REV102383 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

z DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Deparimem of Natural Resources 1773 Sherman Sf .Room 215 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: 13031 865-3567 FA%: (}031 832-8106 December 20, 1999 Mr. Jay Wenum Division of Wildlife P.O. Box 70 Walden, CO 80480 RE: Bourg Mine Dear Mr. Wenum: ~II II~III~I~I~~~ II~ sss STATE OF COLORADO DIVISION OF M[NEltALS GEOLOGY RECLAMATION MIN ING•SAFETY gill Owens Governor Oreg E. Walther Eeecmive D~reaor Michael B. Long Division Director Flatiron Companies has requested final bond release at the Bourg Mine. The mine is on private lands within Jackson County, Colorado. The Bourg Strip Mine has been in existence since July of 1980 and has operated under permit Nos. 79-125 and C-81-021 issued by the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Boazd. Mining operations at the Bourg Strip Mine ceased in 1987 and the mine site is fully reclaimed. Of the original 173 acres permitted for disturbance, approximately 100 acres were disturbed. Backfilling and final grade were achieved on 29 acres known as the East Dump in 1983. Seeding was completed at the East Dump during the last week of September 1984. Backfilling and final grading were completed at the remainder of the mine site in early October of 1488. Seeding took place the following week. The legal description of the lands included within the permit azea are: S1/2, SE1/4 Section 7 and N1/2, NE1/4 Section l8, R9N, R78W, Jackson County, Colorado The postmining land uses for the mine site aze rangeland and wildlife habitat. Final bond release requires a demonstration that the post mining land use has been achieved. During the initial permitting of the Bourg Mine the Division of Wildlife (DOW) was very concerned about a sage grouse strutting ground adjacent to the mine. Therefore, as part of the permitting process, the DOW strongly recommended that sagebrush and other native grass and forb species be planted on the reclaimed lands to mitigate the impacts of mining. DMG is requesting your comments with respect to the reclaimed wildlife habitat. The reclaimed area has very high sage densities in a 29 acre parcel seeded in 1984. The sage range in height from a couple of inches to almost four feet high. This is a very healthy, vigorous stand of sage; the shrub cover is approximately 20% and the herbaceous cover is approximately 10%. During sampling in 1997, density was 13,993 stems/acre and in 1998 they measured 13,636 stems/acre. In the other 83 acre parcel seeded in 1988, herbaceous cover is approximately 30% and shrub cover averages 3.5%.