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,. F~XFfIBITE-RECUIMATION • ~; The redamation of the Pine Ridge Pit will consist of the placement of topsoil, either from topsoil ' stockpiles or transferred directly trom the surface to the pit slopes consisting of the east, and west slopes and eventually the north and south slopes. Topsoil will lie fertilized according to the recommendations from soil analysis taken prior to planting for correct additions of inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Topsoil will be spread and graded to no steeper than 4:1 (H:~ slope. Contour rills may be installed on all slopes to minimize sheet wash erosion. The site will be seeded with a mixture of native grasses, shrubs and pine trees as listed in this exhibit. The grasses and shrubs will be used to stabilize the slopes as the pine forestation matures. The pit location is at approximately 9600 feet elevation and the unmined property has slopes ranging from 2 to 7% sloping to the northeast. The average precipitation recorded at Leadville is 18.48 inches with 79 average frost-free days per year. The short growing season and cool temperatures limit plant growth. The average annual temperature is 36.3 degrees F and the average minimum temperature through the summer months is only 35.7 degrees F at Leadville. Climatic factors should be similar at the mine site Two vegetative types occur on this site. The open, sagebrush / grassland type and the lodgepole pine type. This correlate directly with the soils mapped in the area. The lodgepole pine community is found over the Troulville soils. The Sagebrush /grassland community is found over the Pieuin soils. The sagebrush /grassland type consists of approximately 40% big sagebrush, 30% Arizona fescue, 15°lo mountain muhiy, 5°lo Junegrass, 5°/o buckwheat, and traces of Elk sedge, bottlebrush, squirreltail, and stonecrop. Ground cover is approximately 30%. The lodgepole pine type consists of a relatively open stand of mixed age lodgepole pine. The • stand has been logged or thinned in the past creating small open areas and the mixed tree sizes. The understory is very sparse under the pine and incudes small amounts of Arizona fescue, Mountain muhiy, Junegrass, EIk sedge, buckwheat, kinnickinnick, common juniper (shrub), big sagebrush, and showy cinquefoil. Ground cover is less than 5%. The plant cover increases somewhat where the pines have been thinned. Other plants found in the area, twt not on the mine site includes rushes, tufted hairgrass, and shrubby cinquefoil along the inigation ditch south of the mine site. Reclamation Recommendations were made in October of 1981 Mr. Bob Schroeder of the Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service. His original transmittal letter is found in ttirs section along with a recent proof of mailing to the Soil Conservation District for review of their 1981 recommendations. The 1981 recommendations are listed below. Mining Ocerations 1) General - Awell-planned mining operation can do much to minimize disturbances. Preferably mining should progress in stages allowing reclamation of one area while a new area is being developed. ,This may or may not be appropriate depending on the size and location of the sand and gravel deposits. If applicable it will spread out reclamation efforts and costs over the life of the mine. The present mining plan includes mining to a depth of 45 feet. Both the bottom and side slopes of the pit will need revegetatation. 2) Topsoil -Topsoil should be removed and stockpiled for replacement after mining. ~. •