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<br /> <br />Open water, in the form of a pond, has resulted from the <br />excavation of gravel resources in Phase 1 and partial excavation <br />in Phase 2. This has provided habitat for a variety of <br />waterbirds including ducks, geese, and occasional, migrating <br />osprey and wading birds. <br />Mining Plan <br />Although estimates of the volume of available gravel resources <br />have been made, the exact extent of gravel depths in Phase 2 <br />and 3 will not be known until excavation is underway. <br />Excavations will be made in a methodical manner, working from <br />the side nearest the established haul routes within the overall <br />complex to minimize movement of materials. It is anticipated <br />that the depth of gravel resources will vary across the site, <br />as they did in Phase 1. Therefore the depth of the excavation <br />will vary as well; Phase 1 varies from 5 to 12 feet in the pond <br />area itself. Annual quantities excavated will depend on market <br />demand. <br />Impacts to Existing Habitat <br />Phase 2 and Phase 3 would involve the excavation of gravel <br />resources that lie under historically mined areas and under <br />terrestrial habitat described above. Phase 2 mining areas <br />would impact up to 1.5 acres of scattered Gambel oak habitat <br />that would be removed prior to excavation. Much of Phase 2 <br />and Phase 3 are very dry uplands with sparse vegetation. <br />Phase 3 mining areas will impact up to 2 acres of the terrestrial <br />habitat; most of the gravel reserve lies under areas excavated <br />within the last 20 years by other operators. The projected <br />mining area boundary is held away from the potential wetlands <br />to the west and the more dense Gambel oak habitat to the north. <br />To the east is irrigated pasture. <br />At this time we anticipate only impacting 2-3 acres of sparsely <br />vegetated habitatin Phases 2 and 3. Similar habitat is found <br />throughout the Pine River valley. It is anticipated that the <br />proposed action will have little effect, if any, on the overall <br />populations of the relevant species. <br />Mitigation and Reclamation <br />Terrestrial Vegetation: <br />Impacts to terrestrial vegetation will be minimized through <br />the mining scheme described above and due to the sparseness <br />of the current vegetation. Since excavation in Phase <br />2 will proceed from water's edge, disturbance to the vegetation <br />will occur due to the need to stockpile materials and the <br />existing haul road system. However, the large ponderosa pine <br />within Phase 2 will be left intact if at all possible. <br />2 <br />