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• makes it impossible to assess the surface damage that occurred at this time. The quarry is <br />shown on Map 4 -1. <br />Since issuance of the original CDMG permit, surface coal mining operations have <br />commenced. The open pit mining system was used to extract near - surface coal deposits. <br />The seams mined are the Lewis and the Carbonera coal beds. The coal seams which have <br />been mined has been discussed in Section 2.05 in detail. Only limited mining activities <br />have occurred since issuance of the first CMLRD mining permit. Only 20,000 tons of <br />coal have been removed since 1983. The dates of the mining were at sporadic intervals <br />from 1984 to 1985. Currently, coal mining has ceased at the site and final reclamation <br />undertaken in 2006. <br />The land uses existing prior to mining were described above. Additionally, there is <br />limited wood cutting and the harvesting of juniper and oak posts. Big game hunting <br />occurs during the various hunting seasons but is generally controlled by surface owners. <br />The permittee is the surface owner and will control hunting activities within the permit <br />area. <br />The Bureau of Land Management has classified its adjacent lands as mule deer and elk <br />winter range and recognized the mineral values in its planning system. The dry <br />farmlands to the west have been classified by the La Plata County Planning Commission <br />as having potential for commercial or residential development. The La Plata County <br />Planning Commission does not use county zoning to regulate land use but rather <br />compatibility of a project with surrounding land uses as the basis for its decision making. <br />Current development of property immediately west of the mine includes a golf course <br />and proposed residential development. Additionally, the landowner immediately <br />southwest of the permit area has developed an equestrian center. Within and east of the <br />coal mining operation, aggregate (sand and gravel) was mined to supply the La Plata <br />county building industry. The sand and gravel mining is separately permitted under the <br />Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act. <br />Abridged Permit Document 4 -3 Feb 2008 <br />