Laserfiche WebLink
• (i) The capability of the land before any mining to <br />support a variety of uses, giving consideration to soil and foundation <br />characteristics, topography, vegetative cover and the hydrology of the <br />proposed permit area; and <br />(ii) The productivity of the proposed permit area before <br />mining, expressed as average yield of food, fiber, forage, or wood <br />products from such lands obtained under high levels of management. The <br />productivity shall be determined by yield data or estimates for similar <br />sites based on current data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, <br />State agricultural universities or apropriate State natural resources or <br />agricultural agencies. <br />BESPONSS• <br />• <br />Land Capability <br />The capability of the land to support a variety of alternative <br />land uses was determined by evaluating physical, environmental, and <br />socioeconomic factors along with the historic land uses. Historic <br />trends indicate that pastureland, cropland, and coal mining have <br />been the only feasible land uses of the proposed permit area. Land <br />used for mining has historically reverted back to pastureland once <br />the mining activities ceased. <br />Land capability and productivity from a soils standpoint will <br />be discussed in two respects. The first is the SCS Soil Survey <br />Interpretations, based ao a guide for interpreting engineering uses <br />• of soils in conjunction with the National Soils Handbook Part II, <br />2.04-5 <br />