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• been to the site three times and has been present while soil cores were taken throughout <br />the yard area. He was also demonstrated [he Buse of the optical point frame and he <br />agreed that the method is considerably more strict than their method of estimating cover. <br />6) During the reclamation of the site, the yard area was torn up extensively in order to <br />remove foundations and the area was also ripped prior to topsoil placement. See <br />enclosed picture in this section during the actual reclamation. SMC has done everything <br />i[ could do in preparing the site for reclamation and avoiding compaction problems <br />which could hurt root development. The picture also shows that the cooly yard material <br />is over 2.5 feet thick, which was typical for the entire site. <br />7) At the request of the landowner, the original reclaimed seed mix consisted of <br />timothy, orchardgrass and smooth brome. Summer droughts have severely hurt the <br />timothy and orchardgrass growth and almost every year since 1992, some additional seed <br />from various drought-resistant species has been added almost every fall, with only <br />moderate success. <br />8) SMC has also brought in additional pig manure in some poor spots, and has <br />conducted minor aeration of the site in the first few years after initial reclamation. This <br />has also shown only minor improvement. <br />9) The site was initially seeded in the fall of 1992. In the spring of 1993, [he site <br />showed an excellent young cover which was very encouraging. However, the summer <br />• and subsequent years have shown a significant decline (or lack of major improvement) <br />since that initial growth. SMC believes this is due to the fact that the site conditions <br />simply cannot support a high vegetation level. Picture 3 of this section shows the site in <br />early May of 1993 and Picture 4 shows the site in July of 1996, more than 4 years later. <br />10) In August of 1994, a vegetation study of the site was conducted by Matt Hayes. The <br />study showed that the vegetation was much lower than [he standard. Also, in subsequent <br />years, selected ripping, re-seeding, manure addition and fertilizing has not improved the <br />vegetation to a level that even approaches the standard. <br />11) Soil samples were taken in the summer of 1995 and were sent to the Colorado State <br />University soil lab. The results of these tests are enclosed. The high carbon level in <br />some of the subsoils is the result of the coal in the yard material below the topsoil. <br />12) See enclosed support letter for a reduction in the standard from Pat Davey from the <br />SCS. <br />13) See enclosed support letters for a reduction in the standard from Matt Hayes, the <br />principal vegetation specialist who studied the site and formerly worked for the DMG. <br />14) See enclosed support letter from the landowner, Bernard Knott. <br />• <br />Mid-Term Review 3/21/01 184-13 <br />°~ <br />