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meeting of requirements relative to the post mining land use of livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. <br />Impacts to the quality of surface water and ground water were analyzed during the Division's review <br />of the SL7 bond release application. <br />Areas included in the bond release application as Phase III received formal Phase I and Phase II bond <br />release as per Table 3. Topsoil and revegetation in the Phase III request areas were initiated in 2001 <br />and continued through 2007. The Phase III areas received Phase II release through the SU <br />permitting action, approved in 2012. <br />III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br />During the bond release inspection for SL7 conducted on 15 October 2019 numerous observations <br />were documented. During the inspection, the bond release areas associated with SL7 were visually <br />assessed for compliance with all pertinent requirements. A geospatial positioning system (GPS), and <br />georectified maps were utilized to verify location of permanent features and to record field data <br />relevant to specific site locations. Additionally, relevant documentation developed over the life of <br />the operation, including information from operator annual reports and prior Division inspection <br />reports, have also been utilized in the compliance evaluation. Observations noted in the inspection <br />report are in agreement with the vegetation report submitted with the SL7 application. Overall, the <br />site exhibited a diverse stand of vegetation of adequate cover to control erosion. <br />In addition to seeding a mixture of grasses, forbs, and shrubs, on regraded areas where topsoil has <br />been redistributed, selected areas received supplemental shrub seeding, planting, and transplanting. <br />Species composition was generally consistent with the species reported in the application with <br />relatively large quantities of forage grasses comprised of Elymus trachycaulus (slender <br />wheatgrass), Leymus cinereus (basin wildrye), and Pascopyrum smithii (western wheatgrass), <br />forbes included Medicago sativa (alfalfa), and woody plants Rosa wodsii (woods rose) pictured <br />below, and Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush). Noxious and invasive vegetation continue to be <br />present at low levels in some areas requested for bond release under SL7. Weeds that have <br />historically been of concern and continue to be the focus of control efforts on the SPL site include <br />Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle), Cynoglossum officinale (houndstongue), and <br />Cardaria draba (whitetop). The operator's weed management program has been successful in <br />reducing densities of these species and minimizing expansions of weed populations. No noxious or <br />invasive weed infestations or large patches of weeds were observed during the inspection. <br />PHASE Hand III Combined <br />All areas requested for combined Phase II and III bond release per SL7 have previously received <br />Phase I and meet the minimum liability period as required by Rule 3.02.3(2)(b). The applicant is <br />requesting Phase III bond release on 315 acres that have achieved Phase II release with the approval <br />of the SU bond release application. The 39.4 acres requested in SL7 for a combined Phase II and <br />Phase III release make the total request 354.4 acres. <br />Topsoil Redistribution <br />Topsoil was redistributed on regraded spoils within the release request area beginning in 2001 and <br />ending in 2007. The required topsoil replacement depth at the Yoast Mine is an average of 1.8 feet <br />(L0 foot min.), on regraded mined areas, and 1.1 feet on reclaimed haul roads and facilities areas. <br />Permit Number C-1994-082 Page 10 of 23 <br />