2010-05-25_REVISION - C1981008 (3)

Home Browse Search

Native rangeland areas are used for livestock grazing and by wildlife. Classes of livestock in order of importance are cattle, sheep and horses. In terms of land use, the more important wildlife species are mule deer and elk. However, a wide variety of small mammals, predators, passerine and upland game birds, and raptors frequent the area. While mule deer may be found in the immediate area year round, elk are more likely to be found in the area during the winter season after migrating from summer season range located in the adjacent high country. In the fall, the quality of big game hunting and the natural beauty of the area draw a large number of in -state and out -of -state hunters to the area, providing a sizeable boost to the local economy. Both in- permit and out of permit lands of all classes support seasonal wildlife populations. Predominant native vegetation types and wildlife habitat include the upland sagebrush, pinyon juniper, and areas of riparian vegetation associated with Tuttle Draw and several small tributaries. It is probable that irrigation tailwater has created or significantly enhanced areas of riparian vegetation. 3.0 Historic and Existing Land Use on the Permit Area The original permit area consisted of lands north of Tuttle Draw mined by predecessor companies from 1958 to 1983. This original area, as modified by reductions due to final bond releases, is now known as NH1 portion of the current permit. In the early 1980's, one of the predecessor companies (Peabody) permitted, but did not mine an area south of Tuttle Draw and west of the Town of Nucla. This area, labeled Nucla East by Peabody, is now know as New Horizon 2 (NH2) by Western Fuels. The historic land use on the principal (NH2) area has been mostly irrigated pasture and native rangeland. Existing use for NH2 is irrigated fields (mostly irrigated pastureland), abandoned irrigated fields, native rangeland, mining disturbances, mine - related activities, and reclamation. In most cases, pre -mine irrigation methods utilized flooding the land using gravity. Sideroll irrigation, which is more efficient, was generally not used. The much smaller NH1 area is the remaining parcel of land from pre -WFC mining that has not yet been granted a full bond release. This mine permit area and surrounding released land, prior to 1958 when mining activities were begun by the Edna Coal Company, was fairly well split between irrigated farmland and native rangeland /wildlife habitat. Irrigated farmland is meant to encompass irrigated pasture, cropland and hayland. These are differentiated by the amount of-alfalfa in the fields as well as the intensity of the management of the irrigation. By the time Peabody purchased the Navajo Mine in 1963, nearly all irrigated lands south of the east -west county road had been abandoned and approximately one quarter of the present permit area was affected by mining activities. In May 1983, Surface Mine Permit No. C- 008 -81 was approved for the Nucla Mine (Original NH1). At that time, approximately two- thirds of the original permit area was affected by (Revised Sept 09) 2.04.3 -7