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and any attempt To grade to approximate original contour will create additional <br />• environmental damage. After regrading, this road will be revegetated in accordance <br />with applicable laws. <br />3.5.7 STEEP SLOPE MINING <br />The Goat Trail (Profile I-I') was established in 1953. This construction was prior <br />To any reclamation requirements or road design standards and as a result incorporates <br />some features that would not be present on a road built today. The hillside upon which <br />the road is constructed varies in slope from 30 to 70 percent. The road grade is not <br />excessive averaging 6.6 percent overall and reaches a maximum grade of 10 percent in <br />Two locations (Exhibit 3.5-13). <br />A variance is requested from reclamation of The Goat Trail to its approximate <br />original contour due to the steepness of the hill upon which it is built. Reclamation <br />operations would be hazardous, if physically possible, to perform since the adjacent <br />slopes are greater than 3:1. To grade the area, equipment would have to disturb a <br />greater amount of acreage than is presently disturbed and possibly the entire hillside. <br />• The areas adjacent to the Goat Trail are presently revegetated and stabilized. To <br />minimize disturbance to the adjacent areas, reclamation of the Goat Trail will be <br />achieved by revegetation of the road to comply with the applicable revegetation <br />standards aT the time. The road will be ripped To reduce compaction and a seedbed <br />prepared. Seeding will be with the approved seed mixture at the Time of seeding. The <br />area will be mulched to stabilize the seedbed until vegetation is established. <br />Runoff from the area is presently minimal, as shown by the data in Section 2.5. <br />There are only very minor differences in The water quality data collected from the <br />upstream and downstream stations on Oak Creek. This data also includes the runoff <br />from the Facilities area. Once these areas are revegetated, runoff will be reduced, <br />further minimizing any water quality effects. <br />Reclamation will result in an area suitable for on agricultural londuse of <br />rangeland. The area is presently zoned for agricultural use. By retaining the grade <br />of the road, livestock and wilc'~ife will be able to move freely over the hillside. <br />3.5.7.1 Stability Analysis for the Goat Trail <br />• As previously mentioned, the Goal Trail has been in existence since 1953 and has <br />proven stable. No major failures have occurred in the past 28 years and no structural <br />3.5-7 <br />o ,,..: ~,..+ ~io~ <br />