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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />7313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832-8106 <br />March 16, 2006 <br />COLORADO <br />DIVISION O F <br />MINERALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />REGIANATION•MINING <br />EAFETY•SCIENCE <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />Contracting Officer Russell George <br />Office of Surface Mining Executive Dinedor <br />Three Parkway Center R°^~~ "'• ~Ra^y <br />Pittsbur h PA 15220 Division Director <br />g ~ Natural Resource Trustee <br />RE: Request for Funding for FY2006; NTTT Applied Science Program <br />"Response of Transplanted Aspen to Drip Irrigation on Reclaimed Mine Lands" <br />Dear Sir or Madam: <br />The Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology strongly endorses funding of the referenced <br />aspen reestablishment study proposal, submitted by the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain <br />Research Station (RMRS). We were involved in the planning, establishment, and review of the <br />initial pilot study undertaken at the Seneca Coal Company's Seneca II-W Mine, described in the <br />Preliminary Studies section of the proposal. The pilot study was funded by Seneca Coal <br />Company, lazgely in response to uncertainty regazding the feasibility of aspen reestablishment on <br />reclaimed coal land. A mature aspen grove covering over 100 acres was removed by surface <br />mining operations at Seneca II-W, and the pilot study was undertaken to investigate whether drip <br />irrigation, in association with fencing, deep soil placement, and control of herbaceous <br />competition could be employed to establish aspen saplings on the regraded area. Previous <br />wildland and reclamation plantings of aspen in Colorado have not been successful. <br />Initial results from the pilot study are very encouraging, but assessment over a longer time period <br />will be necessary to determine the outlook for long term survival, growth, and vegetative spread, <br />and to assess the effects of the various planting, weed control, soil, and irrigation treatments. We <br />believe the knowledge gained from the proposed study will be valuable in guiding future <br />research efforts, as well as operational planting of aspen on reclaimed coal mine sites (and other <br />severely disturbed wildland areas) within aspen habitats in northwest Colorado and other western <br />states. Aspen communities provide very important seasonal habitat for a wide range of wildlife <br />species in the coal regions of northwest Colorado, and significant future mining disturbance <br />within aspen habitats is anticipated. The Colorado Division of Wildlife has expressed their <br />concern regarding feasibility of aspen reestablishment after mining, and they were also involved <br />in development of the study. <br />We believe the study proposal is a very good fit for the NTTT applied science program, and the <br />involvement of the RMRS will ensure a high quality research product that will be made available <br />to the reclamation and research community. Dr. Shepperd is a nationally recognized researcher <br />and authority on aspen ecology and management. <br />Office of Office of Colorado <br />Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inattive Mines Geological Survey <br />