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United States Department of Agriculture <br />■ <br />.1 <br />Natural Rewurces ConservabOn SONOW jwrn boydiaco usda 90v <br />j ". P*source Gonservationat 970�327 <br />P Cl B@x 29 970-327-4247zFAX <br />Norwood. 00 81 423 <br />November 16,2010 <br />To Whom 104ay Concem; <br />J oc I len Tuner and 'v ibe \ I organ requested that the Natural Resources Conservation. Service <br />(NRCS) make an i-,scssinent of surface mine reclamation practices occurring within the Ne <br />I lorizon Mine, on property owned by Frank Morgan, west ol'Nucta, CO. The area in particular. <br />located due west of 2700 Rd and south of BB Rd. is 5 acres of previous farmland. which has <br />been mined for coal by Western Fuels-CO and is in the proc-ess of being reclaimed- Dave <br />Dearstyne- N RCS Soil Scientist. and I visited the site on N o % vniber 16, 21110, along with <br />representatives from the (' S, Department of Interior. Officc Of SUH'ace Minint; Reclamation and <br />Enforcement. and Joel len [ urner and Mike Morgan. <br />Joellen Turner's specific question (attached): <br />­Is the substitute soil that is being presented as a suitable subsoil equal to or better than <br />what we had in our natural existence. prime Barx Stalls. "' <br />Dave Dcarslyne observed the stockpiled material and recently reclaimed land within the area of <br />question. and has made an assessment (attached) of the materials being used for "suitable <br />subsoil" as they relate to Prime Farmland soil criteria and I-and Capability Classification- Mr. <br />Dearstyrie also explains the disilrictions bet Prime Familand soil criteria and Land <br />Capability Classification. <br />Mr, Dearstyne's report states: <br />. _ "An order two soil survey (the San Miguel Area Soil Sur% L: ) had been conducted in <br />the area by SCS soi I scientists ( pub 198-5). An order one sai Sl_iry c% i, a more detailed. finer <br />re lution survey) was also woducted on the property by contracl�Qd soil scientists <br />(intermountain Resource hi cntorli:s Inc.) in March (if 1998. Barx and similar soils (Darvey) <br />were identified in this order one soil survey- The main difference in the two surveys was the <br />extent of the Barx and similar soils. In the San Miguel Soil Surwy approximately 64 percent of <br />the 51 acre area of consideration was identified as map unit 14. Barx fine sandy loam. I to 3 <br />percent slopes. considered Prinic Farmland soil. The Intermountain sure - ey identified <br />approximately 70 percent of the area as Darvey-Bares complex. 0 to 3 percent slopes, (similar to <br />Barx), that would also be considered Prime Farmland soil <br />...The ditTerences between thvsc ivko designations (Prime Farn versus Capability <br />Class was discussed at length. The capability class involves -separating sails into 8 1 <br />class I KcIng the Kest and class' III the most limiting. I'he Prime Farmland designation could <br />conceivably involve capability classes I through awe' ihc requirements for capability class He <br />(Barx sods I to percent slopes would he more stringent than that of'Prime Farmland.. <br />The Naluiral ReWwf" Con"irjamion, UeviC* wWm$ in pafjrWVUp with 1he Annerean People <br />W1CVnS1ftrVC'*r4 SUStOln M811.bTal rftCkjr*eSjn privA* LbndS An F_qval opportunity Provider and Employer <br />Tuesday, November 16, 2010.max <br />