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--,: <br />• <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1373 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX; 1307) 832-8106 <br />May 1, 1996 <br />To: Harry Ranney <br />From: Janet <br /> <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />DEPARTMENT OF <br />NATURAL. <br />RESOURCES <br />Ray Romer <br />Governor <br />lames 5. Lochhead <br />Executive Director <br />Michael B. Long <br />Division Director <br />Re: New Horizon ~e (C-S1-008), TR-28; De-classification of Prime Farmland <br />Designation <br />After thorough review and discussion with two different NRCS conservationists Ipropose <br />the Division approve Western Fuels-Colorado's technical revision to de-classify the Prime <br />Farmland designation attached to the New Horizon #2 Mine area. <br />The revision application states that additional information was provided to Western Fuels- <br />Colorado by the original soil scientist who conducted the 1988 survey of the New Horizon <br />#2 mine. Mr. Gubka of Western Fuels submitted this information to the Division. <br />In paragraph B. of Mr. Gubka's letter to the Division he states that "Colorado's SCS criteria <br />states that if a pH is equal or greater to 7.4 in any horizon of the prime farmland soil group, <br />then it cannot be classified as prime farmland:' I would like to clazify that the 1982 <br />"Farmland Inventory"(pg.3 item 4) states that "...irrigated soils with bedrock within 40 inches <br />of the surface and soil horizons that have a pH higher than 7.4 are considered as having <br />high conductivity and therefore not prime;' <br />The information Western Fuels-Colorado supplied on soil sample depth and quality for <br />sample sites 26, 54, 57, 58, and 72 indicate that these locations fit the criteria for prime <br />farmland. These five samples were all sampled from the D70B mapping unit. <br />However, upon discussion with National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel, <br />additional considerations play into the designation of prime farmland. Mr. Ken Lair, NRCS <br />Conservationist at the Lakewood, CO office explained that the NRCS District <br />Conservationist uses the prime farmland inventory criteria to determine if an area is <br />considered prime farmland, but also takes into considerations specific site conditions and <br />sampling. Specific site conditions may include suceptibility to flooding, erosional hazard, <br />availablity of an adequate and dependable irrigation water supply, among other site specific <br />considerations. <br />I contacted Mr. Dean Stindt, Resource Conservationist for the San Miguel Conservation <br />Area-Norwood Office. Mr. Stindt was the District Conservationist that wrote a <br />