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VIII. Post-mining Land Use <br />A. The predominant pre-mine and postmining land use within the New Horizon Mine <br />1 permit area block is rangeland, supporting wildlife habitat and livestock grazing, <br />with smaller areas of irrigated hay cropland and dryland pasture. <br />B. The predominant pre-mining land uses within the New Horizon Mine 2 permit area <br />block are related to irrigated agriculture, grazing, and related support facilities. <br />Approximately 85% of the proposed permit area is irrigated agriculture, either <br />pastureland or cropland. The remaining 15% is composed primarily of poor <br />condition sagebrush rangeland, with smaller inclusions of abandoned farmsteads <br />and facilities. Currently approved plans would restore a combination of irrigated <br />pastureland, irrigated hay cropland, and non-irrigated pastureland. The non- <br />imrtatail „ab ¦vaI- l .,,.,,,1,1 lnrgel. the s„u ya.otLaa VIUAIu VV %J I" 1u1?N1? replace L11 poor condition sagebrush <br />rangelands that existed on the margins of the more intensively managed <br />agricultural areas prior to mining. Pastureland plantings would incorporate a <br />number of introduced forage species adapted to the heavy livestock grazing <br />associated with the relatively intensive agricultural character of lands in the permit <br />area. <br />The Division is proposing to approve the post-mining land uses of irrigated <br />pastureland and irrigated hay cropland, as well as dryland pastureland in the NH-2 <br />permit block, and these same uses along with rangeland supporting livestock <br />grazing and wildlife habitat in the NH-1 Block. (4.16. 1) <br />Beginning with the Division's mid-term permit review in December 2005, and <br />continuing through review of the RN-5 application in 2008 and 2009, numerous <br />issues have been raised related to land use considerations at New Horizon. <br />Concerns have been raised by the Division in various review letters, as well as by <br />area landowners and local NRCS staff. Issues of concern have focused on proper <br />land use and vegetation/crop type designations and documentation for particular <br />locations (including prime farmland soil areas), extent to which land use category <br />acreages are consistent with pre-mining condition and/or landowner plans, <br />availability of irrigation water/water rights to support proposed irrigated acreages, <br />terminology in the permit application that is unclear or internally inconsistent, <br />mapped designations that differ from narrative descriptions, details regarding <br />revegetation ; methods, success criteria and demonstration methods for various <br />postmining land use categories (including Prime Farmland areas), and <br />opportunities' for appropriate landowner involvement in aspects of the permitting <br />process related to land use determinations. <br />Certain issues regarding prime farmland designation and associated soil <br />management; were addressed by the operator in TR-57, and are summarized in the <br />Prime Farmland section of this document. Concerns regarding the applicability of <br />a technical success standard for Irrigated Pastureland were addressed in TR-58. <br />However, many of the significant concerns related to pre-mining and postmining <br />43