2020-06-16_PERMIT FILE - M2020007 ‎(7)‎

• Permit No: M2020007
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/16/2020
• Doc Name: Adequacy Review Response #2
• From: Environment, Inc.
• To: DRMS
• Email Name: ECS
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

EXHIBIT E RECLAMATION PLAN (CONT)
It has been our experience on other operations, that the
seeded area will have a heavy cover of weeds after the first year.
The second year, there are fewer weeds as the grasses start to take
hold. By the third year the weeds are mostly gone and the grass
has established itself so it will grow in future years . These
weeds also tend to shade the seedbed, retain snow in the winter and
act as a wind break for the newly emerging grasses . The area will
then be monitored for success of revegetation until it is released
from the permit area by the Mined Land Reclamation Board.
WEED CONTROL
The revegetated areas will be monitored closely each spring
for the first two years to determine if noxious weeds are invading
the area. L.G. Everist, Inc . will implement a weed monitoring and
control plan that covers the areas actively used by their
operations .
Weed control on the agricultural use areas will be the
responsibility of the landowner or farmer using the land.
Weed control in the mining and reclamation areas will be
initiated if the problem becomes serious or if an excessive weed
cover is still present at the end of the second year. In no way
should this be taken to mean that L.G. Everist will try to
eradicate all the weeds from the site. Some weeds are beneficial
to the upland game species in the area, they provide important
protection from the elements during winter, and nesting sites
during the spring. Total eradication of weeds from the site is not
necessarily desirable or possible, so we will be using stronger
controls on the noxious weeds and controlling the rest as needed.
Weed control may be done through mowing or chemical means . Control
of noxious weeds is important to the state, so we will follow USDA
Extension Service recommendations to control them. Our Weed
Control Plan is included in the APPENDIX.
IRRIGATION
No irrigation is planned for the revegetated area around the
reservoirs . It makes the vegetation dependent on water and does
not promote a vegetation cover that is diverse and capable of self
regeneration. On cropland area irrigation may be used by the
landowners .
RECLAMATION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
(The following information is presented to address specific parts
or Rule 3 as required by the MLRB Rules and Regulations. )
The operator intends to mine the property in compliance with
the Reclamation Performance Standards of Rule 3 . Grading will be
done to create a final topography that is compatible with the
intended final land use . The slope in the developed water storage
reservoirs will be mined to their final slopes . These slopes will
be 3 : 1 and on the backfilled areas we will attempt to retain the
present drainage pattern across the property.
A mine entrance sign that conforms to the requirements in Rule
3 . 1 . 12 (1996) will be installed at the entrance to this facility
prior to commencement of mining.
L.G. Everist, Inc- Ragsdale Reservoirs June 11, 2020
E-7