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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Pikeview Quarry Environmental Assessment Page 1 <br />1. Purpose and Need for the Proposed <br />Action <br />1.1 History and Background <br />The Pikes Peak Ranger District of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron <br />and Comanche National Grasslands has received a proposal from Castle Concrete Company <br />(Castle Concrete) to lay back the top cut of the Pikeview Quarry to facilitate the reclamation <br />' of azeas disturbed from limestone extraction during the last 100 years. The top of the cut of <br />the mined area is currently at the National Forest Boundary, and the proposed layback <br />would be on National Forest System lands. <br />' The Pikeview Quarry is about 5 miles north of Colorado Springs at the southern edge <br /> of the United States Air Force academy (see Figure 1.1). The quarry is located partially <br /> within the City of Colorado Springs and partially in unincorporated El Paso County and <br />' mining activities are limited to the areas ofthe quarry within EI Paso County (see Figure <br /> 1.2). It was first mined in the eazly 1900s, and has been mined by Castle Concrete since <br /> 1970. Pikeview Quarry currently covers an azea of 210 permitted acres, and produces <br />' limestone aggregate. <br /> The previously mined area is extremely steep and poses serious stability concerns. <br />' The layback of the top cut is proposed as a possible solution to the stability and visual <br /> impacts of the current steep slopes. The proposed layback would involve up to 26 acres) of <br /> National Forest System lands (see Figures 1.3 and 1.4) and would include recontouring of <br />' natural topography and revegetation of disturbed azeas to reduce erosion, mitigate visual <br /> impacts, and restore biological productivity. Reclamation on National Forest System lands <br /> would be done in accordance with applicable USDA-NRCS specifications, standards and <br />' guidelines. <br /> In addition to providing stability and improving the visual impacts of the quarry, the <br /> proposed layback would allow Castle Concrete to mine additional materials close to the <br /> steep slopes that currently remain inaccessible due to safety issues. <br />1 <br /> <br /> I Although the applicant would have 26 acres available for the layback operation, torten( mining plans indicate that only <br /> about 13 acres would be needed. in addition to the I3 acres directly affected by the layback, part o(the permitted area <br /> would be used to stockpile topsoil. <br /> <br /> Hydrosphere Resouru Consultanu, 1002 Walnut Sneet Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302 <br /> <br />