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homes. Though residential would be one of the highest and best uses of the land, the present <br />status of the local economy probably precludes any significant residential expansion in the area. <br />There has been limited underground mining activity within the permit area. In addition to the <br />reclaimed New Horizon 1 surface coal mine northwest of the mine area, three underground coal <br />mines adjacent to the permit area were operated by local individuals in the past. The abandoned <br />Independence or Oberding Mine is located about 1,300 feet north of the study area in the <br />NEY4SW %, Section 31 (T47N R1 5W). This mine covers approximately 15 acres underground and <br />operated during the 1920's and 1930's, though there is evidence that some activity occurred as late <br />as the early 1960's. The abandoned Nix Mine is located in the NE' /4SE' /4, Section 36 (T47N <br />R16W). This mine operated until about 1926 and covers about seven acres of underground <br />workings. The Tuttle Mine (NW 1 /4 SW 1 /4 Section 31 (T47N RI 5W) was marked by a waste dump <br />and some discarded mine rail. Period of operation and extent of mining in unknown, but both are <br />presumed to be minor. All three operations mined the lower Dakota seams and appear to have <br />been involved only in local coal sales. <br />The land use within the permit area is predominantly agriculture using irrigation. Areas of non - <br />irrigated sagebrush rangeland occur as scattered remnants and are used for livestock grazing. <br />Irrigation has allowed for a higher and better land use to be attained than if natural precipitation <br />was relied on for agricultural use. With the latter, only grazing of rangeland by livestock (at low <br />stocking rates) and occasional use of wood products from the pinyon - juniper stands would be <br />attainable. <br />For further background information on land use, the reviewer is directed to Section 2.03 (Legal, <br />Financial, Compliance and Related Information); Section 2.04.4 (Cultural and Historic Resources <br />Information); Section 2.04.9 (Soils Resource Information); Section 2.04.10 (Vegetation <br />Information); and Section 2.04.11 (Fish and Wildlife Resources Information). <br />(Revised July 2010) 2.04.3 -15 <br />