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`I Mr. Steve Shuey Division of Minerals & Geology Durango Field Office March 24, 1995 Page 3 Aggregate extraction will begin at the base of the hill in the southwest area and work towards the top in a northeast direction. The pit floor will be sloped at the beginning of mining so that a highwall will not exist at the end of the mining. Generally mining will continue uphill at a 2. SH:1 V slope. The permit applicant will be contracting with a mining company who will be performing the actual excavation of the site..The appropriate mining method of the site will be determined by the selected contractor. Their activities will remain within the conditions of the permit. The selected mining contractor will be responsible for removing the vegetation from the mining area. Generally the trees and larger shrubs will be grubbed and possibly sold for firewood. The smaller shrubs, forts and grasses will be incorporated into the material that is removed for topsoil salvage. As stated in Exhibit E, topsoil will be removed and stockpiled separately from the overburden. The available topsoil at the site will be salvaged. It is assumed there is sufficient topsoil available at the site for salvage to cover the disturbed area with a minimum of six inches. All available topsoil will be salvaged. However, if there is not a sufficient quantity to replace a minimum of six inches over the disturbed area, the applicant may decide to import additional topsoil or to continue reclamation efforts with a lesser depth of topsoil. The applicant understands that sufficient plant growth must be achieved prior to the Division releasing the Reclamation bonding. The elevation of the wetlands mentioned in Exhibit G is approximately 9380 feet. This wetlands came into existence in the 1960s, when the Highway Department resurfaced Highway 145 in this area. Excess material from the resurfacing project was left in this area, pushed over the side of the embankment, and collected against the trees and rocks. Surface runoff from the highway was then prevented from continuing downhill at this location. The wetlands formed from the lack of positive drainage. The only water source for this wetlands was and continues to be the surface runofffrom the highway. The mining operation will not affect the quantity of the water being supplied to the wetlands as the sources comes from the uphill side of the highway. Very little surface runofffrom the mining operation will impact the wetlands, due to the existing grades and locations of the active areas. The quality of the wetlands water source should not be impacted by the mining operation as the active areas will not route additional runoffinto the wetlands area. RECLAMATION PLAN All slopes in the mining area will be mined at 2.SH:1 V or flatter. No backfilling or compaction is expected to be needed to stabilize the slopes. As the proposed end land use is eventually for a limited number of residential homesites, these slopes will be compatible with the homes designed for mountainous terrain.