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C-1981-008 <br />PR-06 PAR <br />22-Jan-2010 <br />Page 5 of 26 <br />stating "IH Sample Site Morgan Grass Hay". This would appear to be the field described <br />in narrative as having been planned for renovation, but which did not occur in 1999, and <br />we assume that this is the Morgan "Field 2" listed on Table 2.04.10-18. If this is the <br />case, and if the field were subsequently renovated, it would appear that an IPH <br />designation would be appropriate if it were renovated to Irrigated Hay Pastureland or that <br />an IC designation would be appropriate if the field were renovated to Irrigated Alfalfa <br />Hay Cropland. <br />Please review and clarify the premining land use/ vegetation type designations for <br />the Morgan property as described in subsection 6.3. Please provide amended <br />mapping, as warranted, and revised narrative to explain and support the proposed <br />premine land use/vegetation type designations. <br />9. Notation at the bottom of Table 2.04.10-18 indicates that "Morgan Fields 1 and 2 have <br />now been changed to Irrigated Cropland since the 98E soils have been reclassified in this <br />area as prime farmland soils". <br />Please provide clarification regarding the location and boundaries of Morgan Fields <br />1, 2, and 3. <br />10. The Disturbed Area Boundary indicated on the 2/7/2000 version of Map 2.04.10-1 does <br />not correspond to the proposed disturbance boundary indicated on PR-6 Maps 2.04.3 and <br />2.04.10, which show the disturbed area essentially coinciding with the southern permit <br />boundary through the Morgan property, and encompassing a significantly larger area than <br />indicated on the 2000 map. <br />Please explain this apparent discrepancy. Was the4isturbed area boundary <br />expanded at some point between 2000 and the present, but the disturbance <br />boundary on certain maps including 2.04.10-1 was not revised, or is there some <br />other explanation? <br />Rule 2.04.12 Prime Farmland Investigation <br />As a preface to the requests in this section, explanation of the terms "prime farmland" and <br />"prime farmland soils" is warranted. Prime farmland is defined at DRMS Rule 1.04(95) as <br />meaning "land which has been historically used for cropland and that, in accordance with 7 <br />C.F.R. 657, has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics of producing food, <br />feed, forage, fiber and oilseed crops, is also available for these uses and as interpreted by the <br />USDA Soil Conservation Service (now Natural Resources Conservation Service) for Colorado. <br />The Natural Resources Conservation Service (MRCS) in Colorado has designated particular soil <br />survey map units as prime farmland soils. These soil map units are considered prime farmland <br />by NRCS and under DRMS rules when certain additional criteria are met, including historic use <br />as cropland, and existence of an adequate and dependable irrigation water supply. Within the <br />New Horizon permit area, prime farmland soil map units are: Barx, Barx scalped, Darvey-Barx,