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NRCS "Prime Farmland" - Colorado Important Farmland Inventory pH error; verification of 1996 <br />determination <br />United States Department of Agriculture <br />v NRCS <br />Natural Resources Conservation Servlce I'm boydCro.usda gov <br />Jim Boyd, Resource ConseNatrOMt 970- 327.4245-OFFICE <br />P. 0. Box 28 970- 327-4247•FAX <br />Norwood, CO 81423 <br />March 4, 2010 <br />Division of Reclamation. Mining and Safety <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />101 South 3` Street, Suite 301 <br />Grand Junction, CO 81501 <br />Clear Concerned Parties <br />Accompanying this letter are documents related to "Prime Farmland" determination for lands <br />within the New Horizon Mine, Western Fuels- Colorado, mine permit area. In particular, I would <br />like to address a letter written March 29, 1996 by Fortner NRCS Resource Conservationist Mr_ <br />Dean Stindt. to the letter submitted to Western Fuels - Colorado, Mr, Stindt made a negative <br />determination regarding, the presence of Prime Farmland on Garvey Bros. property planned for <br />future coal mining. He was assisted by soil scientist Mr. Jim Irvine, Intermountain Resource <br />Inventories Inc., who was hired by New Horizon Mine to complete an Order i Soil Survey for <br />the mine permit area, <br />Mr. Stindt stated in paragraph two of his letter that "irrigated soils with bedrock within 40 inches <br />of the surface and soil horizons that have a pH higher than 7A are considered as having high <br />conductivity and therefore are not prime." In regards to the soil observed on the Garvey <br />property, since both of these criteria were met, the soils were considered not Prince Farmland by <br />Mr. Stindt in his letter. <br />Mr. Stindt and Mr. Irvine were relying upon a United States Department of Agriculture, Soil <br />Conservation Service document in circulation at that time titled "Colorado Important Farmland <br />Inventory," which indeed established the above criteria for prime farmland designation on page 3 <br />of the document. Unfortunately, the pI I limit of 7.4 was all error in the document and should <br />have read 8.4 instead. This mistake in the Colorado Important Farmland Inventory document is <br />addressed more fully in a letter written by Dave Dearstyne, NRCS Soil Scientist, dated February <br />11. 2048, and enclosed. <br />Regardless of the mistake described above, which has since been corrected, the soil designation <br />of not Prime Farmland for the Garvey Bros, property was most likely correct since the soils were <br />less than 40 inches in depth, and therefore may not have met the water holding capacity criteria <br />established for Prime Farmland designation. It is unfortunate ifthe soil ptf limit of 7.4, an error, <br />referred to in the Colorado Important Farmland Inventory and referenced in the Garvey Bros, <br />determination, was used in subsequent determinations of Prime Farmland for other properties <br />mined within the New Horizon Mine permit area, <br />rhs r�a;u Raaw�w Cynw.granan 5arwce vaorkt rn r�arlriersluP wdh tMrMroriean i >oopla <br />to crxr W and suslum Brat" rasaurces on rmWa lads A+t Equal Oppw1undv Pro•dvr and Eaysbyar. <br />Friday, March 05, 2010.max <br />