PERMFILE132546

• Permit No: C2008086
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Date: 10/30/2007
• Doc Name: Prime Farmland Determination Request
• From: DRMS
• To: Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
COLORADO
DIVISION O F
RECLAMATION
MINING
- &-
SAFETY
Bill Owens
October 30, 2007 Governor
Russell George

Natural Resources Conservation Service Executive Director

Grand Junction Area Office Ronald W. Cattany
Division Director
743 II017ZOn CO W l Natural Resource Trustee
Grand Junction, CO 81506
RE: Prime Farmland Determination Request
CAM-Colorado LLC
Proposed Redcliff Mine Permit Area
Deaz Sir/Madam:
I have enclosed a copy of a letter and map (Enclosure 1) recently submitted to our office
by J.E. Stover onbehalf ofCAM-Colorado LLC (CAMC). As you are probably aware,
CAMC plans to submit a permit application for a new underground coal mine in the near
future. The mine portal area would be located in the Bookcliffs north of Loma, in
Garfield County, with support facilities including a train loadout, processing plant, coal
mine waste disposal site, haul road and conveyor located near the base of the Bookcliffs,
straddling the Mesa/Gazfield County Line. An environmental impact statement is being
prepared by BLM for the proposed mine and associated rail spur (the rail spur would not
be included in the mine permit area).
You will note in the letter from J.E. Stover that he is requesting our agency, the Colorado
Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (Division) to make a negative prime
farmland determination for the proposed permit area. Enclosure 2 is a copy of the
applicable section of the Coal Program regulations pertaining to prime farmland
designation.
Based on my viewing of the site, as well as information included in preliminary drafts of
the EIS, I concur with Mr. Stover that the proposed permit area lands meet the criteria of
Rules 2.04.12(2)(a) and (c), and as such I would conclude that the proposed permit area
does not include any areas of prime farmland. The lands within the permit azea aze native
rangelands, with no apparent evidence of historic use as cropland. The permit area is
located several miles north of the Highline Canal, and there is no surface irrigation or
evidence of historic irrigation, nor is there any evident sub-irrigation of agriculturally
useful vegetation. Lower elevation areas along the haul road and lower facility sites
include semi-desert saltbush and greasewood communities (the latter primarily along
ephemeral washes), with sagebrush grassland on benches at intermediate elevations, and
STATE OF COLORADO
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Active and Inactive Mines