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area. The potential of the area to support alternative use other than <br />• undeveloped, pastureland and existing mining is somewhat questionable. <br />Because of the permit area's proximity to State Highway 160 and the Town <br />of Durango, the area has historically been available for small mining <br />operations and single resident housing locations for individuals working <br />at the mines. However, because Coal Gulch is a narrow va]ley, which is <br />dissected by State Highway 160, and disturbance has occurred in Coal <br />Gulch as a result of past mining activities, major housing development <br />or other uses have not occurred in the area. <br />Likewise because of the limited amount of space, the historic population <br />of the area tends to reflect a centralization of the population in the <br />Town of Durango where more room is available far housing and <br />development. <br />Recreational opportunities in the permit area, particularly for the <br />hunting of deer and elk, are available; however, most of the use is <br />• limited to areas above the planned underground operations in Section 16 <br />and other lands to the north and northwest. The possibility for <br />recreation in the vicinity of the planned surface facilities, as long as <br />mining activities are ongoing, is highly unlikely due to the problems <br />involved with safety and potential vandalism. At the conclusion of <br />mining and reclamation activities, the recreational opportunities of the <br />surface facilities area, such as hunting, will probably remain somewhat <br />limited due to the area's proximity to State Highway 160. <br />No major commercial or residential development is expected to develop in <br />the permit or adjacent areas mainly because of the compact nature of <br />Coal Gulch. <br />Previous Underground Mining <br />As mentioned earlier, underground coal activities have been carried on <br />in the general area of the planned Coal Gulch Mine since the turn of the <br />• century. Historical information regarding this previous underground <br />mining is found in Part 2.04.4, Cultural and Historic Resource <br />2.04-4 <br />