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<br />moisture chazacteristics and less rock will be used for establishing communities that are <br />primarily herbaceous, while soils that are well drained and rockier ;tre better suited for <br />establishing vegetation communities with greater percentages of woody plant species. <br />Topdressing for a particular vegetation community type will be redistributed across the entire <br />area for which it will serve as a growth medium. Topdressing materials will be redistributed at <br />variable depths within a vegetation community. Creating variability in topdressine replacement <br />depth is desirable because it creates microhabitats that promote development of floral diversity. <br />Generally, soils will not be redistributed when they are saturated or excessively wet. Graded <br />surfaces will be scarified or left in a roughened condition to ensure adequate subsoil to <br />topdressing interface and to avoid slippage or other forms of undesirable mass surface <br />movement. <br />A rough soil surface will be left whenever possible following reconstruction operations. <br />Surface roughness may be created or enhanced through shank ripping, contour furrowing, land <br />imprinting or dugouts. ,4 rough surface creates microhabitats that favor the establishment of <br />the species contained in the revegetation seed mix. A rough surface also serves to promote <br />water harvesting, increases infiltration. and improves soil moisture retention and availability. <br />Special care will be taken in the reconstruction of salvaged Thirteenmile Tongue formation <br />soils. Salvaged subsoils will be separately distributed and compacted prior to topsoil <br />redistribution in an effott to create a shallow rooting depth soil that mimics and is similaz to <br />premining conditions for the native dry exposure plant communities that have historically <br />occupied these soils. Following subsoil compaction. the salvaged Thirteenmile Tongue topsoil <br />layer will be replaced. This soil reconstruction method will be used in an effort to avoid <br />unnecessary impacts to habitat that may potentially support the two federally listed ttueazened <br />plant species. As previously committed. American Soda intends to develop a detailed protocol <br />for handling Ttdrteenmile Tongue soils. This protocol will be developed in consultation with <br />the BLM using disturbance/site-specific information. <br />Appropriate erosion control structures will be placed on steep slopes to protect reconstructed <br />soils from excessive erosion. Structures to be used for this purpose include but are not limited <br />to water bars, diversion ditches or berms, and gradient or total containment terraces. Designs <br />for these structures are contained in Appendix E. These structures may be used singly or in <br />combination to achieve the necessary level of soil protection. <br />In addition to physical erosion convol methods and practices, the establishment of permanent. <br />diverse vegetative cover is one of the most effective long-term stabilization components. <br />Normally revegetation operations will be conducted during the first locally accepted planting <br />period following the reconstruction oC soils. An exception to this planting schedule may occur <br />in low precipitation years when sod moisture content is poor. When this or similar conditions <br />occur, areas may be allowed to lie fallow to allow winter precipitation to recharge soil moisture <br />prior to planting. Establishing vegetation is discussed in greater detail in Section x.1.3. <br />After replacement. topdressed soils may be tested for fertility. When tested, the standazd soil <br />parameters to be analyzed will include pH, electrical conductivity, and nitrogen, phosphorous <br />and potassium content. ,additional parameters may be added if soils used for reconstruction are <br />known to be deficient in other macronutrients or rrticronutrients. Soil samples will be taken at a <br />density sufficient to characterize the area to which amendments will be applied. Samples will <br />be composited and split, with one split being sent to the laboratory for analysis and one being <br />retained for additional future analvsis if necessary. Retained splits will be kept until the <br />operations for which they were taken have been completed. Fertility amendments will be <br />formulated and applied based on fertility testing. The amount of organic materials in and on the <br />American Soda L.L.P. ~-3 <br />Sail Conservation. Erosion and Sediment <br />Control, rtclamwon and Rev<petatton Plan <br />tktober 28. 1998 <br />Revixd Apnl 9. 1999 <br />