2010-08-18_REVISION - C1981008 ‎(5)‎

• Permit No: C1981008
• IBM Index Class Name: REVISION
• Doc Date: 8/18/2010
• Doc Name: Telephone Call from Bud Benson, Landowner
• From: DRMS
• To: File
• Type & Sequence: PR6
• Email Name: MLT
• Email Name: SB1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Date: 18 August 2010
To: File
From: Marcia L. Talvitie, Lead Specialist 1-re-P
Subject: Permit No. C-1981-008 - New Horizon Mine
PR-06 - Post-Mining Land Use
Telephone Call from Bud Benson, Landowner
COLORADO
D IV IS I ON OF
RECLAMATION
MINING
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
James B. Martin
Executive Director
RECEI'VED Loretta E. Pineda
Director
AUG 2 3 2010
Division of Kawartiation,
Mining and Safety
Mr. Bud Benson telephoned me at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Monday, the 16th of August 2010.
The main purpose of his call was to let the Division know that he is opposed to the current PR-06
proposal by Western Fuels-Colorado to irrigate only 12.4 acres of his parcel (`Benson-West")
that is located west of 2700 Road.
A brief review: Mr. Benson owns three separate parcels within the permit boundary of the New
Horizon Mine, described as follows:
1) "Benson-South" is located in the southeastern quadrant of the permit area, and although
not owned by Benson at the time, was included within the PR-02 application (approved
in 1989) that created Peabody's Nucla-East Mine (now New Horizon Mine 2). The
parcel is -40 acres, and the pre-mining land use was predominantly irrigated pasture -
Swale (IPSW) with smaller portions of Rangeland Sagebrush (SG), Pastureland Irrigated
Grass (IP), and Pastureland Irrigated Hay (IPH). Post-mining land use is divided
approximately evenly between Reclaimed Irrigated Pasture (IP) and Dryland Pasture
(DP).
2) "Benson-East" is located north of BB Road and immediately east of 2700 Road.
Approximately 55 acres of the parcel fall within the disturbed area of the permit.
Premining land use was largely IP, with smaller areas of Rangeland and Farmstead.
Reclamation has resulted in 37+ acres of IP and 18+ acres of DP.
3) "Benson-West" is located north of BB Road and immediately west of 2700 Road and,
like Benson-East, was added to the permit under PR-05 in 2000. The property within the
disturbed area boundary consists of approximately 70 acres, 20 of which were originally
owned by Reeder and Garrett. An estimated 50 acres received irrigation in the premine
condition.
Mr. Benson described to me that historically, irrigation water was moved from one parcel to
another as needed. When hay from one field was being harvested, the shares of irrigation water
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Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines