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<br />At this present time, 14.1 acres have been affected by mining activity. It is expected that for <br />the life of the mine, approximately 20 acres to 25 acres will be actively involved in the mining <br />operation at any one time. The operation will include the azea in Phase 1 where the office and <br />scale are located. These should remain at the present location unless unforseen circumstances <br />require that they be relocated. Also, the area in Phase 1 where the well and water storage <br />ponds will be located will remain affected. Otherwise, the area of operation where mining, <br />crushing, gravel storage, haul roads, asphalt production, etc., will migrate through the mine as <br />stated. As the active area "footprint" moves from stage to stage through the phases, the <br />vacated area will undergo complete reclamation, beginning with backfilling and plating the area <br />with the necessary depth of overburden, grading, placement of topsoil, and seeding of <br />designated grasses. Only the necessary amount of azea will remain disturbed. Approximately <br />3 acres to 5 acres should be fully reclaimed each operation stage (probably each year). <br />The logical sequence of reclamation for each vacated stage is that as operations move out of <br />a mined azea and into the next stage, topsoil will be removed from the new area and be laid <br />aside or laced on an available area, until the subsoil can be removed and placed on the most <br />recently vacate azea. The overburden soil will be graded in prepazation for topsoil. It is <br />expected that overburden removal and placement, and topsoil placement will occur in the same <br />year. It is possible that actual seed bed preparation and seeding maybe delayed for a period, <br />since seeding is not expected to be done until the fall of each year. <br />Any surplus topsoil will be placed in storage in the northwest section of Phase 1, as indicated <br />on the Mining Plan Map, and will be used as a surge pile to handle excess and short amounts <br />of topsoil removed from each stage through the phases in relation to the amount that is <br />required to provide the thickness that is corrunitted to. This stockpile should experience an ebb <br />and flow as operations move through the site. At the end of mining in Phase 5, enough topsoil <br />will have been accumulated to adequately reclaim the last stage of Phase 5. According to the <br />soil survey, there will be an approximate 780 cubic yard surplus or at least a very close balance. <br />The current situation is that there are approximately 3 acres in the north west comer of Phase <br />1 that are ready for topsoil, or at least will be ready before the first stage of Phase 2 is affected. <br />It is expected that the reclamation process will start in the described manner with the removal <br />of topsoil from the next stage of mining, which is the west 3 acres to 5 acres in Phase 2, and <br />the placement of that topsoil on the northwest comer of Phase 1, including the slope and a <br />portion of the floor. <br />QK 3. Clarify the recommended revegetation plan to which you commit. <br />The revegetation plan that is committed to is the most recent one submitted be Mr. Dean Stint <br />with the U.S. - N.R.C.S., dated February 23, 1996. <br />(J~4. In accordance with Rule 6.4.5(1)(e), provide a discussion of the mechanics of the handling <br />of topsoil and overburden soil. <br />7 <br />