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should not have an effect on offsite structures if conducted in the manner presented. The <br />recommendations of the Division are presented in Subsection 6.5(4). <br />6.4.5 EXHIBIT E -Reclamation Plan <br />Conceptually, the reclamation plan is logical and addresses the general components <br />normally included in such a plan. However, there are several areas that will require <br />additional information or specificity in order to fully meld the various components of the <br />reclamation and mining exhibits into a plan that will achieve the desired end result of <br />returning the land to beneficial uses. With a project of this size and length of time, it will <br />take several years before the full scope of the mining and reclamation plan is operational <br />and many of the assumptions used to develop the plan may have changed. Therefore it is <br />desirable to build in some flexibility with respect to the various elements of the plan, <br />especially with respect to vegetative establishment, both interim and final. <br />The proposed mining area is a fairly level plain that gently dips to the northeast. The <br />plain is dissected by very shallow broad-bottomed drainages sepazated by low level and <br />relatively flat-topped ridges. The site is comprised entirely ofshort-grass prairie that has <br />been extensively grazed and probably would be considered to be in poor to fair condition. <br />The vegetative composition of the area is fairly uniform with Blue grama being the <br />dominant grass along with Sideoats grama, Westem wheatgrass, Sand dropseed, Red <br />three-awn, Ring mutely, along with the typical complement of forbs, shrubs, sub-shrubs, <br />talus, and the occasional juniper tree. In the drainage swales or bottoms there is a <br />noticeably higher percentage of Western wheatgrass present. This is typical in Eastern <br />Colorado as these azeas collect and receive more moisture. The more deeply dissected <br />drainages near the receiving stream confluences also contain more shrub type vegetation, <br />however, for the most part these will not be disturbed. <br />The revegetation plan appeazs to have taken into account the dominant species presently <br />on the site when preparing the seed mix. However, the division believes a better <br />approach would be to utilize the NRCS Range Site Descriptions for this area when <br />developing the mix. These descriptions include projections of potential plant <br />communities for a given range site. Some of the species included in these projections <br />have likely been suppressed or eliminated due to heavy grazing pressures over a period of <br />many yeazs, but are species native to the azea. Given an opportunity, these species would <br />re-colonize this azea and nicely compliment the proposed seed mix. In addition, a forb <br />component should be added as well as a low shrub species. Some of the grass species <br />that should be given consideration for inclusion into the mix aze Little bluestem, Galleta, <br />Green needlegrass, Buffalograss, Sand dropseed, Ring mutely, Prairie junegrass and <br />Alkali sacaton. For shrubs perhaps fringed sage or winterfat could be considered and <br />forbs could be selected from the range site descriptions for this area. <br />Another item that will require additional information is the seeding method and seeding <br />window. There are basically two times during the year that seeding should occur in this <br />azea. The first is a dormant seeding in late falUearly winter, preferably into a standing <br />cover crop such as sorghum, or seeding in eazly spring utilizing a companion crop or a <br />