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Miller Pit Technical Revision- February 2021 <br /> Permit M-1982-112 <br /> Schmidt Construction Company <br /> SUBJECT - Changes to Final Seed Mixes <br /> Reasons for this revision: The current permitted reclamation seed mix is Alfalfa. Although this <br /> was the original permittee's desired reclamation planting, this planting would- <br /> a. Create a monoculture of alfalfa on the site, not including what else might invade. <br /> b. Although this might work fairly well on the pit floor, it would be incapable of <br /> controlling erosion of the regraded and topsoiled pit slopes. The law and rules and <br /> regulations require that erosion be kept under control. (Especially so on slopes.) <br /> C. The original permittee is no longer in control of the permit nor is the new <br /> landowner. The permittee is now Schmidt Construction Company. <br /> d. Therefore, it is the desire of the permittee to change the reclamation seed mixes <br /> from solely alfalfa to the following two mixes. It is believed this will serve the final <br /> land use (Rangeland)more appropriately but also provide sufficient versatility on <br /> the pit floor for other agricultural uses such as farming. These mixes will also help <br /> to re-establish active nitrogen cycling in the replaced topsoils. After decades of <br /> stockpiling, it is likely the topsoils have lost a large proportion of their ability to <br /> initiate nitrogen and other nutrient cycling. The inclusion of nitrogen fixing plants <br /> along with the two sod forming wheatgrasses, will soon re-establish those <br /> capabilities. The Green Needlegrass helps to fill in with the more sandy to silty <br /> loams in some places on the slopes and, along with the wheatgrasses, will provide <br /> fodder to increase surface level organic matter to help protect the slopes better. The <br /> Cicer Milkvetch will complement Alfalfa on the drier environment on the slopes as <br /> well as help with initiating the fast nitrogen cycle in the soils on the slopes. <br /> Miller Gravel Pit M-1982-112 Technical Revision - February 2021 Page 1 of 2 <br />