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i <br /> <br />Mr. James Dilly <br />Division of Minerals and Geology <br />Mined Land Reclamation Board <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br />Dear Mr. Dilly, <br />68860 Vernal Road '' <br />Montrose, CO 81401 ~•' <br />(303)249-7392 <br />February 25, 1994 <br />~~ ,,,i~, <br />B <br />~. <br />~.. 281984 <br />~, <br />-~;, <br />~~'~~ •. , <br />.~ <br />We are writing this letter ae concerned citizens to protect scenic Highway <br />550. We live approximately nine miles south of Montrose on Highway 550, and our <br />property is located approximately 1/4 mile south of the proposed United Companies <br />of Mesa County, Inc. gravel pit and asphalt plant site. We are aware that United <br />Paving has submitted an application for a gravel pit mining operation. <br />We are writing this letter in protest of that application and feel that <br />this location is inappropriate for the operation. <br />We are the second generation owners of our property and our ownerships have <br />exceeded 54 years. This area has been agricultural and residential with limited <br />commercial operations. This area has been known as one of the most scenic and <br />photographed areas in Western Colorado. The drive from Montrose to Ridgway and <br />over the Million Dollar Highway ie one of the moat spectacular sites and scenic <br />highways in North America. Tourism is a major economic factor in our area, and <br />the beauty and scenery ie why the tourists select this area for their vacations. <br />We are not opposed to gravel mining operations. However, the location of <br />this operation on a historical scenic highway seems totally inappropriate. There <br />are numerous other eights that would not have the impact of destroying the scenic <br />aspects of Highway 550. <br />From the figures that have been released by United Paving, it is obvious <br />that the mining operation is not intended for merely Montrose County, and it is <br />not a coincidence that it is located within three miles of the Ouray County line. <br />United Paving has publically stated that they will be selling and transporting <br />materials to both Ouray County and San Miguel County. As a note, both Ouray <br />County and San Miguel County have made it suite clear that they do not want this <br />type of operation located within their counties and have just recently been <br />successful in stopping a gravel mining operation in both counties. <br />Unlike a business that is established and intends to be of economic <br />importance to the Montrose area by having a longevity, the gravel mining <br />operation ie intended to mine their gravel and then leave. Unlike all of the <br />other people that have made this area of Montrose County their home and want to <br />keep it beautiful for all to enjoy, the mining operation is here to strip the <br />area of its farming beauty and leave a huge hole in the earth. It is very easy <br />for the gravel company to do this for they do not have to live in the area after <br />they destroy its natural beauty. <br />Destroying the beauty is only one of the problems associated with the <br />operation. Another equally if not greater problem that will be created is that <br />of traffic on an extremely overcrowded highway. Our highway is totally <br />inadequate for the amount of traffic that it is handling at this time. We are <br />very aware of this problem since our family owns property on both sides of the <br />