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United States Department of the Interior <br />IN REPLY REFER TO: <br />L3023 (CURE) <br />May 13, 2004 <br />Dear Interested Party: <br />NATIONAL PARK SERVICE <br />Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park <br />Curecanti National Recreation Area <br />102 Elk Creek <br />Gunnison, Colorado 81230 <br />Enclosed is the Dickerson Pit Expansion Environmental Assessment for your review. The <br />National Park Service prepazed the environmental assessment in compliance with the National <br />Environmental Policy Act to provide adecision-making framework and evaluate potential impacts <br />from the proposed expansion of the Dickerson Sand and Gravel Pit within Curecanti National <br />Recreation Area. The Dickerson Pit is a privately operated minerals materials quarry within <br />Curecanti that has been in existence since 1927. In 1963, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation <br />purchased the surface rights from the private landowner for the Colorado River Storage Project. <br />The landowner reserved the right to continue to mine and remove "decomposed granite and the <br />minerals intermixed therewith" from a portion of the conveyance, creating a 33.16-acre split <br />mineral estate. The Pit is located immediately west of U.S. Highway 50, the primary access road <br />through Curecanti. <br />The National Pazk Service administers Curecanti to provide public recreational facilities to <br />conserve the scenery, the natural, historic and archeological objects, and the wildlife, and to <br />provide for public use and enjoyment of the same. As such, the National Pazk Service is required <br />to regulate the operation of the pit. Dickerson'Pit operations have been regulated by the National <br />Park Service since the 1980's under special use permits. The current operator, Gunnison Gravel <br />and Earthmoving, has submitted a Plan of Operations that proposes to expand the quarry from <br />12.4 acres to the maximum 33.16 acres. <br />The National Pazk Service invites you to review the Environmental Assessment and provide <br />comments by June 21, 2004. Comments can be mailed to Ken Stahlnecker at the letterhead <br />address or sent via email to ken_stah(necker@nps.gov. <br />Sincerely, <br />G~g~~1~~~i{c~y~,_ <br />William E. Wellman <br />Superintendent <br />