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To: James L. Schn~ing, Reclamation Specialist • <br />RE: Rlo Grande County gravel pits <br />Pg: 2 <br />b. Not applicable <br />c. The direction of mining will depend upon the quality and quantity <br />of gravel as it is uncovered, and cannot be predicted. <br />3. Acreage of Affected Land for all 6 pits <br />The maximum acreage which will be disturbed, from and after July I, <br />1976, in each gravel pit, will be nine acres. Extraction operations <br />will cease when nine acres have been disturbed since July 1, 1976, <br />and reclamation operations will be completed within a reasonably short <br />time (as required by statute and the Mined Land Reclamation Board) <br />after extraction operations have ceased. <br />4. Vegetation and Soils Information for all 6 pits, Exhibit D <br />a. Vegetation-We have requested the SCS to inventory each pit for <br />vegetation and the surrounding area. <br />b. Soils-We have requested the SCS to inventory each pit for soils <br />and the surrounding area. <br />c. We have no objection to a vegetation and soils inventory by the SCS, <br />but we wonder why such inventories are needed, since you have already <br />suggested the type and amount of seed for reclamation. <br />5. Reclamation Plan for all 6 pits, Exhibit E <br />a. None of the pits have sufficient topsoil to make stockpiling and re- <br />placement of topsoil feasible. No topsoil has been stockpiled for <br />later replacement in any of the areas worked prior to 1976, due to <br />insufficient or nonexistent topsoil. <br />b. The final grade in all the pits will be 5 to 1. <br />c. The County Commissioners have serious questions concerning how you <br />can recommend a certain mixture of five different seeds for reclama- <br />tion of the six gravel pits if you have not visited the pits, and <br />made some study in regard to the unique conditions of each pit. Mark <br />Haffner, Supervising Mined Land Reclamation Specialist, wrote the <br />then Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of Rio Grande County <br />a letter dated September 8, 1978, in which he stated that the sites <br />should be visited before your agency would say what should be done in <br />order to reclaim these areas. He also stated "In my experience, every <br />site has many solutions. The problem is selecting the solution that <br />will produce the best result for the least expenditure in money and <br />effort". <br />The Board of County Commissioners fees very strongly that you, as a Reclama- <br />tion Specialist, should visit this area and observe each of these pits in order <br />to give the County proper assistance in developing a reclamation plan, if you <br />do not feel that the reclamation plan submitted is sufficient. <br />As stated above, the Board's position is that the law requires that the permits <br />for these gravel pits be issued at this time. The above information is pro- <br />vided, however, for your assistance and convenience, and in an effort to co- <br />operate with you in every way. <br />Sincerely, <br />L. William Mille <br />County Attorney <br />LWM/tc <br />