Laserfiche WebLink
WFC Response: <br />The reference to silage corn simply refers to the predominant use of the land, <br />which in the Morgan family case is alfalfa. This does not mean that other crops <br />including corn can never be used in rotation. As to the remainder of the <br />Comment, WFC first incorporates by reference its response to Comment No. 6, <br />above. Again, WFC has agreed to reclaim the entire Morgan Property as Prime <br />Farmland Irrigated Cropland. In light of this agreement, which has been <br />accepted by the Morgan family, it is difficult to determine what is at issue in this <br />Comment. The reclamation plan for the Morgan Property goes well beyond the <br />requirements of the September 10, 1998 Coal Mining Lease between the Morgan <br />family and WFC, which is inaccurately quoted in the Comment. Though the <br />issue of the interpretation of this Coal Mining Lease is not directly relevant to this <br />permit process, for the sake of accuracy in the record, the document actually <br />states as follows: <br />Lessee shall reclaim the Property so that the Property is <br />approximately in the same condition as when Lessee entered the <br />Property (i.e. a farmable condition). This includes returning the <br />land to cropland to grow alfalfa or row crops, leaving land flat <br />enough for irrigation and picking rocks to the extent a rock picker is <br />capable. The reclamation standard will be as approved by DMG <br />with Lessor's consent. <br />Coal Mining Lease page 9, Section 7(d). <br />Comment No. 12: <br />Page 2.04 3-9 "The aces of irrigated Pasture on the Morgan Property will <br />remain LABELED such. The Western and Eastern portions of the Morgan <br />property were not historically managed well enough to he considered as <br />Irrigated cropland. Violation of all rules and regulations and adding <br />terminology again. The western field was not irrigated by the way of a side <br />roll until after WFC and Morgans agreed to Lease at which point the Morgans <br />began better irrigation." Wow Mr. Berry. What a very stupid statement and <br />what kind of idiots write this stuff? All of the Morgan Property will he labeled <br />Irrigated cropland as it was prior to the mine entering the property. The <br />lease states this. NRCS states this and we are saying it again. The Morgan <br />property was historically irrigated and cropped for 50 years. We raised NO <br />livestock from 1985 on and our top priority was production. Cropland is <br />ANYTHING that was harvested and management or irrigation has NOTHING <br />to do with cropland. There are 100's of DRYLAND farmers that raise some of <br />the best hay, oats, beans, sunflowers, potatoes. Trees wheat, and numerous <br />other CROPS with historically used as cropland and have NO IRRIGATION! <br />They keep adding definitions to definitions. Cropland has NO management