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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISIaN 4F RECIAMATI4N, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: X303} 8bb-3567 <br />PAx: X303} 832-81 a6 <br />C?LORAD4 <br />DIVISION OF <br />RECLAMATIQN <br />MINING <br />SAFETY <br /> Bill Ritter, fir. <br /> DRMS INTERNAL MEM?RA.NDUM Governor <br /> Harris D. Sherman <br /> executive Director <br /> <br />TU: <br />Mike Boulay Ronald W. Cattany <br />Division Director <br />FRGM: Dan Mathews Natural Resource ?'rustee <br />DATE: January 14, 200$ <br />RE: New Horizon Mine (Permit No. C-SI-OOS? <br /> RN-5; Soils and Pre-Mine Land Use Review <br />Pursuant to your request of January 4, 2008, I have reviewed the Soils Resource <br />Information, and Topsoil Salvage and Replacement Plan sections of the approved New <br />Horizon permit. I also reviewed the Site DescriptionlPre-Mining Land Use section of the <br />permit, in light of some of the comments we have received from area residents and <br />landowners, My comments are itemized below. Please let me know if you have any <br />questions. <br />One suggestion I have is that we consider sending a copy of the renewal review letter to <br />Jim Boyd, the NRCS District Conservationist, and request that he let us know if he has <br />comments or questions on the soil and land use related items. This suggestion is due to <br />Jim's past and continuing involvement in some of these issues, his knowledge of the local <br />agricultural land use practices and soil resources, and due to the fact that I am <br />recommending that NRCS provide an updated prime farmland determination, <br />Rule 2.04.3 General Re uirements: Site Descri tion and Land Use Information <br />1. There is a discrepancy between narrative on page 2.04.3-6 and Map 2.04.3 (Pre- <br />Mine Land Use Map New Horizon 2 Mine Area}. Narrative indicates that an area <br />of Morgan property was re-classifed as Irrigated Cropland in association with <br />2406 mid-term review updates. The narrative also indicates that two areas <br />formerly mapped as Irrigated Cropland on the Burbridge property X25.02 acres} <br />were re-classified as Irrigated Pasture. However, review of Map 2.04.3 submitted <br />with the mid-term updates, shows that all of the Morgan property is classified as <br />various categories of Irrigated Pasture, with no Irrigated Cropland, while the <br />25.02 acre portion of the Burbridge property is still classified as Irrigated <br />Cropland Grass Hay}. Table 2.04.3-1 also shows 25.02 acres of irrigated <br />grasslalfalfa hay cropland (apparently the Burbridge property}, which appears to <br />conflict with the narrative. <br />off«e of off?c? ?f <br />Mined land Reclamation Denver • Grand )unction ? Durango Active and Inactive Mines