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The operations approved in Permit Revision No. 3 disturbed an additional 11.0 acres, one area located <br />south of Old Highway 133 and the other area located just east of the present mine entrance. Both areas <br />appear to be previously disturbed. The soils present in these disturbed areas are similar to the "Meadow" <br />soil found in other areas of the mine site, as depicted on Map No. 4, "Soils". <br />The soil that was disturbed in the construction of the Freeman Gulch vent shaft, through Technical <br />Revision No. 12, is classified as a Fughes Loam. <br />The operations approved in Permit Revision No. 6 disturbed soils that are primarily Progresso Loam and <br />Potts Loam. Bowie Resources Limited requested a variance from topsoil salvaging beneath the cover fill <br />stockpile at the train loadout area. Pursuant to Rule 4.06.2(a), the Division can approve a variance for <br />good cause shown. In this case, BRL planned on salvaging the top two to three inches of topsoil and then <br />placing geotextile fabric on the coverfill area. Removal of the entire topsoil horizon would have resulted <br />in needless damage to the soil characteristics. BRL committed to taking measures to protect the topsoil <br />resource. However, all of the cut material was used in the fill so no excess coverfill material resulted <br />from the construction of the train loadout. Therefore, no variance from topsoil salvaging was needed. <br />The construction of the B -seam portal bench and the associated excavated soil storage area, approved <br />through PR -07, disturbed soils that are classified as the Absarokee loam series (Beenon-Absarokee <br />Association). <br />Vegetation Information - <br />Detailed vegetation information for the Bowie No. 2 permit area is presented in Section 2.04. 10 of the <br />permit application document. The following summary is derived from the information presented in Section <br />2.04. 10 of the permit document. <br />Three (3) plant communities are present within the main surface operations, facilities and surrounding areas. <br />These communities are referred to as the Juniper Woodland, Mixed Shrub and Disturbed Meadow <br />communities. <br />The Juniper Woodland community exhibits such plant species as Snowberry, Gambel oak and Serviceberry. <br />The Mixed Shrub community exhibits plant species such as Gamble Oak and Serviceberry. The Meadow <br />community is dominated by annual and noxious plant species, such as bindweed, cheatgrass and Japanese <br />brome. Alfalfa and Kentucky Bluegrass are also present. <br />An area of approximately 0.31 acres is identified as wetland. This area will be disturbed, and this activity <br />will be conducted in compliance with a permit issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The <br />proposed disturbed area was also surveyed for threatened and endangered plant species; however, no such <br />species were found. <br />The Division agrees with the operator's conclusion that the proposed disturbed area is similar to the <br />Lower Meadow Community that exists at the mine site and is shown on Map No. 3, "Vegetation." in the <br />permit application package. <br />A small area was disturbed in the Douglas fir vegetation community in the construction of the Freeman <br />Gulch vent shaft. <br />17 <br />