QUESTIONS ABOUT RECLAMATION OF THE QUEEN’S CANYON QUARRY

Transit Mix’s sister company Castle Concrete Company received the 2003 ”Industry/Community Achievement Award In the Reclamation of Mined Lands” from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Mined Land Reclamation Board for the reclamation work performed at the Queens Canyon Quarry.

What is The Greg Francis Bighorn Sheep Habitat?
After it ceased operations in 2001, the Queens Canyon quarry was reclaimed and renamed the Greg Francis Bighorn Sheep Habitat in honor of Francis, a 30-year employee at Castle Concrete, the predecessor of Transit Mix Concrete. Francis died in October 2002.

A statue of a bighorn sheep stands on the former quarry site in recognition of the herd of bighorns, the efforts of Greg Francis and the hundreds of volunteers who worked with Castle Concrete to reclaim the site and reintroduce Rocky Mountain juniper trees, native grass and small pinón.

Did any other organizations help with reclamation of the former Queens Canyon quarry?
A. The Colorado Mountain Reclamation Foundation (CMRF) played a key role in the successful reclamation efforts at the Queens Canyon quarry site.

Will CMRF provide guidance for reclamation efforts at Pikeview?
A. The CMRF is no longer in operation. Transit Mix Concrete is consulting with reclamation experts and interested stakeholders to consider possible additional reclamation strategies for Pikeview.

What was CMRF?
A. The CMRF was formed in 1991 to implement the objectives of the joint Colorado Springs City and El Paso County Mining Reclamation Advisory Committee for the reclamation of three Front Range quarries. According to its charter, CMRF was formed in 1994 as a partnership with Castle Concrete, a predecessor to Transit Mix Concrete, to implement an enhanced reclamation and community vision for the Snyder (now called Black Canyon), Queens Canyon and Pikeview quarries. The partnership developed and implemented the successful reclamation of Queens Canyon.

What other quarries has Transit Mix Concrete closed besides Queen’s Canyon?
The company ended mining operations at the Black Canyon quarry, located north of Manitou Springs in 2015. Also known as the Snyder quarry, the company is selling the remaining inventory of aggregate and will begin reclamation of the site later this year.