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• 2.04.12 PRIINE FARMLAND INVESTIGATION <br />Coors Energy Company requests a negative determination by the Mined Land <br />Reclamation Department as specified in Colorado regulations concerning the designation <br />of Prime Farmland at our proposed mine site based upon the following reasons: <br />2.04.12 (2) (a) <br />The land has not been historically used as cropland. The following is extracted from <br />Appendix L-l, Soil and Vegetation Inventory Report, D. N. Hyder, page 12. <br />I~ortant Farmlands <br />"On January 31, 1978 the Federal Register reported the final rules for the implementation <br />and conducting of a national program for inventorying prime and unique farmland. Prime <br />farmland is defined as land that has the best combinations of physical and chemical <br />characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oil-seed crops and is also <br />available for these uses. In general, prime farmlands have an adequate and dependable <br />water supply from precipitation or irrigation, a favorable temperature and growing season <br />and acceptable chemical qualities." <br />"According to the above definitions, no important farmlands occur within the study area. <br />• It is evident from old field boundaries and vegetation that a portion of Section 26 was <br />once farmed and then left to revert to range. Dryland farming on sand has not proven <br />feasible in this area." <br />2.04.12 (2) (c) <br />The land is not imgated or naturally subirrigated, has no reliable, developed water supply <br />of adequate quantity or quality, and the average annual precipitation is less than 14 inches. <br />See above text, Important Farmlands; page 12 of Appendix L-1, Soil and Vegetation <br />Inventory Report and the Soil and Vegetation Reference Photo map, Appendix L-2. <br />2.04.12 (2) (e) <br />A determination that the Coors Energy Company Keenesburg Coal Mine is not located on <br />prime farmland has been make by the Soil Conservation Service. See following letter <br />dated May 29, 1981 from Jeff Burwell of the Soil Conservation Service, Brighton Office. <br />• <br />100 <br />