2025-10-31_PERMIT FILE - C1981019 (5)

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RULE 2 PERMITS Rule 2 Permits 2.05-19 Revision Date: 8/6/25 Revision No.: PR-05 and mimics soil development on local landforms. Lower-lying areas (relative to the surrounding landscape), such as natural swales, depressions, and subtle drainageways that tend to catch more snow will also receive deeper topsoil replacement depths. These areas should store greater quantities of moisture, which will increase overall productivity, while providing enhanced opportunities for growth and development of the mountain shrub and snowberry communities (seed is a component of the grazingland seed mix). Even in areas where these shrub species do not initially germinate, the deeper soils systems with increased water holding capacity and altered hydrologic function of localized areas with increased snow capture will mimic the native conditions for mountain shrub and snowberry communities, setting the foundation for succession to progress in these areas over long-term time horizons. In wildlife habitat (sagebrush steppe) targeted areas (flatter areas with less than 10% slopes), topsoil replacement depth will target an average of four inches, with a more uniform application depth to encourage proper seeding depth and conditions for sagebrush establishment. To encourage snow capture and increase spring soil moisture, reclamation techniques will attempt to take advantage of site-specific opportunities for the development of convex and concave surfaces along with the potential development of small berms along the contour and approximately perpendicular to prevailing winds. General Topsoil Handling Procedures Colowyo will ensure proper topsoil resource management through various quality assurance and control procedures. Procedures utilized to account for topsoil volumes include an annual analysis of the topsoil balance, accounting for volumes in stockpiles, current and following year’s reclamation areas, the total disturbance area, and the results of topsoil stripping activities each year. Detailed soil maps for the permit area assist operations and guide management in preparation and scheduling for topsoil salvage activities. Topsoil resources are generally segregated by area (East Pit, West Pit, Section 16, South Taylor Area, facilities, Gossard Loadout, etc.), to ensure that these resources are reapplied to the general areas from which they came. During topsoil removal in advancement of the mining operations, dozers will be utilized to pile up the topsoil so it can be loaded and hauled to stockpile or immediately to a reclamation area. Scrapers may also be employed for topsoil removal as deemed appropraiote. Topsoil salvage is guided by the existing soil maps and resources available to Colowyo personnel. Topsoil salvage is avoided during times of soil saturation, as a best management practice to avoid overly compacting the soil. Topsoil stockpiles are revegetated as soon as is practicable to prevent losses from wind and water erosion. Stockpiles are seeded with a mix of native reclamation species to stabilize the stockpile. All stockpiles are properly labeled as topsoil to avoid mishandling, and detailed as- built information is collected to accurately calculate stockpile volumes as a quality control procedure. All topsoil stockpiles are protected with a ditch and berm around their perimeter to conserve the resource. When topsoil is to be reapplied following stockpiling, topsoil is normally loaded from stockpile with loaders and trucks, and then hauled to the backfill reclamation areas, where it is dumped and graded for final placement. Topsoil hauled in trucks will be dumped strategically to minimize