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Results/Discussion <br />Prime Farmland Determination -1988 and 1998 <br />The Norwood office of the NRCS has provided W FC with documentation that list the definitions and <br />criteria for categorizing soils as prime farmland, see Attachment 2.04.9-4 and Attachment 2.04.9-5. <br />These documents list the standards set by both the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural <br />Resource Conservation Service and the State of Colorado, Natural Resource Conservation <br />Service. Peabody Coal Company and Intermountain Resource Inventories Inc. conducted soil <br />surveys and the results can be found in Map 2.04.9-1, Attachment 2.04.9-1, Attachment 2.04.9-2, <br />and Attachment 2.04.9-3. Soil type 70B and D70B lists Barx soil as a major component and Barx <br />as a secondary component (30 percent of map unit) in 98E on Map 2.04.9-1. Barx soil is listed as <br />a prime farmland soil in the "Soil Survey of San Miguel Area, Colorado" if the soil is irrigated by an <br />adequate and dependable water supply. A letter dated October 14, 1992 (Attachment 2.04.9-6) <br />from the Norwood NRCS representative states there is no prime farmland in this location because <br />Barx soil does not have an adequate or dependable water supply for irrigation. Soil type 70B and <br />D70B were covered under the 1992 letter. Soil type 98E is a resurvey of the original 70B soil type <br />covered in the 1992 letter. <br />Prime Farmland Determination - 2008 <br />In early 2008, The Norwood office of the NRCS determined that the Begay, Barx and Darvey soil <br />types (equivalent to the 98A and 98E soils in the permit area "west" of 2700 Road), met the <br />qualifications of "Prime Farmland" as defined by the USDA ( See letter from the NRCS in <br />Attachment 2.04.9-10), provided that they were previously irrigated and managed for prime. <br />farmland and were of sufficient size to be economic. There are 4.68 acres of 98A (northwest corner <br />of permit) and 92.25 acres of 98E ( Morgan field) mapped within the permit boundary that are <br />considered prime farmland. (See Map 2.04.9-1). <br />The fields southwest of the intersection of BB Road and 2700 Road have sufficient prime farmland <br />soil such that the entire area of fields is considered prime farmland (total of 107.96 acres <br />disturbed). These lands are owned by Morgan. As is seen from Map 2.04.9-1, some soils in these <br />(Revised June 2008) 2.04.9-15