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<br />TAB 22 <br />REVEGETATION PLAN <br />The following Revegetation Plan details the methods and materials required to revegetate and <br />stabilize lands affected by surface mining at the New Horizon 1 Mine (Permit No. C-81-008). <br />Postmining land Use. According to public comment on Peabody Coal Company's 1976 NuGa <br />Mine Permit Application, the area residents want abandoned cropland retumed to cropland. <br />Therefore, a significant portion of the site will be seeded as dryland pasture to provide a <br />perennial forage crop for harvest by livestock. The area to be reclaimed to dryland pasture, <br />located in the S 1/2 SW 1/4 Sec 25 (T47N R16W), has the greatest possibility of being irrigated <br />in the future. While Western Fuels-Colorado will not irrigate these pastures, water availability to <br />the north of this area will provide the postmine landowner with opportunities for irrigation. The <br />remaining postlaw reclaimed areas will be rangeland in areas reclaimed around Sediment Ponds <br />001 and 006. Agriculture related to livestock. grazing with incidental use by wildlife is to be the <br />postmining land use. <br />Postmining Vegetation Types and Land Use. As noted in the above section, a portion of the <br />reclaimed area will be retumed as dryland pasture. This area will receive thicker 15 inch topsoil <br />replacement depths and will be seeded with Seed Mix #i - Dryland Pasture/Rangeland Mix. <br />The remaining areas will have 10 inch topsoil replacement depths and are generally adjacent to <br />the old mine disturbance areas or native rangeland areas (see Tab 21 "Minesoil <br />Reconstruction°). These areas, also seeded with Seed Mix #1, are to be reclaimed as rangeland <br />and have no potential for irrigation. Drainage and riparian vegetation types will be established in <br />sediment pond reclamation areas, and any affected areas of the large drainages fraversing the <br />permit area. Seed Mix #2 -Reclaimed Drainage/Mesic Site Mix will be used in these areas. <br />Enhancement of habitat will be carried out by selective plantings of species from Shrub and Tree <br />Planting Lists #t (Dry Sites} and #2 (Moist Sitesj. Refer to Exhibit 22-1 "Postmine Vegetation <br />Map - Nucla Mine" for the location of the various types on the Postmining landscape. <br />db d Pr paration. Topsoil maintenance and replacement is discussed in Tab 21 'Minesoil <br />Reconstruction". Upon completion of topsoil replacement necessary seedbed preparation prior to <br />seeding will be carried out. Compacted areas will be deep ripped as necessary prior to topsoil <br />replacement. Seedbed preparation will include chisel plowing or disking to reduce compaction of <br />replaced topsoil, break up clods and control weeds. Disking will be the preferred seedbed <br />preparation method used prior to the seeding operation. Tillage or seedbed preparation <br />operations wiU be kept to the minimum required to achieve the desired results. <br />22-1 <br />