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III. COMMENTS -COMPLIANCE Below are comments on the inspection. The comments include discussion of observations made during the inspection. Comments also describe any enforcement actions taken during the inspection and the facts or evidence supporting the enforcement action. This was a partial inspection conducted by Janet Binns of CDMG. Other DMG staff, Sandy Brown, Kent Gorham and Dan Mathews assisted with the vegetation sampling efforts. The Grassy Gap mine is a reclaimed surface mine. The mine permit and reclamation liability bond have been revoked by DMG. The focus of this inspection was to collect vegetation data to demonstrate reclamation success on this revoked mine site. The weather has been very dry in the area. Cloud cover occurred much of the day on June 27 and very limited sprinkles were observed on June 28. Precipitation was not measurable and did not even wet the ground. DMG contacted the property owners, Cross Mountain Ranch, in May and June 2006, to notify them of the Division's scheduled sampling. The landowner notified the Division that livestock would be brought on to the property around May 10, 2006. Early. May was too early for DMG to conduct sampling. During the Division's May 19, 2006 inspection, the Division documented approximately 10 cow/calf pairs concentrated at the Pit 5 spoil spring. Additional livestock had been brought out to the property since the May 19, 2006 inspection. Approximately 200 sheep were encountered in Pit 4, approximately 35 cow/calf pairs were encamped on the Pit 5 pond embankment, and approximately 10 cow/calf pair on Pit I . All pits except pits 2 and 3 had experienced some domestic grazing prior to the vegetation sampling. DMG will continue to find out duration of grazing and exact numbers of animals from the ranch manager. Hvdrologic Balance: Pit 5 spoil spring flow is reduced to a trickle. The Pit 5 spring pool is stagnant but being heavily used by cattle, Pond 4 was holding a small pool of water several feet below the outlet elevation. Sheep were drinking from Pit 4. Rancher is placing salt for the livestock on the embankment of Pit 4. Grassy Creek is flowing. Natural springs along access road to Pits 2/3 were flowing at a low rate. Revegetation: Pit 4 vegetation had been grazed, but not excessively in spite of [he approximately 200 sheep present at the time of the inspection. Vegetation in Pits 5 and 6 had been moderately grazed. Cattle were present on Pits 5 & 6 during the inspection. Pits 2 & 3 vegetative cover was good and showed no evidence of having been grazed yet this season. Vegetation in Pit 1 was fair with very robust vegetation occurring in the upper (southern) portion of pit 1. Limited livestock grazing by cattle only had occurred on the lower portions of Pit 1. The Division collected vegetation sample data on the reclaimed areas June 27, 2005 through June 28' 2005 in order to document reclamation success. Data was collected for vegetative cover on both the reclaimed areas and the sagebrush reference area (reference area 17). The reference area had not been grazed by livestock. Production data was collected as well from both the reclaimed areas and the reference area. The Division will request more specific livestock quantity and duration numbers in order to calculate animal usage. The Division collected GPS data during the inspection to use to evaluate the vegetation sampling data. Houndstongue was observed in abundance in Pit 4, alongside the roadways, as well as adjacent to the reference area. Canada thistle was heavy in the southern extent of Pit 4. Noxious species were not harvested for productivity data.