the unimproved iangeg Only 247 acres of <br />the entire permit area are currently used for cropland: <br />either hay or wheat is grown. [done of these Lands has <br />a soil capability classification better than IV, and <br />yields on all are limited by thin soils and low precipi- <br />tation. The major non-mining activity is grazing. <br />Surface Ynining has~~occurred wi.ttiin the proposed permit! <br />area continually since 1962y~, Draglines have been used <br />in a "strip pit" configuration sidecasting overburden <br />into adjacent mined out pits. Over 15 million tons of <br />coal has been mined from Energy Mine No. 1 and about <br />4 million tons have been mined from Mine ido. 2. Some <br />reclamation of previously mined Lands has been done <br />including the replanting of woody shrubs since 1965. <br />Two test areas for seeding have been reviewed by the <br />Colorado MLRB (Revegetation, Section 816.111-.117). <br />-97- <br />