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816.133 • • <br />B. Description of the AppLicant's Proposal <br />Energy Fuels' plans to restore the entire proposed <br />permit area to its premining land use including <br />those areas that are currently being mined or those <br />mined previously. This will consist almost entirely <br />of the reestablishment of range and pastureland, but <br />the cropland on the west side of Energy i4ine No. 1 <br />will also be restored. No other cropland will be <br />affectefl by the proposed action. <br />The major postmining land use activity will be grazing: <br />Energy Fuels proposes to reestablish grazing on re- <br />claimed and reseeded lands with trails beginning 13 <br />to i4 years after reseeding (v2, p.780-204): Energy <br />Fuels estimates that stocking rates will be about 1.4 <br />AUM's per acre, to achieve average premining rates. <br />Grazing will be reestablished in compliance with the <br />appropriate chapters of the U.S. Department of Agri- <br />culture, SCS National Range Handbook. Grazing will <br />be managed in such a way that no more than 50 percent <br />of current production will be consumed at any one <br />time, and grazing will be rotational, alternating <br />between spring and fall .periods on any one area. <br />No pastures smaller than 50 acres will be grazed to <br />avoid improper animal distribution and excessive <br />fencing costs. <br />C. Evaluation of Compliance <br />Energy Fuels proposes to restore the proposed permit <br />area to a level of productivity and use consistent <br />with or better than that which existed prior to mining. <br />That proposal is consistent with the Routt County zoning <br />of the area, and the major surface land owner, other than <br />Energy Fuels, concurs with it (Exhibit 21). <br />Achievement of this goal requires that regrading <br />(Section 816.106), topsoiling (Sections 816.21- <br />816.25), revegetation (Sections 816.111 - 816.117), <br />and restoration of area hydrology (Sections 816.41- <br />816.57) be carried out in compliance with the Permanent <br />Regulatory Program. The exception to these plans to <br />restore the land to its original configuration is that <br />excess spoil areas will not be restored to original <br />topography. Piles will be graded to a slope of 3:1 with <br />benches spaced at approximately 50 foot intervals. The <br />excess spoil will be retopsoiled and seeded with a mixture <br />sufficient to support grazing. This, combined with the <br />slope gradients, will enable use of the excess spoil <br />areas for grazing (Section 816.71(g)). <br />-98- <br />