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DECISION NOTICE AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Pikeview Quarry USDA Forest Service Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Pikes Peak Ranger District EI Paso, Colorado INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Castle Concrete Company (Castle Concrete) has submitted aSpecial-Use Application to the Pike National Forest proposing to lay back the top cut ofthe Pikeview Quarry to facilitate the reclamation of areas disturbed from limestone extraction during the last 100 years. The top ofthe cut ofthe mined azea is currently at the National Forest Boundary, and the proposed layback would be on National Forest System lands. The Pikeview Quarry is north of Colorado Springs at the southern edge ofthe United States Air Force Academy. The quarry is located partially within the City of Colorado Springs and partially in El Paso County and mining activities are limited to the areas of the quarry within EI Paso County. It was first mined in the early 1900s, and has been mined by Castle Concrete since 1970. Pikeview Quarry currently covers an area of 210 permitted acres, and produces limestone aggregate. The previously mined area is extremely steep and poses serious stability concerns. The layback ofthe top cut is proposed as a possible solution to stabilizing the highwall and softening the visual impacts ofthe current steep slopes. The proposed layback would involve up to 26 acrest of National Forest System lands and would include recontouring the disturbed aeeas to represent natural appearing topography and revegetation of disturbed areas to reduce erosion, mitigate visual impacts, and restore biological productivity. Reclamation on National Forest System lands would be done in accordance with applicable USDA-NAGS specifications, standards and guidelines. In addition to providing stability and improving the visual impacts ofthe quarry, the proposed layback would allow Castle Concrete to mine additional materials close to the steep slopes that currently remain inaccessible due to safety issues. I Although the applicant would have 26 acres available Cor the layback operation, current mirdrtg plans indicate that only about 13 acres would lx needed In addition to the 13 acres directly affected by the layback, part of the permitted area would be used to stockpile topsoil.