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The Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association <br />BO Bo,-�921, Carbondale, CO 81623 <br />August 4, 2013 <br />RECEIVED <br />Mr. Brock Bowles <br />Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety AUG 13 2013 <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 215 DM NING AND SAFETY <br />N 0A RECLAMATION <br />Denver, CO 80203 MW <br />Dear Mr. Bowles, <br />The Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association, Inc. (CVEPA) is responding to your <br />letter dated July 16, 2013 regarding the proposed termination of DRMS jurisdiction over the coal <br />mines in Coal Basin, west of Redstone, Colorado. CVEPA is an organization that is dedicated to <br />the protection and preservation of the natural environment and is a leader in promoting <br />environmentally sound practices. CVEPA was formed in 1972 and has a membership of over <br />100. <br />The work of the DRMS between 1994 and 2001 did a significant job of repairing the lands <br />damaged by the coal mining operations that occurred over previous decades dating back to 1892. <br />However, considerable surface problems still exist and are the source of large amounts of <br />watershed sediment washed into downstream rivers from spring runoff and summer rains in the <br />basin. It has been 12 years since the DRMS reclamation effort was largely completed, and it is <br />now evident that the reclamation of these barren surface conditions will not .succeed without <br />additional help. <br />Recent collaborative reclamation and restoration efforts to deal with this problem by the United <br />States Forest Service (USFS), the Roaring Fork Conservancy and CVEPA on both Dutch and <br />Coal Creeks in Coal Basin have produced promising initial results which are detailed in the <br />attached report. These organizations, however, do not have the resources to continue these <br />demonstration programs and then scale up their results to additional areas of the Coal Basin <br />landscape. <br />Accordingly, we request that the DRMS effort in Coal Basin not be terminated, rather continued <br />and help fund additional reclamation activities on the Dutch Creek road prism and the `Sutey' <br />waste rock pile, two areas with favorable site logistics for future work. Please feel free to <br />contact the undersigned at 970 963 -1389 for more information. <br />Res ectfully, <br />4 <br />Chuck D <br />President, Crystal Val ey Environmental Protection Association <br />Board of Directors: ,john Armstrong Mchae[Yechau, BirrSpenee, ,john Stickney, Peter Westcott, Oak WiCC, <br />Chuck9Uowney, ,john Emerick CDorothea Farris, ,john 9roffmann, Biffjochems, <br />