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3. At the non-road access sites spec fy what equipment will used at the site. <br />The machinery and equipmem referred to in this application is the John Deere 690 or 992 <br />track hoe and appropriate attachments (bucket, hydraulic breaker bar). No other vehicles <br />will leave system or non-system roads except in an emergency. For example, it may be <br />necessary to bring a 4WD pickup truck to an excavation site in the event maintenance is <br />required on the track hce. Otherwise, the track hce will be walked out to an existing road <br />for refueling and periodic maintenance. <br />Other equipment on mining sites will include mining tools (shovels, picks, water <br />canisters, compressor, etc.) but no vehicles. All vehicles will be left on system or non- <br />system roads. <br />After examining Road A and the access between Site D and Site C, I may decide to bring <br />the fuel truck up Road A to enable refueling without walking the track hoe back up to <br />F.S. Road 752. This will probably have less impact on the environmem. (Repeated use <br />of a walk-in route will eventually create a road.) As this road is currently closed, I will <br />need Forest Service permission to do so. <br />4. Sped the anticipated extent of soil and plant impact from "walking in"the <br />equipment to the non-roaded site, and what steps will be taken to reclaim those <br />areas. <br />Impact from walking in a track hoe varies from negligible to heavy. Cumulative <br />disturbance will depend on the number of trips, slope, and extent of vegetative cover. I <br />have stated that I will minimize the impact which includes as few movements as <br />necessary. Additionally, I have stated I will reclaim all areas disturbed by the footprirn of <br />the track hoe. Phis includes the walk in areas. <br />Disturbance is typically churned up soil, particularly if the track hoe must make a cornet. <br />Generally, the only disturbance is the penetration of the track into the soil of about 2 <br />inches and the depression into the soil along the edges of the track. The weight of the <br />track hoe will crush the vegetation along the walk-in route. Most grasses will recover <br />without prolonged impact (within a season). Some forts and shrubs may be killed and <br />will require longer periods to recover. Some of the negative impact caused by the weight <br />of the track hce is offset by the penetration of the tracks. The track blades aerate the soil <br />to some extent, allow penetration of moisture, and trap seed. <br />For the purposes of discussion, "heavy impact" may resuh from four to five trips, <br />`moderate impact" may result from three to four trips, and "light or negligible impact" <br />will result from one or two trips. <br />Walk in from Site A to Site B is estimated to be heavy. This route will most likely need <br />some reclamation to remove the effects of the track hoe. Walk in to Site D will also be <br />heavy because the track hoe must be brought out for refueling. I will plan to reclaim this <br />route as well. Waik into Sites C and E will be negligible if refueling is accomplished by <br />