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<br />the West Ridge Area, in association with the West Ridge Hydrologic Reconstruction <br />Project. It is not apparent whether topsoil had been replaced on any of these areas, or if <br />there was none available. The area was seeded with cover crop, but no soil testing was <br />reported. Whether it was topsoil or substitute material, the permit states sampling will be <br />done to test for "soil" fertility and the need for fertilizer amendments. Please inform the <br />Division as to whether or not testing was conducted, and if it was, provide the results of <br />the tests. <br />P&M was remiss in not sampling areas of non topsoiled reclaimed ground. The areas that have na <br />topsoil for replacement , as of this date, have been sampled with a composite sample and the <br />results will be given to the Division as an addendum to Appendix B ojthe /995 Annual <br />Reclamation Report when they are received from the lab. All areas with topsoil replaced during the <br />1995 season were represented in the composite sample included in Appendix B of the report and <br />discussed on the first page under "LOCATION & NUMBER OF ACRES TOPSO/LED". Three <br />areas of previously topsoiled ground were crossed when building the terraces, these areas were <br />stripped of topsoil prior to construction of the terraces and following construction the topsoil was <br />placed evenly over the areas stripped except for the flow areas in the very bottom of the terraces. <br />3) The report states that topsoil was distributed on 71.5 acres in the West Ridge area. A <br />composite soil sample was analyzed and the results are presented in Appendix B. Based on <br />the results is P&M planning to add any fertilizer amendments? <br />P&M has no plans jot fertilizer amendments until after permanent seeding operations are completed <br />in both the West Ridge area and the Moffat area. Our closure plans have scheduled a fertilization <br />plan for most of the mined area, but for the sake of economy this will be done as an all inclusive <br />program either in the fall of 1996 or the spring of 1997. <br />4) The Annual Reclamation Report included a typical seed tag from the 1995 permanent <br />seeding program. The seed tag showed that P&M was using the Approved Edna Seed Mix <br />as documented in Appendix A of the 1995 ARR. However, the seed tag says the seed was <br />tested 01/19/93. This implies the seed was over two and a half years old when it was <br />planted. Germination rates for many seeds decreases with age. When practicable seed <br />should be proc:uned annually to maximize seed viability and germination rates. <br />P&M practices the policy of procuring seed for one field season at a time. Usually several bags of <br />seed are left over from a particular seasons planting. 1 discussed the issue of older seed with our <br />seed supplier and he said that as long as an additive relation of temperature and humidity was kept <br />below /00 the seed should remain viable for several years. P&M has kept this older seed dry and <br />out of the direct elements of temperature for the time in question. Also, as a practice the older seed <br />is mixed with the new stock prior to planting so that a given area is not planted with all old seed. <br />In the case of the 1995 seeding three bags of old seed were used in conjunction with the seed <br />purchased during the year. /t would appear that when selecting an arbitrary seed tag from the bags <br />used and old seed tag was picked. <br />