2018-04-09_REPORT - C1981022 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Doug Smith Page 2 April 9, 2018 Mountain Penstemon and Western Yarrow are synonyms for the specified Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Penstemon strictus and Achillea millefolium, respectively). Two of the specified species were consistently missing from the Oxbow seed mix (Silver Sagebrush, and Pacific Aster), and Douglas/Low Rabbitbrush was substituted in for Rubber Rabbitbrush. The lot shipped on August 1, 2017, was also missing Fringed Sagebrush. In future, if species from the approved seed mix are unobtainable, please work with the seed supplier to propose a suitable alternative. Weeds identified as requiring control during 2015 were "thistles, hounds tongue and whitetop". Oxbow employees sprayed disturbed areas with Curtail herbicide, which is manufactured by Dow Chemical and approved for use in Colorado. Curtail is described as "a broad-spectrum broadleaf herbicide providing outstanding control of Canada thistle and other problem weeds in small grains", and is mentioned specifically in the weed control plan in Exhibit 2.05-E6. Reclaimed areas were inspected for rills and gullies deeper than nine inches, but none were identified. * Based on my analysis of Exhibit 1, there are several issues with the data submitted on the ARR form which require your attention: • The sum of the disturbed areas equals 226.99 acres as reported, but the sum of the seeded areas (excluding partially reclaimed) equals 128.85 (not 153.47), of which 27.62 acres were seeded in 2007 or earlier (not 24.26). • There are 40 rows with a green background indicating that reclamation was completed in 2017. The sum of the acreages reported in those 40 rows is 43.28, (not 48.6). I am unable to account for the 5.32 acre discrepancy. • For each GVB pad the acreage given includes the spur road. In those cases where the landowner has requested that the road remain, the area of the road should be subtracted from the area reclaimed. For the pads reclaimed in 2017 where the road was left at the landowner's request, I calculate a total length of 6,137 feet. Using 18 feet as an average road width, this gives an area of 110,466 square feet, or 2.54 acres. (I also note that GVB- LW 18-01 B was tagged with "HR ROAD LEFT" but no road length was given — having studied map 2.05-M1.6, together with the aerial image, it appears that the pad was built immediately adjacent to the permanent two track road). This would give a total area reclaimed in 2017 of 40.74 acres (43.28 - 2.54) • A similar situation occurs for four pads reclaimed before 2017 (GVB-LW 10-05, 12-03, 16-04 and 16-05). For these four I calculate a total road length of 5009 feet, giving an area of 90,162 square feet, or 2.07 acres. This would give a total area reclaimed prior to 2017 of 83.50 acres (128.85 - 43.28 - 2.07)