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applicant to be aware of the stability and bonding concerns associated with this mining method that have been identified. It is likely that these concerns can be addressed through mining modifications, special material handling methods and increased bonding if necessary. The division will wait for the results of the stability analysis to address this further. 6.4.5 EXHIBIT E -Reclamation Plan Overall, the reclamation plan appears to be fairly straight forward. Some concerns with the plan have already been identified, including backfill placement and stability and topsoil re-application depths. The backfill placement and stability should be addressed with the geotechnical stability exhibit. In addition, it appears that the operator intends to backfill with material imported from off-site. If that is the case, the operator will also need to identify the source of this material and certify that it will be inert in accordance with the definition of "Inert Material" included in Rule 1.1(20). In addition, once the general nature of the fill material that will be used has been identified, a general engineering plan stating how the material will be placed and stabilized to avoid settling and voids should be submitted for inclusion in the final reclamation plan. The topsoil re- application depth should also be increased to a range of 12-18 inches as discussed under Exhibit D. One area that was not discussed in the reclamation plan is the necessity for a noxious weed control plan. The fact that the land is in agricultural production indicates that there is very likely a presence of some noxious weeds on the site. Rule 3.1.10(6) requires that methods of weed control shall be employed for all prohibited noxious weeds. In addition, the division recently developed a policy memorandum concerning the control of noxious weeds. As a result, a noxious weed control plan should be included with the permit application that includes at a minimum: target weed species (this can be obtained from the local weed control district), methods of treatment (it is a good idea to include several such as spraying, mowing, grazing, burning, bio-control, tillage, etc.), treatment windows, and follow-up monitoring. It is especially important to keep topsoil stockpiles and product stockpiles free of weeds so that they do not get spread around the site or transported off the site. The post-mining land uses should be consistent throughout the permit document. The application indicates that the primary post-mining land use will be general agriculture, however, in Exhibit D it is stated that pastureland is apost-mining land use and then under Exhibit E it includes rangeland and open bodies of water. This may seem to be a rather picky point, however, when it comes time for final financial and performance warranty release, the site must be reclaimed in accordance with the approved post-mining land use. If there is a conflict about what that is, it can become rather cumbersome to unravel. Therefore, please clarify what the post-mining land use is and refer to it consistently throughout exhibits and application.