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STATE OF COLORADO DIV1?l?N DF h?tN?RAt,? AND GE???GY Department a? Natural Resources ? ? ? 3 Sherman St., Room 215 Der??er, Colorado SQ?O? Phone: (3?3? 8?6-3567 FAX: X303] 832-8106 DATE: December 23, 2gD5 TD: Mike Boulay FROM. Dan Mathews RECEIVED DEC 2 7 2005 pivisian a1 ?liner?ls 6 GeotOgy RE: Mid-term Revegetatian Pla Review Uvestern Fuels Dalarada, N w Harizan ? and 2 Mine Permit No. ?-S1-a08 L?RAD? I}i?iSIQN QF INERAL? E?LGY RE??AMATiON+MINING SAFETY?SCiE?ICE Bill Owens Governor Rus?elil George Executive director fiar«a f d 1N. Cattar?y Division Director Natural Resource Yrustee I have reviewed various materials from the DM imaging system to conduct the referenced review. These materials include the Division's March 18, 2x03 RN-g4 findings dacurnent, New Horizon ? ?NH-1 ? Revegetation Plan Tab ??, NH-? Pastmine Land Use Map Exhibit 22-3 and Pastr?ine Vegetation Map Exi?ibit 22-'i, NH-? Sections 2.04.3 Land Use}, 2.84.9 foils Reso?rce?, 2.0?? ? 0 Vegetation lnfarrr?atiorl?, and 2.45.4????e? ?Re?regetationlPostrrlining Land Used. Recent discussions with Ross ?ubka of vIIF?, as well as observations I have merle during occasional mine site inspections as recently as summer and fall of 20D5, and as far back as the summer of ? 99?, have also been considered in my review. My review comments regarding NH-? revegetation are separated from review comments an NH?2, becal?se it appears that revegetation plan details for the two areas sire for the most part} addressed in the separate IiNH-? and NH-2} sections of the permit application. New Horizon 1 Mine Revegetation Plan My specific adequacy comments are prefaced with a brief background narrative. The mayor reclamation parcel remaining in the 111H-? area is the "lice Tract" dryland pasture. The G8 acre pasture was seeded in 199-992 with NH-? Seedmix ?? A ?8 acre section of the pasture was subsequently reseeded twice, the second time in X995. Permit narrative indicates the area was irrigated during the ? 995 and 196 growing seasons; inspection narrative from dune 1997 indicates that approximately ?8 to 24" of irrigation water was applied each of the first two growing seasons. A productive stand of pasture grasses and alfalfa was established initially, dominated by smooth brume, which was in the approved dryland pasture seedrnix at the time of seeding, The dune ? 99? inspection report notes concern with inclusion of smooth Brame in the dryland seedmix, and potential concern with the practice of irrigating dryland pastures at rates comparable to irrigated pastures for the first two to three growing seasons. maoth brume was subsequently removed from the dryland pasture seedrnix, but the irrigation practices for dryiand pasture establishment at NH-? are apparently unchanged, During an inspection in August 205, I observed the Rice Tract dryland pasture, and Hated that the stand was dominated by relatively widely spaced clumps of Russian wildrye. Although there was significant bare ground, no significant erosion was apparent. Year 9 bond release sampling was initiated at the site shortly after the inspection. During the sampling, it became apparent that the parcel would not meet applicable success standards, and the sampling effort was terminated. It is likely that a significant factor in the relatively sparse cover and low diversity of the site i the drought conditions of recent years, particularly the extremely dry ?Og2 growing season. Tie office at office of Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Ac#ive ar+d Inactive Mires Geological Survey