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• Mine in 1992 (Permit G81-008) and renamed it the New Horizon Mine. New Horizon mine has been <br />supplying coal to the Naturita plant since its opening in 1992. Annual production from the Nucla <br />Mine (now the New Horizon Mine) totaled 90,000+ tons in the earlier years. <br />Currently, agriculture and seasonal tourism related to hunting are the primary uses in the area. The <br />uranium industry is essentially dead and the processing plant operated by Union Carbide at Uravan <br />is being decommissioned. <br />Acfiacent Land Use. Land use adjacent to the New Horizon Permit area is either irrigated <br />hay/cropland, abandoned cropland or native rangeland used for livestock grazing and v~ildlife habitat. <br />Specifically, lands to the west and north of the permit area are predominantly irrigated cropland, <br />while lands east of the permit area are predominantly native rangeland. Lands to the south of the <br />permit area are dominated by Tuttle Draw and remain in native rangeland until south of Tuttle Draw <br />where irrigated cropland dominates once again. <br />Active cropland areas are all irrigated because of the very dry climatic conditions experienced in this <br />• region. Irrigation water is delivered to the area by the Colorado Cooperative Ditch located less than <br />one mile northeast of the permit area. A system of lateral ditches deliver water to the irrigated fields <br />whereupon it is spread on the individual fields. Improvements are generally limited to land leveling, <br />where soils are deep enough, or to more efficient delivery/water spreading systems. Cropland has <br />been 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 nomiaily grown are annual grains or corn for silage. <br />Irrigated hay or pasture is predominated by alfalfa v~ith grasses such as smooth brome (Bromus <br />inermis), orchard grass (Da lis glomerata) or introduced wheatgrasses (A4rODVfon sp.) included <br />in varying degrees of composition to improve forage quality. <br />Native rangeland areas are used for livestock grazing and by v~ildlife. Classes of livestock in order <br />of importance are cattle, sheep and horses. In terms of land use, the more important v~ildlife species <br />are mule deer and elk. However, a wide variety of small mammals, predators, passerine and upland <br />game birds, and raptors frequent the area. While mule deer may be found in the immediate area <br />• year round, elk are more likely to be found in the area during the winter season after migrating from <br />(REVISED 3-29-961 2.~}.3-2 <br />