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operated in situations suitable to their design capabilities. The <br />overall operation plan is designed to flow logically from topsoil <br />removal through contemporaneous reclamation. The plan is designed <br />to maximize coal recovery and minimize environmental disturbances. <br />The first step in the operations plan is the removal of topsoil and <br />vegetation. In most instances, vegetation material and topsoil <br />will be removed in one operation by dozers or scrapers. Vegetation <br />material that is large enough to interfere with topsoil removal or <br />replacement will be removed in a separate operation and disposed of <br />in the pit area. It is expected that vegetation will be removed as <br />a separate operation only on a very small portion of the area. <br />Removing vegetation and topsoil in one operation is used for the <br />following reasons: <br />1. Topsoil recovery is maximized since removal of vegetation <br />as a separate operation wastes one to three inches of the <br />best topsoil that contains many native seeds. <br />2. Vegetation incorporated into the topsoil can provide live <br />plant materials for shrub sprouting when replaced <br />immediately. <br />• 3. Vegetation material mixed with the topsoil helps reduce <br />compaction when topsoil is replaced, and provides <br />additional erosion control. <br />4. Vegetation material in the topsoil will increase organic <br />matter and thereby encourage microbial activity, and <br />speed natural soil building processes. It is very <br />unlikely that mixing the vegetation with topsoil could <br />adversely effect reclamation. The determination of the <br />amount of any fertilizer to be applied will be determined <br />as per the Soil Testing Program. <br />The vegetative material that could be large enough to interfere <br />with topsoil operations refers to the large Gambel's Oak and Aspen. <br />The larger trees are not crushed as is the smaller brush during the <br />course of topsoil removal, stockpiling and/or redistribution by <br />dozers, loaders, trucks and scrapers. Once handled by the <br />equipment, the smaller brush causes little problem during later <br />phases of the topsoil or reclamation operations. <br />a <br />2.05-2 <br />