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Goodrich, Gary <br />From: Carl Poch [cpoch99@yahoo.com] <br />Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 7:57 AM <br />To: Dan Baader; Comer, Timm; Suzanne Core; Goodrich, Gary; Gary Ledford; Mannon, Jane; <br />Newcomer, Larry; O'Connor, Peter; Patterson, Marie <br />Subject: Mine Expansion <br />I thought you might want a copy of what I sent to the three Teller County Commissioners <br />this morning: <br />Six or Seven years ago, the mine applied to the Teller County commissioners for a mining <br />permitted area roughly equal to the <br />outer perimeter of their property. The commissioners, then and <br />now, didn't live in the city of Cripple Creek and had no problem <br />granting this permitted operating area. I suspect that the <br />mine provided Teller County with some benefit for their uncontested approval. <br />Soon, the mine will be applying again to begin strip mining <br />within their permitted boundary. At their open house on April <br />5th, the full extent of their strip mining operation was revealed. The only location <br />where their proposed operation will actually touch the permitted boundary is directly east <br />of the city of Cripple Creek. <br />The strip mining will be 1200 feet from the eastern most street <br />in Cripple Creek (Silver Street). All other operations will be <br />kept well within the boundaries approved years ago. <br />The beautiful Gold Camp Trail - built with funds from the Colorado Lottery - will be <br />relocated to a gulley alongside of <br />Highway 67. Even this will need to be "cleared" during daytime <br />blasting operations. <br />When asked about the elk herd, they said that experience has shown they disperse to <br />surrounding areas but `quickly' return to <br />the reclaimed terrain. Since reclamation won't be for 15-20 <br />years, the elk will be dead by then. <br />At the open house, we were shown a photo from 1877 showing our <br />hillside quite devoid of trees. The implication was that after <br />strip mining, a denuded hillside would be "historically correct". In reality, it took 50 <br />to 75 years for those trees to grow and, guess what, the 6 inch pine trees they will,plant <br />will take another 50 years to mature. <br />Speaking of "mature", the newest plan has the mine scooping out mature trees from what <br />little stands will remain and <br />transplanting them into a 15 acre pile of rock. When this is <br />completed, there will not be one additional mature tree on the hillside and, since many <br />pines and spruces will die from the transplant, there actually will be less! <br />You, as our commissioner, have an opportunity to return the mine's application for <br />amendment of their operating area - ask them to revise it to protect the hillside facing <br />Cripple Creek. <br />All of their other plans are just fine with the community except for the elimination of <br />most vegetation on our beautiful <br />hillside east of town. <br />Thank you, <br />Carl Poch <br />Carl Poch <br />1