I managed to find a usable area, that that didn't have the burn marks, to use for the holster I was making. Problem is, the brown marks are hard, burnished areas, not just cosmetic. And this is the second piece (I have ordered 4 total in my lifetime) that I received that had me questioning whether or not it was usable.
In fairness, I'm not trying to speak ill of Springfield Leather. With the first questionable piece, I contacted them and they were extremely helpful. I chalked it up to inexperience and ordered a better quality piece. Kevin assured me that he personally ensured it was a beautiful piece, and it was. He takes customer service serious, that's for sure.
Oh, well. Guess I'll just throw this in the "live and learn" folder. Thank you all for the replies.