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Letter: Revision Calls for Dry Land - Cont. from Pg. 2 <br />land. 10 years ago Western Fuels <br />removed the coal from the Sunshine <br />Corner and still today we have not <br />been able to plant one field or grow <br />one crop unlike all of the others that I <br />did for Western Fuels East of 27 Road. <br />Just prior to 1998, when they took the <br />Sunshine Comer, we produced 360 <br />tons of alfalfa, mostly sold locally. We <br />also had produced 643 tons of corn <br />for silage. <br />M.•L is the only farmer <br />here that totally used his farm for <br />his family's. income. No one worked <br />outside the farm. He is also one of the <br />largest share holders in the CC Ditch: <br />As per lease agreement page 114 <br />of Revision "Lessee shall reclaim the <br />property so that the property is approx- <br />imately in the same condition as when <br />lessee entered the Property (i.e. a <br />farmable condition). This includes <br />returning the land to crop land to grow <br />alfalfa or row crops." <br />Now, this revision wants to put <br />it all back into sagebrush, dry land. I <br />worked for Western Fuels for 13 years. <br />and not one piece of dry. has ever <br />got bond. release to this' day. They <br />sold the coal, they got their money <br />and they should have to honor their <br />contract. There is a written contract <br />guaranteeing'that we would be able to <br />follow the mine, just as I had done for <br />Staats, Moores, Goforths, Bensons, <br />Garveys, San Miguel Power, Martins <br />and Burbridges and put it right back <br />into farmland and keep our produc- <br />tion-. <br />We have made written offers to <br />them for more water if needed, to do <br />all of the farming at no charge and <br />use all of our equipment at no charge. <br />Now they are to us, ready for reclama- <br />tion and they want to put it in dry land. <br />WHY? MONEY.. Very little expense <br />on their part. <br />We spoke with DRMS numerous <br />times and at the meeting we asked <br />about our legal contracts. Why don't <br />they have to put it back as they agree? <br />I quote: "These contracts are mean- <br />ingless to us. The DRMS cannot look <br />at or discuss contracts. There are so <br />many different people that WFC are <br />dealing with an various situations, <br />every one of them different, that we <br />can only look at the information that <br />is presented to us for review and make <br />a decision based on what we have <br />and the information and data that we <br />receive" <br />These are not farmers and they <br />know very little about farm ground. <br />This is why I am begging you please <br />to write your comments to ATT: <br />Sandy, Brown or Marcia, RE: Permit <br />Revision, 1313 Sherman Street, Room <br />215 Denver, CO 80203. Please write <br />and OBJECT to this revision. <br />Even for those who- just take <br />drives, do you want to see the beau- <br />tiful farms that used to be there or <br />just sagebrush which they will not <br />irrigate? We were told by Western <br />Fuels that we could always sue them. <br />Why should the farmer, with a written <br />agreement and a verbal agreement <br />have to sue to have his,place put back <br />as good as it was? <br />There is only one true statement <br />in the entire revision that I can find, <br />and I quote: "WFC is not in the farm- <br />ing business and has no interest in <br />turning the land back to an irrigated <br />Post Mine land use." <br />But we are the farmers and we <br />want our ground back to farming. <br />Thank you for your time and any <br />help and letters will be greatly appre- <br />ciated. This revision is at the court- <br />house for anyone who is interested <br />and would like to read. <br />Thank you again, <br />JoEllen Turner