PERMFILE51089

• Permit No: C1980001
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 12/11/2001
• Section_Exhibit Name: 4.5 LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Doc Date:12l11/2001 III'II'II'IIIIII III
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s/L 4.5 LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN
•
The land management plan adopted for all revegetated lands within the
Edna Mine permit boundary is designed to ensure success of the revegetation
efforts during the extended reclamation liability period. Extensive research
has been done over the last several years concerning ways to utilize and
improve available forage on both domestic pastures and rangeland. Rotational
grazing and resting strategies •xith moderate grazing pressure have the
potential to enhance grass productivity and vegetation diversity.
Many of the grazing management systems that have been developed rel}' on
the use of "high intensity, low duration" grazing. This simply means that the
forage is harvested over a limited amount of time by a larger than normal
number of animals. These systems rely heavily on managing the livestock
through controlled animal distribution, location of fencing, water sources,
and mineral blocks. Stocking rates are based on the assumption that a 1,000
pound cow will consume or trample 30 pounds of forage (air dry) per day and is
referred to as one Animal Unit (AU). A single sheep has an AU equivalent of
• 0.20 or 5 sheep per AU.
Interim vegetation studies performed at the mine during the third and
fourth year of the extended liability period will be used as a starting point
to determine initial stocking rates. To ensure that the areas subjected to
prescribed grazing are not overgrazed, grazing efforts will be implemented
cautiously. Initially, stocking rates will be based on using 25 to 40 percent
of the available AUs.
Livestock used in conjunction with the prescribed grazing effort are
borrowed from neighboring ranches. Both cattle and sheep may be used at
times, depending on the objectives at a given location. Sheep are preferred
for use where the objective is to promote secondary stem growth of shrubs or
reduce production of annual/biennial forbs. Cattle are preferred on areas
where grazing pressure on shrubs should be minimized while promoting the
lateral spreading of grass species.
The two primary seasons for prescribed grazing are early-spring and
late-summer/fall. Spring grazing is directed toward promotion of secondary
stem growth on shrubs and lateral spreading of grasses. Late-summer/fall
• grazing is directed toward recycling nutrients through utilization of excess
MR-38. 4.5-1 August 25, 2000