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Road Construction <br />Existing roads and trails will be used whenever possible, and movement of equipment across <br />undisturbed land will be kept to a minimum. New or additional temporary roads will be <br />constructed only when necessary and only as the drilling program progresses. A projected <br />maximum of 14 ft. road service width will be employed during this project except in locations <br />such as curves, where more width would be needed for the drill rig to negotiate a turn. <br />The drill sites have been located such that the slope of the access roads to the pad sites will be as <br />flat -lying as possible and subject to vary only a few percent. Topsoil removed during pad <br />construction will be stockpiled and redistributed when the pads are reclaimed. Erosion control <br />structures, such as water bars, will be installed as needed and will be constructed in accordance <br />with applicable requirements. While roads are in use, waterbars will be left in-place along the road <br />to assist in erosion control. If utilized, culverts will be removed at the completion of the project <br />or left in place as accepted by the FS Road Engineer. <br />Drill Site Construction <br />Drill sites will be approximately 100' x 200' in size. Smaller dimensions will be utilized whenever <br />possible. Drill site sizes and layout will be reviewed with the FS representative prior to <br />construction. <br />Brush and/or small trees will be cleaned from the drill pads using a D-8 or similar size equipment. <br />Available topsoil will be removed and stockpiled on the upslope side of the drill pad and remain <br />undisturbed during drilling at the site. The topsoil pile will not be seeded due to the short duration <br />of storage. Up to one foot of topsoil thickness will be salvaged and stockpiled at the disturbance <br />site with a "TOPSOIL" sign clearly marking the pile. Leveling of the drill sites (cut and fill) by <br />grading the subsoil and/or weathered rock may be required. <br />Slurry (mud) pit construction will be made on the downslope portion of the prepared drill pad. <br />Mud pit construction shall be located to provide competent storage of fluids used during drilling. <br />Using a D-8 dozer, trackhoe, and backhoe, from one to two pits will be excavated at each site, <br />depending upon depth of drill hole and projected water requirements. The mud pit(s) will be <br />approximately 10' wide, 30' long and 6' deep. Subsoil and rock materials excavated from the pits <br />will be stockpiled nearby and used to refill the mud pits upon reclamation. All subsoil excavated <br />from the pit construction will be stockpiled within the stripped pad area. <br />The hydrologic balance will be protected by minimizing disturbance and through sediment control <br />from exploration activities. Using the existing roads or trails to the degree practical minimizes <br />surface disturbance. Where possible, the existing vegetation will be left in-place and the need for <br />sediment control therefore reduced. With the existing roads mainly located in the flatter areas <br />(along the ridge tops or valley bottoms), the need for new disturbance and the possibility of <br />sediment loss is reduced by avoiding areas of steep slopes. Likewise, by utilizing existing flat <br />areas for drill pads, only minimal surface disturbance will be necessary to level uneven portions <br />of the site and to construct a mudpit. <br />Salvaged soils will be placed upslope of the drill pad with appropriate sediment control devices <br />surrounding the down slope portion of the soil stockpile. A similar sediment control device will <br />be placed on the downslope side of the subsoil/rock stockpiles from the slurry (mud) pits. <br />