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2.05.5 <br />strapleaf willow and other riparian vegetation which is not represented by the <br />vegetation map. (DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2013-0010 EA) <br />The final reclamation of these areas will provide habitat suitable for domestic <br />livestock and wildlife. In order to enhance the habitat, the reclamation plan <br />calls for planting a grass dominated seedmix in order to balance the grass <br />forage production against the shrub cover needs of wildlife. <br />The Division of Wildlife's letter dated December 21, 1995 indicates the <br />proposed disturbed area is in critical winter range for the deer and elk which <br />are found in Game Management Unit 521 (Volume III, Exhibit 9). It is <br />assumed the critical winter range is generally defined as the south facing <br />slopes in this area. The applicant owns some 500 to 800 acres of south <br />facing slopes in this area depending on how such a slope is defined (S/2 <br />Section 10, N/2 Section 15, SE/2 Section 9, N/2NE/4 Section 16) . Most of this <br />area has the Juniper Woodland and Mixed Shrub type vegetation. <br />The proposed disturbed area at the south facing portal area is in the 200 acre <br />range which is about 25% of the south facing habitat owned by the applicant. By <br />restoring the disturbed area to a grassland type vegetation type, the rangeland <br />and wildlife habitat will be improved. <br />(a)(i) The proposed postmining land use will be achieved by reclaiming the disturbed area and <br />planting same in accordance with the reclamation plan presented in section 2.05.4. No <br />special support activities are necessary to achieve the proposed land use. <br />(a)(ii) A portion of the area to be disturbed was previously mined and not reclaimed. These <br />areas include the gob pile, pond C, the gob pile pond, the haul road to the gob pile and <br />some of the facilities in the lower meadow. These areas are currently categorized as <br />industrial land use. According to Rule 4.16.2(1), the postmining land use for land that <br />has been previously mined and not reclaimed shall be determined on the basis of the <br />uses which the land was capable of supporting prior to any mining. It is presumed the <br />land use prior to mining was the same as the surrounding area which is rangeland and <br />wildlife habitat. Therefore, the area to be disturbed that was previously mined and not <br />reclaimed will be restored to a rangeland and wildlife habitat land use. <br />PR -14 2.05 -85- 03/14 <br />