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-IZ- <br />II. Land Use -Rules 2.04.3, 2.05.5 and 4.16 <br />Pages 4-1 to 4-5 of Volume I and figure 2.1-15 of the application contain the <br />information pertinent to rules concerning land use for both the approved <br />operation and the permit revision areas. The following determinations have <br />been made for the operation. <br />In the area surrounding the operation, the predominant land use is rangeland <br />and wildlife habitat. The canyon which the operation occupies is <br />characterized by steep slopes and fairly sparse vegetation. Rangeland is <br />restricted to the valley bottoms which have shallow slopes and sufficient <br />vegetation. The applicant proposes to return the operation to rangeland and <br />wildlife habitat. <br />Characteristics of the vegetative cover after reclamation will approximate <br />pre-mining conditions (see Section XII of this document). The restoration of <br />pre-mining conditions after mining will ensure the attainment of the proposed <br />post-mining land use. <br />Pre-mining land use at the Loma loadout was a loading and storage siding for <br />sugar beets. Salt Creek Mining Company intends to reclaim the loadout to its <br />previous condition, as required by the lease agreement with the D&RGW <br />Railroad. Details of the reclamation plan are given in Section XVII, <br />Backfilling and Grading, of this document. <br />Pursuant to Rule 2.07.6(z) (1), the Division finds that the proposed <br />post-mining land use of the permit area meets the requirements of Rule 4.16. <br />The operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. <br />III. Cultural and Historic Resources - Rules 2.04.4 and 2.05.6 (4) <br />Information appropriate to cultural and historic resources can be found in <br />Section 4.1.5 of Volume 1, Appendix J of Volume V, and Section 4.1.4 of Volume <br />UI of the application. These sections have been reviewed by the Division and <br />the following comments result. <br />A number of cultural resource studies were prepared for Salt Creek Mining <br />Company's McClave and Munger Canyon coal mine areas in Garfield County, <br />Colorado as part of the permitting process for the initial permanent <br />regulatory program permit. Chief among the reports was a submission by the <br />Grand River Institute, 1980 and two survey reports by the Museum of Western <br />Colorado of work conducted in the area in 1977. The surveys covered roads, <br />drill hole locations, areas of potential surface disturbance and a sample <br />survey of areas that in the future may be affected by subsidence. A total of <br />three archeological sites (two pre-historic and one historic) and one suspect <br />area were recorded during the survey. <br />