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SOUTHWEST <br />LAND SERVICES, INC:/ <br />January 11, 2005 <br />Wallace Erickson <br />Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology <br />701 Camino del Rio, Room 125 <br />Durango, CO 81301 <br />RE: Hocker Gravel Pit, File No. M-2004-063 <br />Dear Mr. Erickson: <br />R <br />Re ~~N c~i~~`~® <br />,s <br />r dos <br />J <br />AN , 3 ~~,~~ ,he~a~'~Aa <br />JJ 6ep~ <br />°ar <br />O~fsia uofr~ne~ls $ GeolaAY <br />b ec'~'+on <br />Respa^~ t` ° f <br />This letter in is response to your letter dated 12-10-04 and the objection from Richard <br />Parry of Fox Fire Farms dated 11-26-04. <br />Mr. Parry's first objection is in the submittal's description of the area asindustrial / <br />commercial in nature. The Town of Ignacio 3-mile future land use plan map as industrial <br />due to a number of existing gravel pits and concrete batch plant in the azea. Batch plant <br />operations are about'/4 of a mile from the Hocker property, and one of the gravel pits is <br />less than a %z mile away. The area is very spazsely populated, with homes few and faz <br />between. <br />Mr. Parry's second objection is related to the safety of the county road providing access <br />to the pazcel. CR 321 is only one of the access possibilities being considered by the <br />traffic study currently being conducted. This traffic study is being done by Bechtolt <br />Engineering at the request of La Plata County, and will address access issues. <br />The third objection is to "ridge-lining". Attached to Mr. Parry's letter is a copy of county <br />code to address the prohibition on `4idge-lining". The attached regulations are the La <br />Plata County Oil & Gas regulations and do not apply to Class II permits. <br />All of the above concerns are jurisdictional to the county and will be addressed through <br />the La Plata County Class II permitting process. <br />Mr. Parry's last concern is the possibility a gravel pit neaz his ranching operation will <br />make it difficult for him to gain organic certification from the Colorado Department of <br />Agriculture. Appazently, the Dept. of Ag. requires a "buffer zone" from sources of <br />contamination. The requirement for the size of the buffer zone is not specified, nor why a <br />gravel pit would be considered a source of contamination. We believe if a buffer zone is <br />required, it should not be imposed on surrounding private property, but on Mr. Pany's <br />Fox Fire Fazm property. Furthermore, the Fox Fire Farm property does not border the <br />Hocker property, but is sepazated by a 36-acre parcel. If it is fugitive dust Mr. Parry is <br />concerned with, the Hocker Gravel Pit will have to meet state air quality standazds, and <br />will have spray bars to control dust. <br />d.b.a. PROPERTY ANALYSIS & DEVELOPMENT and SOUTHWEST NATURAL LANDSCAPES <br />P.O. BOX 2673 DURANGO, COLORADO 81302 PHONE: 970-259-2629 FAX: 970-259-0181 <br />E-mail: swlsincC~frontier.net <br />