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in Item 1 above, the revised designation appears to have been based on a <br />misinterpretation of narrative regarding description of land use/vegetative types <br />documented in 1987 baseline investigations. <br />Please review the relevant materials and amend pertinent text in sub-section <br />3.0 of Section 2.04.10. <br />4. The wording of the first two sentences on amended page 2.04.10-18 of the <br />Redline Version of sub-section 3.0 is confusing, probably because irrigated <br />cropland in the general area of the mine includes alfalfa hay, but also corn silage, <br />and presumably various other crops in lesser amounts. However, not all irrigated <br />haylands are considered croplands, under the definitions set forth in the Premine <br />Land Use section of the application. The meaning would appear to be clarified if <br />the first sentence were amended to state: "Agricultural production is concentrated <br />on irrigated pasture hayland and irrigated grass pasture". <br />Similarly, the final sentence of the paragraph should be amended to more clearly <br />reflect the land use category definitions of Section 2.04.3. Recommended <br />wording would be: "With the continued availability of adequate irrigation water, <br />irrigated hay pastureland, irrigated grass pasture, and cropland including irrigated <br />alfalfa hay, corn silage, and various other irrigated crops will continue to <br />dominate the landscape around Nucla". <br />Please review the referenced text with respect to the intended meaning, and <br />revise for clarity as appropriate. <br />5. Reference to Map 2.04.10-1 in the Section 2.04. 10 Table of Contents, and in sub- <br />section 4.2 and possibly other text sections appears to be in error; references <br />should be to Map 2.04.10. Please make these minor edits as warranted. <br />6. Portions of the narrative in subsection 6-3 of Section 2.04.10 are confusing. The <br />subsection was originally titled "Irrigated Hayland Type" but has been revised for <br />PR-6 and is titled "Irrigated Pasture-Hayland Type (IPH)" in the amended <br />version. A new introductory paragraph explains that [within PR-6] the Morgan <br />fields east of the fenceline in the southwest portion of the 1999 study area have <br />been re-classified as Irrigated Cropland (IC). What is not noted or explained is <br />that significant portions of the study area west of the fence that were previously <br />mapped as Irrigated Hayland are labeled Irrigated Pasture (1P) in the PR-6 revised <br />versions of Maps 2.04.3 and 2.04.10. For reasons referenced previously under the <br />Site Description and Land Use Information section of this letter, management <br />history on the Morgan Property may warrant Cropland Irrigated Alfalfa (IC) <br />designation for the entire area previously designated IH. If a designation of IC is <br />not warranted, retention of the IPH designation rather than re-designation to IP <br />may be appropriate. In any event, clarification is necessary.