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• desired postmine land uses. SCC will obtain vaziances pursuant to Rule 4.06.2(2) and Permit C-82-057 whenever suitable soil cannot be salvaged exclusively from any map unit because of equipment limitations or operator safety concenes. Soil Pit -Soil Fertility Shallow postmine soil pits are excavated periodically near representative revegetation monitoring sites to evaluate plant rooting characteristics, determine soil fertility, ensure spoil suitability, and compaze soiVspoil data with site-specific revegetation data. The pits are selected using an intensity of one pit per 25 acres of reclamation. Postmine soil pits are placed within reclamation blocks that have been soiled and seeded for a minimum of three years, Similar minimum time frames are used for monitoring postmine vegetation. The permanent vegetation has generally established sufficiently after three to four years to evaluate interactions between rooting depths and soiVspoil quality (Schafer et al., 1979). 10 soil pits were dug in 200[; please refer to Soils Tab. Saoil Sampiia¢ in the [,ennox Coat Outcroa Area and the Graded Wad2e Saoil No final grading or revegetation activities occurred in the Lennox Coal outcrop azeas during the 2001 field . season. Therefore, no spoil samples were collected. The 1998 Annual Reclamation Report contains results of soil and graded spoil analysis conducted at the Seneca II-W Minesite. During 2001, SCC sampled ]0 soil pits on Seneca R-W reclaimed land. Results of this sampling can be found m the Soils section of this book. 2001 Soil Replacement Thickness SCC is required by Permi[ C-82-057 and Section 4.06.4(2x6) of Colorado's Regulations for Coal Mining to document and record the soil replacement thickness for each reclamation block using a minimum sampling intensity of one hole per five acres. The soil replacement thickness information is used to adjust soil salvage depths, if necessary, and for bond release purposes. Sampling is conducted on a 500-foot grid. Soil Replacement Technique No topsoil was replaced on graded spoil during the 2001 field season. Soil Balance SCC is submitting the soil balance with the Annual Reclamation Repor[ as required by Permit C-82-057, Tab 21, Pages 5, 32, and 33, and as recommended by Section 32.04.13(2) of Colorado's Regulations for Coa! Mining. The soil balance is completed to ensure soil is salvaged, stockpiled, and replaced as recommended • and approved in the permit, and, if necessary, to readjust the soil salvage and redistribution thickness. The soil information is also used to update the soil volume information previously submitted with the 1999 Annual Reclamation Report (SCC, 2001) and confirm the mean soil replacement thickness for the first two five-year permit terms.