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• farmland" by the NRCS in January, 2008. Soil handling from February 2008 onward has been <br />modified to account for this change in designation. <br />Generally, those soils which have a very high percentage of coarse fragments (greater than 35 <br />percent by volume), very shallow bedrock (0 to 10 inches), and shallow ground water (less than <br />1 to 2 feet), have little suitable topsoil to be salvaged. No topsoil is available to be salvaged <br />from existing roads, ponds, residences, or farmyards. <br />The pre-mine soil survey (IRI, 1998) did not define any soil within the permit boundary as being <br />"prime farmland". However, in February 2008, the NRCS stated that soil units 98A and 98E as <br />mapped by IRI qualified as prime farmland (see Attachment 2.04.9-10). Part of the reason for <br />this reversal was due to a typographical error in the previous NRCS documentation. Therefore, <br />Technical Revision 57 (TR-57) to the mine permit was submitted to the DRMS in March 2008 to <br />address the changes in Prime Farmland and in the topsoil handling procedures. All mine <br />operations in the areas designated "prime farmland" occurring from February 2008 forward <br />conform to the proposed handling procedures for these soils. <br />In early 2008, The Norwood office of the NRCS determined that the Begay, Barx and Darvey <br />soil types (equivalent to the 98A and 98E soils in the permit area west of 2700 Road), met the <br />qualifications of "Prime Farmland" as defined by the USDA ( See letter from the NRCS in <br />Attachment 2.04.9-10). There are 4.68 acres of 98A on the WFC property and 87.11 acres of <br />98E mapped within the permit boundary on the Morgan property that are considered prime <br />farmland. (See Map 2.04.9-1 and Table 2.04.9-6). In the area north of BB Road and west of <br />2700 Road, an area of 4.46 acres of 98E soil exists on the northern edge of the Benson <br />property. This is not considered prime since it was not managed as cropland in the past and <br />there is insufficient water on this tract for the proper irrigation. An area of 0.55 acres of 98A soil <br />is shown on the north edge of the Lloyd property. Since the disturbed area has extended <br />slightly north of the soil survey boundary, this area is assumed to be 1.00 acres. Nevertheless, <br />the area is too small to be considered prime and was never managed as prime farmland in the <br />past. For this reason, these particular tracts of 4.46 acres and 1.00 acres are not considered <br />prime. This was verified by the NRCS in 2008. The prime farmland areas are described below. <br />0 (Revised Nov 2008) 2.05.4(2)(d)-13