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Mr. Dan Mathews Divirian oJMineratrAnd Geology Page 6 • 14. Survey bared sediment pond capacities wen rejwrted as required in the report. Report narrative and notation to Table 04.4 indicate that there war a surrey error, which erroneously indtaated that 2004 aapaaty for.fediment Pond 00f war nightly less than the minimum allowed water storage capacity. Please provide an amended table with the corrected capacity for Pond 005. Response: SCC will provide results of 2005 survey in the 2005 ARR. Annual Wildlife Monitori>~ 1 S. The Fish and Wildlife Plan section of the approved permit (Tab 23) contains cnmmitmenu to monitor threego/den eagle netts in Hubberron Gukh annuall}; conduc7 a winter aerial deer and elk census annuall (December thrrz earl Fchrnary), and maintain a record of biggame mortality related to mine activities. In additfan, SCC bar olro initiated monitoring of rharp- tailed grouse lekr in the mine vicinity, with lek activity documented on one native rite adjacent to a haul mad annually rince 2002, and on two additional reclaimed titer in differentyeaa during that period During 2004, kk activity war documented on the native rite and one of the reclaimed ,titer. The monitarzng and reporting appeurr to have been conducted ingeneral rompliance with permit nquiremenu. However, we note that aerial biggame survey bar been conducted in March of 2003 and 2004, while the permit specifies a December through early February time period for the rumey. Please address the reason for the late dare ofthe surveyor the last two years, and please ensure that forum surveys will be conducted within the prescribed ame period. Response: Drought conditions le& the azea only partially snow covered. Snow cover is necessary for accurate big game counts. Also scheduling fox the availability of helicopters and crews varies from yeaz to yeaz. SCC attempts to survey big game at the most opportune time so that the results mean something. Annual Revegetation Monitories 16. Tab 22 of the approved permit includes a commitment to candud revegetatian monitoring of reclaimed panzlr the 2°d or 3^t growing season, and every two to fouryearr thereafter, with sample data and evaluation to be included in the Annual Reclamation Report. Additionally, the Division had requested that a supplementad report focusing on woody plant dennty establishment within concentrated shrub.reeding/planting areas be submitted with the 2004 report. Both reports wen rubmitted os required The annua/monitoring report required bypermit addressed 1997 and 2002 revegetatedarear thiryear. The report war thorough, well documented and clearly pesented ar it typiatlly the care. Notable thiryear war the dominance of alfalfa in the 1997 seeded area (and its rign~cant increase ,rince 2001), despite the low reeding rode of Duly 0.25 !br per acre (less than 2% of the mix on a PLS reed per sq. foot basis). Notable :a the 2002 reeding area is the relatively high initial density of woody plants (1392 stems per one), primarily big sagebrush. A couple changer are suggested for conrideratian in the 2005 annual revegetatian report. Methods of deriving the applicable cover success standard and the woody phut density standard an being, ar have recently been amended In nextyear'r report, the comparisons should be bared on the revised standards (z e. `bll-hit"herhaaoru cover Huth no `Patio adlurtment"and a woody plant density standard of 200 stems per acre over-all, 2000 stems per acre within concentrated establirbment areas). The supplemental report addressing woody plant density within concentrated establishment areas of the originalll-W permit area was encouraging from the standpoint that over-all average density exceeds 90% ofthe 2000 stem per acre standard for the concentrated ertablirhment anat. However then war a wide range of denntier within individual ertoblirhment areas; and the relatively high average was due to high numbers of big ragebnuh in revers! areas, and high numbers of Woods rare in one area. There has been a drartzc eduction in the numbers of the tall shrub rpeaer se>viceberry and chokeche»y in the one area (Black