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SECTION 2.04 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES INFORMATION The objective of this application is to provide the Division with a complete and accurate description of the environmental resources that may be impacted or affected by the project. This information was generally submitted as a part of the original permit application. The objective of this section is to reincorporate the original information to the 1992 permit application. 2.04.3 General Requirements: Site Description and Land Use Information The existing and pre-mining environmental resources within the permit area and adjacent areas consist of a small watershed, a limited number of seeps and springs, groundwater resources, native and introduced vegetation, native and introduced wildlife, soils, some of which support agriculture, rock, a supporting small airshed and existing mining operations conducted in accordance with previous mining permits. All of these resources will be impacted to some extent by mining activity. Detailed descriptions of these resources will be found in appropriate sections of this applications. Map 4-1 indicates the general topography, the location of the permit area in relation to existing, and some past uses of the permit azea and adjacent lands. An effort has been • made to resolve the broad land use categories established in Section 1.Q4 of the regulations to provide the reader with more site specific land use information. The historic land use of the majority of the permit and adjacent area was undeveloped ]and, serving as unfenced range for livestock and wildlife. A small plot of the permit area, consisting of approximately 75 acres, was dryland farmed for winter wheat, and approximately 19 acres is abandoned dry fazmland. The land was also grazed by cattle, sheep, and goats until approximately 1977. The sheep and goats were in trespass, but the cattle were grazed under a grazing lease (personal communication, Marion and Kenneth Jenkins). The pre-mining use of the land had not changed for the last five years prior to the initial permitting of the mine in 1982. The capability of the land to support a variety of uses prior to mining was limited. Agricultural productivity was limited due to the lack of available irrigation water and the thin and rocky nature of the majority of soils on Ewing Mesa. Use of the area for livestock range was also limited, due to the sparse livestock forage present in the predominating pinyon juniper vegetation community. The area was utilized by wildlife as winter range ,likely due to the southern aspect ,low elevation (compared with the surrounding San Juan Mountains), relatively gentle topography, and proximity to the Animas River. Dryland farming on flat portions of the permit area has occurred historically and . continues today, though not economically feasible by itself, the crops and hay provide Technical Revision 09 (v 1.0) 41 Revised 3/1998