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STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman St., Room 215 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866 -3567 <br />FAX: (303) 832 -8106 <br />July 1, 2013 <br />Linda Saunders <br />34315 Forest Park <br />Elizabeth, CO 80107 <br />RE: Division response to questions received from Ms. Saunders on June 25, 2013 <br />Dear Ms. Saunders: <br />COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF <br />RECLAMATION <br />MINING <br />SAFETY <br />John W. Hickenlooper <br />Governor <br />Mike King <br />Executive Director <br />Loretta E. Pineda <br />Director <br />The Division received two e -mails from you on June 25, 2013. In your e -mails you asked a number of <br />questions. I will attempt to answer your questions. I have included your questions in the body of this letter <br />in italics: <br />1) How is the new reference area more stringent than the original one that Keenan identified before <br />mining began? <br />Answer: In the proposed decision letter, dated May 13, 2013, the Division noted, <br />"The Division fmds that the proposed reference area for the Pinyon Woodland <br />community will result more stringent reclamation success standard for live <br />vegetative cover. The data provided in the application measured the cover on the <br />proposed reference area at 23.07% versus the 11.39% cover measured in the <br />baseline data Plot B. Vegetation measurements indicated that the proposed <br />reference area has a higher amount of shrubs and trees with 66.76% relative cover, <br />versus 38.66% relative cover in the baseline data. The proposed Pinyon - Juniper <br />reference area measured the woody stem density at 6375 woody stems per acre. <br />The proposed reference area is larger, 1.75 acres versus 0.3 acres. The approved <br />Ponderosa - Pinyon - Juniper reference area is showing evidence of die -off. The <br />Newlin Creek area has experienced several years of droughty conditions. Juniper <br />and Pinyon pine die -off has been observed throughout the area. Although some <br />trees have shown die -off in the proposed reference area, it does not appear as <br />pronounced." <br />I am also attaching an excel worksheet summary of EFCI's 2010 sampling results illustrating how <br />the approved reclamation success criteria would be applied to sample data. <br />EFCI proposed a larger Pinyon - Juniper reference area to replace the Plot B reference area, in the <br />TR -39 application, that more closely represents the "dominant pre - mining and post - mining soil <br />conditions, slope, dominant aspect and elevation." As advised in the Division's Guidelines for <br />Compliance with Land Use and Vegetation requirements of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation <br />Board, October 1988) <br />Office of Office of <br />Mined Land Reclamation Denver • Grand Junction • Durango Active and Inactive Mines <br />